Elke’s first visit to Norway

It all started in November 2017. As is often the case, we had dinner and drinks with friends. We had discussed it previously, saying we were curious about Kari’s country and family. It was already clear to me that she came from a warm, loving family. And Norway, I had no idea what that was like, but Kari’s eyes, the way they light up when she talks about ‘home, it made me curious. So, I decided to go for it. Just after this evening, we created a WhatsApp group, where we shared our idea of joining Kari in 2018 to visit Bergen, or more specifically Os. Kari checked with her family, and before we knew it, we had booked our tickets! Sometimes you have to act quickly.

We had a lot of fun planning everything. Kari’s brother and sister were both happy to put us up during our stay, how wonderful was that! To take in four strangers, no questions asked, that is so hospitable!

The good thing was, the closer we got to our departure date, the better the weather got, and the forecast was sunny.

The six of us, Kari and Andre, Peggy, Peter, Claudia and myself, left for Norway on 16 May 2018. We picked up some wine at the airport in Norway and took an airport selfie with our group. Kari’s mother and brother were there to pick us up, such a warm welcome!

We quickly set off for Os, where we met the rest of the family. We were given a wonderful room, it was breathtakingly beautiful, with a gorgeous view of the water.

The next day was 17 May,  and we were ready to embrace Norwegian tradition: Grunnlovsdag, Norway’s national holiday. The day celebrates the day, in 1814, when the country adopted the constitution. After coffee with Kari’s parents, we set off for the centre of Os to watch the parade of men, women and children in their local version of the national dress, everything handmade. When we returned, we enjoyed a very abundant late lunch with the family, prepared by Kari’s mother. It was DELICIOUS! Afterwards, we enjoyed some drinks… it was very late before we went to bed that day.

After the wonderful evening the day before, we had a tiny bit of trouble getting up the next morning. Some had a bit of a hangover, caused by Akevitt, the Norwegian schnapps ;-), but a relaxed day of walking in the small but gorgeous city of Bergen made up for all the problems earlier that morning. We took the cable cart up to Fløyen and hiked back down. Back ‘home’ we took the boat and discovered the fjords, they are so majestic and beautiful!

Hospitality, tradition and beautiful nature are the things that stick with me the most when I think back to this trip to Norway. The four of us stayed at the beautiful home of Kari’s brother and sister-in-law. We enjoyed meals on the deck of Kari’s sister’s home, surrounded by nature, and ended up dancing in her kitchen! Kari’s parents had us over for dinner several times, which was great.

Her brother and sister took us on a surprise trip, which started with a picknick breakfast on the Oma beach at glorious Hardanger fjord. We then drove to the Folgefonna glacier, wow! Next, we took the ferry for a wonderful trip around the fjords. In the afternoon, we went on a (for me at least) challenging hike to the top of Mount Samlen, where we enjoyed the spectacular view. What a glorious day we had, enjoying Norway’s beautiful nature! The water, the mountains… the beauty of Norway is really unparalleled!

We also enjoyed every minute of hospitality; it was very heart-warming. I have very fond memories of our trip to Norway. Despite the nice and warm weather, I bought a couple of wrist warmers, a typically Norwegian invention. When the temperatures drop, I get them out. Somehow, to me they are a symbol of the warmth, in the broadest sense of the word, that I experienced during my first trip to Norway! What a wonderful country and such warm-hearted people.