Norway in a [Rainy] Nutshell

Before reaching my next research destination, I took a very quick side trip to Norway. This was bad because there is so much to see in this country of Vikings and fjords, but good because Norway is so incredibly expensive that no budget backpacker could afford more than a weekend. I left sunny Stockholm (the only time I saw it not raining!) on a train to Oslo, where I was greeted with torrents of rain. I was beginning to worry that a trend was developing. However, I later discovered it had snowed the night before, so I suppose it could have been much worse… Nevertheless, I wandered the Oslo’s small city center, which had such charm to it. I meandered my way down to the harbor take in all the boats and the fortress nearby.

Oslo Opera- one of the coolest buildings in the city

With limited time in Norway, I was most eager to get out of the city and into nature. I hopped on a train to Myrdal, passing through fjords, some replete with vibrant fall foliage and others steeped in a few feet of snow. Every time our train was about to emerge from a tunnel, I tried to forecast what I would encounter weather-wise on the other side.

From Myrdal, I boarded the Flam Railway, a tourist train, that whisked me to Flam via some of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. Even though the ride was less than an hour, we quickly went from 860 meters above sea level to close to 0 in Flam. We passed through tunnels, waterfalls, and mountainous passes, with the occasional cottage visible only because of the small smoke stack emerging from its chimney. Arguably the most impressive segment of this journey was the ferry from Flam to Gudvangen. Unfortunately, it rained downpoured the entire three hour trip, but the fjords we passed through were so spectacular I couldn’t have cared less. I was so in awe of the beauty of the Norwegian countryside that I spent most of the journey perched on top of the boat just gaping at the landscape around me, disregarding the fact that I was getting soaked to the bone.

My last stop in Norway was Bergen, a picturesque city on the west coast of Norway surrounded by seven mountains and home to the composer Edvard Grieg.

 A girl from Lithuania, Inga, hosted me for the night and was kind enough to show me around the town and explain what life in Norway was like for her family who emigrated from Lithuania to Norway in 2011 when the Lithuanian economy was failing. When she arrived, she knew no Norwegian and just a little English. But now has learned the languages and is looking for jobs where she can utilize her economics degree. Although we had met mere hours before, we spent most of the day wandering Bergen together, discussing myriad of subjects.

Inga and I with our troll boyfriend

 I left on the train back to Oslo that evening with two sandwiches packed by her lovely mother and a sudden gratitude for the fact that I was traveling by myself-allowing me to meet such interesting, hospitable, and kind people.