19-day trip to Norway
An itinerary that included a visit to Oslo, Heddal Church, Haukeli Road, Langfoss waterfall, Bergen, Vetlefjord, Jostedal Glacier, Alesund, Molde, Sundalsora, Oppdal, Namsos, Arctic Circle, Lodingen, Vesteral, Nyksund, Lofoten, Svolvaer, Henningsvaer, Kabelveg, Stokmarknes, Trollerfjord, Raftsund, Ballstad, Nusfjord, Andenes, AI Lofoten, Bodo, Svartisen Glaciers, Trondheim, Oppland, Tretten, Ringebu Stave Church, Lillehammer, Akershus Festning, Holmenkollen, Frogner parken.
The cost of living in Norway is very high and, for us Italians is better to make the trip with a caravan in order to reduce the costs of lodging and, partially, of food. We started our journey on June 27th in the late afternoon and made an overnight stop in Austria, in a highway parking place in the middle of the Alps. Early the next morning we drove on and stopped, in the evening, 50 km northern of Hamburg. We had already driven 1.500 km.
Our plan was to be ferried from Hirtshals, on the northern edge of Denmark, and arrive in Norway in Kristiansand, but there was no place in the ferry.
So we were ferried from Frederikshavn to Gothenburg, a destination which made our itinerary much longer.
We found a place to spend the night after passing Gothenburg when it was almost midnight (we had driven 500-km) And only the next day (300 kilometers further) we entered Norway.
Norway: Heddal visiting the Stavkirke, Haukeli road, Langfoss waterfall
In the early afternoon we reached Oslo. We crossed it ( paying a toll ) but we did not stop.
Our transfer trip finished, and we started the visit of Norway.
In Heddal we visited the Stavkirke, the oldest church in Norway.
Stavkirke
Heddal – Norway
Street Haukeli
NorwayBergen: Floyfjell view point, Torget (fish market)
While we were waiting for the first of an endless series of ferries, we decided to have lunch.
Then we continued along a winding road which slowed us down and prevented us from visiting the Fantoft Stavkirke, a beautiful wooden church of the twelfth century.
By mid-afternoon we arrived in Bergen. There was a warm sun so that, after dinner, we decided to go up to Floyen in a rack funicular to watch the sunset at 23.00.
The next morning we continued the visit of Bergen (it is wonderful its fish market) and we decided to have our first meal in a restaurant. it was excellent the much-praised fish cold buffet but it was too much expensive the cost of drinks (6 beers cost 42.000 Liras that is about 22,00 euros!).
Bergen
NorwayNorway: Vetlefjord, Jostedal glacier, Alesund, Askla view point, Molde, Sundalsora, Oppdal, Arctic Circle
We drove along narrow roads and took several ferries, always enjoying magnificent green landscapes. We travelled along the Vetlefjord until we reached the Jostedal glacier where we stopped to eat in a picnic area surrounded by a beautiful landscape.
Jodestal glacier
NorwayIn the afternoon, we visited the beautiful town of Alesund and then climbed to the viewpoint of Aksla where we could enjoy such a beautiful panorama that we decided to stop there for dinner.
So far, the weather, although with low temperatures in the early hours of the morning, was great and so we could enjoy the great views that the landscape offers.
After dinner we drove to Molde, “The town of roses”. We lost the ferry and had to wait for an hour for the next one; when we arrived at the camping…we found it closed.
We were astonished but, then, we realized that, although the sun was still high, it was already…midnight!
Aksla
Alesund – NorwayWe planned to arrive to Lofoten along the coastal scenic road E17 and we asked what was the best route to follow to reach it.
We travelled for two days (the beautiful valley that leads from Sundalsora to Oppdal is beautiful for the countless waterfalls that descend from both sides) to reach Namsos, the place where we could get the timetable of the many ferries and be able to synchronize our trip-schedule accordingly.
We managed to catch the first available ferry while the weather was getting worst: low clouds and a light rain. There was also a sudden drop of temperature. Then, the rain began to pour down.
The E17 is a scenic road, but we could only see low clouds and rain.
We decided to take a road that brought us on the E6, the fast internal road that we should have taken to go back.
The next day, always with bad weather, we crossed the Arctic Circle where there is a inscribed pillar, a museum and a cinema where we could watch a wonderful documentary about Norway.
Lofoten: Lodingen, Vesteralen islands, Nyksund, Svolvaer, Henningsvaer, postal ship Hurtigruter, Trollerfjord and Raftsund
We proceeded our trip towards Lofoten, we stopped to sleep in Lodingen.
A pouring rain continued to fall in gusts due the strong wind. The temperature was below 10 degrees.
The next day there was the same weather. We reached the Vesteralen islands and visited the fishing village of Nyksund, now abandoned. There was nothing particularly interesting, except the heads of fish hung up to dry on huge and long trestles.
