So, after 10 days of travelling through Europe I sailed from Hirtshalls in Northern Denmark and reached the shores of Norway. It didn’t take long to start seeing the breathtaking beauty of this country. Little did I know what was yet to come! My last youtube video (mindfulvanlife) documents the journey as far as the Magma Geopark near Hauge, a lunar landscape. I have got a bit behind with blogs and videos so I’ve decided to do a blog this week to document the continued journey through Norway and will post a video in a few days time with lots of pictures and video footage so that you can experience my journey and see just how amazingly beautiful Norway is. I have now done over 1300 miles in Norway and am still not half way to my destination of the Lofoten Islands!
I am trying to balance driving time with down time and have realised that as I need to be in Tromso by 10th September to catch a flight back to Sussex for my daughter, Georgina’s 18th birthday that it does not give me as much down time as I would have liked. There is so much to explore in this country as well as trying to write my book, which so far hasn’t progressed very much. Nature keeps distracting me. It is amazing, despite the long days of light here, that still there is not enough time. It is tiring driving as a lot of concentration is required on the mountainous windy roads, although there are some easy less windy roads in the valleys. Journeys seem to take twice as long as they should as there is almost a photo opportunity around every corner!
I have put a map at the end of the blog so you can see the journey highlighted in yellow. So from the Geopark from Hauge I headed to Tonstad via Egersund, a longer route, as didn’t fancy the smaller track roads today as it was raining. This route took me through an incredibly beautiful 50km valley, and a nice easy drive.
Next stop Edland, after a few hours of driving through rain up in the mountains. It did clear up and although it had suddenly turned cold, I donned my woolly hat and raincoat and headed out for an explore to a river full of rapids, so powerful after all the rain. I will be putting video footage of this rapid and numerous water falls I have encountered in my video as photos cannot capture their true essence.
Odda was my next destination. When you drive into Odda there is an incredible glacier that you can trek to.
I heard that it was pretty demanding and a lot of the route was flooding so decided to pass on that but instead spent the afternoon trying to scramble to a waterfall! I was parked up right next to the jade coloured fjiord, this colour as the water is from the melting glacier, still not sure why though!
Next day was a 3.5hr journey from Odda to Tysse. First I headed to Utne, to get the ferry across to Kvandall as I was now headed to Bergen to pick up my friend Sharon from Bergen airport the following afternoon. I also had to drive over a high single track bridge, I was so elated afterwards as you know how I hate high bridges over water, I had to stop and take a picture. I have to say though I took the Utne ferry to avoid an even higher longer bridge!
Collected Sharon from Bergen airport, so easy, and we headed to Evanger (a village where it appears no one lives!) on what turned out to be a beautiful hot sunny weekend. We found a lovely spot with its own private beach and stayed there for a couple of nights.
Sunday we stopped off at Voss and somehow Sharon managed to pursuade me to go on the newly opened ski lift to the top of the mountain. It was a pricey £30 each but it was definitely worth doing as the views from the top were simply awesome and of course I was facing my fear of heights head on. See my video for some footage of me acting not so cool in the ski lift!
From here we found an incredibly beautiful spot on a river to stay, right at the end of the Naeorfjiord at Gudvangen where the Viking village is. We had a mink visit us which was so beautiful to see, he’s blending in with the rock well, Watch my video for some exciting footage. https://youtu.be/vhPx_f5Eq8g
Monday we headed to Flam for our RIB boat tour of Aurlandsfjord and the UNESCO Naeroyfjord. We were blessed with the sun shining on us, an incredible trip seeing the mountains rising so steeply from the fjiord. Made a nice change to be at the bottom of them.
uesday we headed into the mountains at Aurland, where we took a hike up a mountain. Lucy looks as small as an ant, bottom left, find Lucy, she blends in well.
Wednesday saw us travelling for 7 hours, through mountain ski resorts, past a huge glacier at Voringsfoss and a very deep gorge. Sharon had to take the photos as I wouldn’t go near the edge. Two ferry trips later we arrived at Granvin, a beautiful spot on the old road at the edge of the fjiord.
Thursday we drove near to Bergen and stayed on a hill in the woods at what I can only describe as a suberb called Fyllingsdalen. As this was Sharon’s last night we were set to go out for a drink and a meal somewhere. We found the only pub and restaurant (Chinese) in the whole town but OMG the wine and food was absolutely scrumptious.
Friday morning we headed into Bergen and despite having read that parking was very expensive drove straight to the end of the port where the cruise boats dock and parked with no issue at all for 20NOK for the whole day. That’s around £18 and believe me that was cheap as elsewhere in Bergen it is £5 an hour! Sharon kindly paid for a bus tour of the city and we then did our own sightseeing on foot. We had the most expensive glass of house wine ever, at nearly £10 a glass right in the centre of Bergen by the fish market, but we did have lovely sofas to sit on to people watch. We made that glass of wine last, which we washed down with a selection of amazing fresh fish from the fish market. I didn’t know what I was eating but it tasted good.
After a lovely day it was then time for me to drop Sharon off at the airport and head to a friend’s brother’s house in Fana just 20 minutes south of the airport up in the hills. I was sad to see Sharon leave but boy was I treated well by Terry & Hjorgunn. It was so nice to have a hot shower, the first one since leaving England! It’s amazing how you get used to washing in cold water…
Another week has gone, I’ve now done 1300 miles in Norway alone in 3 weeks, but everyone of them has been completely amazing. I am truly living life, in the way I had dreamed. I am facing fears everyday, and everyday I overcome them and instead of thinking anything is possible I know that it is. I love myself and life more everyday if that is possible.
I am now on my way to Trondheim and I will include the last week in my latest video.
