Land of the Vikings

Land of the Vikings

Perhaps I enjoy Norway so much because it is the land of the Vikings, the name of my beloved football team. Or maybe it is because my paternal grandmother’s family is from Norway, and that part of the family showed their ancestral roots so much in speech and the way they lived. Or more likely, it is because it is such a beautiful country, with many things to see and do, particularly involving the outdoors. I used to wonder, though, why so many of the Scandinavians left for America. After visiting, I do understand. Life for them would have been very hard. They were trying to make a living on tiny plots of land, often half way up the side of a mountain, that were isolated, rocky, and had a very short growing season. On top of that, the climate was/is harsh, with brief, relatively cool summers, and dark, (in the northern part of the country the sun never broke the horizon) cold winters. America must really have seemed the Land of Opportunity. But now, Norway is a rich country, and not many people have to depend on making a living on farming. They have the time to enjoy their beautiful surroundings, with extensive hiking, biking, and ski trails and hut systems. Still, the climate alone would be enough to send me to America.

Our Norway segment didn’t really start until our second full day when we rented a car and drove to the old Donhaug farmstead, now a rental house. It is located right on the Hardangerfjord. It was a wonderful stay. The house has been renovated and has modern conveniences, but still has it’s old character. It was very similar to the Minnesota farm of my great uncle, the Norwegian bachelor farmer. The highlights there included some hiking, visiting a restored old farm, an old baronial house, a stone park which had cut and polished stones from the region, and a boat ride on the fjord. From there, we drove back to Bergen where we hopped the express boat to Flåm, a small town on the Sognefjord, Norway’s (and the world’s) longest and deepest fjord. The trip there was itself a highlight; the fjords are so beautiful! In Flåm we stayed in a fjord hut, literally right on the water. The kids only complaint about it was that we didn’t stay long enough — three nights. We didn’t really do a lot there; primarily, we took the rowboat out on the fjord each day, walked around a bit, and enjoyed the views, but it was relaxing and beautiful. In addition, we had our first sunny day since we left Honduras. From the it was again back to Bergen, but this time we stayed for two nights. There we visited the Brygge, the old wharf area that dates back to the 1100’s, the city aquarium, and the Cultural History Museum. The latter doesn’t sound like a key point of interest for kids, but bear in mind that it was full of information and artifacts about the vikings, and viking is the Scandinavian word for pirates. We also had a chance to visit with one of the last of the Donhowe relatives left in Norway.

And now we are on the train to Oslo. We will have three days there to explore, and then it will on to Prague on Monday. Ruth, Margit’s mother, will leave us that day after our two weeks here in Norway. It has been great traveling with her. We have talked about a trip to Norway with her for 10-15 years, and combining it with our ATW trip has worked out very well, but it is now coming to an end. More adventures, though, lie ahead.

-Mitch