Nyksund - Vesteralen
NorwayMuch more beautiful the panoramic road that led us to Svolvaer, where we slept.
The bright sun of the day allowed us to better explore the beautiful villages of fishermen of Henningsvaer and Kabelveg, while in the afternoon (we took a bus to Stokmarknes) we caught the famous postal ship Hurtigruter with which we returned to Svolvaer after having admired the Trollfjord and Raftsund.
Hurtigruter
Lofoten islandsLofoten: fishing villages: Ballstad, Nusfjord (nice the “Rorbur”, fishermen houses), Andenes and AI Lofoten
The next day it seemed to be in November: low clouds and a light rain.
We visited some fishing villages: Ballstad, Nusfjord (very nice both for its position and for the conservation of Rorbur, the typical fishermen houses), Andenes and AI Lofoten.
Ballstad
Lofoten islandsIsole Lofoten
Nusfjord
Lofoten islandsNorway: Bodo, current of the Saltstraumen Maelstrom, midnight sun, Mo I Rana, Svartisen glacier
We woke up under a pouring rain, so we took the ferry at 6:00.
During the four-hour crossing, the weather did not change and we did not stop in Bodo because of the rain. We watched, from inside the camper, the strong current of the Maelstrom caused by the flow of the tides.
We stopped to sleep in a open space, near the beach.
Then it began to blow a strong wind that swept the clouds thus allowing us to enjoy a beautiful sunset.
During the night, we woke up several times to admire the phenomenon of the sun that never sets. When it has almost reached the horizon, the sun starts to spin until it gets to the point of its rise and then rises again.
In a day of dazzling sunshine, we could admire a wonderful view.
Beyond the fjord, there were two long white icy tongues, one at a high altitude and the other much lower so that it gave the impression of plunging into the sea.
We took a ferry and a bus to get up to the Svartisen glaciers and had the pleasure of a walk up to the impressive green ice serac.
Svartisen Glacier
NorwayTrondheim: Nidarosdomen Cathedral, the most beautiful of Scandinavia
In order to terminate E17, we needed to take numerous ferries and drove all the afternoon and all the next day. The weather, once again, got worse, but not too bad. We went back to E6 and started the long way to Oslo.
We visited the city of Trondheim, a city with the most beautiful cathedral in Scandinavia.
We entered the green county of Oppland and visited the beautiful Ringebu Stavkirke.
Trondheim
Norway
Trondheim
NorwayLillehammer: famous ski resort, Stavekirke Ringebu, open air museum of Maihausen
It is an open air museum which gathers old houses (including furniture ) from the different regions in Norway, also dating back to 1700.
Museum of Maihausen
Lillehammer – NorwayOslo: Porto, Akershus Festning, Holmenkollen hill, “Ovrebo ski”, dating back to 2500 years ago, Kon-Tiki museum and Fram ship museum
Wonderful green landscapes with vast pine forests accompanied us during our way towards Oslo, always along the E6. We saw the smallest and most photographed train station of all Norway.
Four storms in twelve hours welcomed us in Oslo and so we visited the town with great difficulty (the Harbour and Akershus Festning). The city is situated on the sea in a very good position, at the end of the homonymous deep fjord. Inland it is surrounded by green hills with numerous forests and many lakes.
Porto di Oslo
NorvegiaIt was spectacular, on the Holmenkollen hill, the tall ski jump, as well as the particular shape of the stands that can accommodate a hundred thousand spectators.
It was interesting the Ski Museum, with particular reference to the “Ovrebo ski” dating back to 2500 years ago.
It was also superb the view over Oslo from the observation tower.
We did not miss the three naval museums: the first is the “Viking Ships Museum”, the second is dedicated to the famous Kon-Tiki raft, the third is dedicated to the Fram ship which, in 1892, was used for exploring the North Pole.
The Kon Tiki
OsloOslo: Frognerparken with sculptures by Gustav Vigeland
In the heart of Oslo, there is the Frogner Park, the most famous park in Norway where the sculptor Gustav Vigeland placed more than 192 sculptures.
Some of those sculptures are very famous such as the “Monolith”, the “circle of children” and the “Wheel of Life”.
Frognerparken
OsloNorway: free shots
Before returning to Italy we made a short visit to Berlin. Despite the time passed after the break of the wall, it was still considerable the difference between the living standards of East and West Berlin.
The Germany highways were blocked. We passed for Regensburg and Linz, and Salzburg later on.
The traffic was always very heavy but flowing. There were several cars of Turkish immigrants who were going to their country of origin to spend the holidays.
We were back in Italy after 24 days and having travelled 9.300 kilometers.
It was definitely worth the effort.
Landscapes
Norway
Landscapes
Norway
Flag
Norway
Ignazio MarconiMy name is Ignazio and my motto is Travellingforever
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