I received a gift in the mail the other day. A 2024 Collector’s calendar: Norway, Visions and Verse of Vikingland…41st edition.
And the reason I was given this calendar is because one of the photos I took while visiting Norway last summer was chosen to be in the calendar.
It was fun looking through each month to see all the lovely pictures of this amazingly beautiful country, and finding one of my own, taken on the Island of Stord.
It was fun to see my name in the credits too.
Who me? How fun.
We boarded a few boats during our time in Norway. First, we were cruising along the western coast of Norway on the ferry/postal ship, the Hurtigruten.
We also took a number of ferries as part of our road trips. It’s just a natural and reliable way of life, and transportation, in the area where we were.
And, we took two more intimate rides in a boat that Heine and Kari have at their cottage. It seats six comfortably, and they graciously took us for rides on the Norwegian sea.
I love the water. I love being on it, or beside it. This was a special treat.
The scenery was stunning.
The scenery was breathtaking.
The scenery was colorful.
The scenery was pastoral.
On one trip we docked in a town called Fitjar, where Kari grew up.
We disembarked and found ice cream treats, before getting back on the boat to continue our fabulous ride.
The scenery included many styles of boathouses along the sea shore…
and hilly and rocky shorelines.
What a pleasure it was to be on the water, taking in a different perspective of this absolutely, beautiful country.
Our drive to the cottage took us through beautiful countryside across the island of Stord. And once at the cottage, we were able to go on two hikes in the countryside, during our stay.
On one hike we walked up to one of many wind turbines in a hilly area along the coast, close to the sea.
At the top, the view overlooked 365 islands off the coast of western Norway. Even though it was partly cloudy, we could see for miles, and we could see the North Sea beyond the islands.
Three sheep met us on the way up. They walked toward us, stopped, and then turned around as though they wanted us to follow them. When the sheep turned off the main trail, they turned and looked at us quizzically, while we kept going straight.
We continued to hike to the top, looked around, then headed back. The sheep met us, once again, on the way down. They seemed to be wondering why we didn’t follow them the first time, and they were willing to give us a second chance!
A different hike took us through a forest to a trail that was dotted with interesting characters and trolls along the path.
Apparently, the displays began with one man creating dioramas and placing them in the forest, along the side of the trail.
It turned into several more figures being created, and added, to the trail.
Now it is a fun place for children, or for those of us young-at-heart, to look for these special creatures.
Adventure Road is close to a city so children can visit the forest easily, and walk on the trail to find the treasures.
Our hike took us to this unique Troll Forest. It was a fun adventure.
After saying good-bye to Brita’s house in Kaldestad, we took the ferry to the island of Stord, where my second cousin Heine and his wife Kari live, and work, and have a “cabin”. Heine works for a company that makes oil platforms for the north sea.
Kari manages a delightful home decor/gift shop, The Five Hens.
We stopped by their home in the southeast area of Stord, on the way to their cottage on the sea, located in the northwest part of the island. That day we went from my grandfather’s house, built 1882, to Heine & Kari’s house on the sea, built 2012.
The cottage was a gorgeous home, with floor to ceiling windows and it sat right on the water’s edge, offering a great view. The six of us, Jomar and Bente, Gary and me, Heine and Kari, spent three nights there and had an enchanting time.
Besides being at the “cottage looking out over the water”, our mealtimes were memorable. Gathering around the dining table each morning, and every night, was fabulous. Not only was the food delicious, but the camaraderie was sweet.
Breakfast buffets in the hotels in Norway are amazing with breads, jams, soft-boiled eggs, egg dishes, meats, cheeses, fish, yogurts, oatmeal, trimmings, waffles, salads, cucumbers (and more)…they’re bountiful!
We had a lot of these same foods for breakfast at the cottage, except they were all set on the table in front of us. We passed the array of food back and forth, and enjoyed our leisurely breakfasts.
Dinners were fantastic too. Scrumptious food including elk, beef ribs and a pork roll, and chicken. Yum. We would eat a late, leisurely dinner, with good conversation.
Lunches were eaten outside; on the deck, or on the boat.
Our enchanting mealtimes made for some wonderful memories at the cottage.
