I feel like there are a lot of people, especially those who have never traveled, that live in a binary world. Traveling makes that virtually impossible. Life in general makes that way of thinking impossible. When you are open to ways of life that are different from your own you realize that it is okay to have a binary thought be your first just don’t let it be your last. I learned a version of that concept from Sharroky Hollie while I was teaching. You have to live in the pivot.
It is OK to not have every single minute of every single experience be amazing!
You’ve heard me say multiple times, that multiple things can exist at the same time. Welp, everyday I’m reminded profoundly how true that is.
On the 13th, Dave and I hiked our second of the seven mountains of Bergen, Mount Lyderhorn. It is the one we can see straight out of our apartment window. Dave was in Amsterdam for a convention the 8th-11th, and when he only has weekends off, that is when exploring happens, rain or shine. Well, that weekend all it did was rain. Since we’ve been here, we have learned that, on average, Bergen has over 200 days of rain, and October is the most rainy. Honestly, had we had this knowledge before we came, we still would’ve come. It is gorgeous here!
Hiking in the rain, depending on the trail conditions, can be fine. This experience was pretty miserable. And, because it was raining the entire hike, the conditions got worse on the way back down. Picture walking through a muddy, rocky stream, downhill for over an hour.
Was I glad that Dave and I spent the day together and hiked our second mountain?
Yes!
And,
Did we have zero view at the top, did I fall several times, twist my ankle, put my foot in a muddy hole up to my knee and have my feet be pruney for no less than five hrs?
Yes.
Multiple things can exist at the same time, and it is OK to be honest about it. It definitely reminded me of the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day “Some days are like that. Even in Australia!” 😂
If you know my heart, you know that if I complain about something, I’m praising it the same amount! If not more.
As my friend told me, “Earth school is wild!”
This past week, our second of three, was gorgeous so I took advantage of the weather and climbed three more mountains bringing my total to five.
Monday: I hiked Sandviksfjellet.
I took the Stoltzekleiven steps, only 908 compared to the 1333 of Ulriken. The steps are steep stones so, even though it was beautiful, I was happy I found an alternate route down.
Tuesday: I hiked Fløyfjellet or Fløyen and then went on to Rundemanen from there.
Once I had reached the summit of Fløyen I was very close, considering, to the starting point of Rundemanen. And, it had a really nice, clearly marked path to follow. I’m so glad I took the opportunity to continue up Rundemanen as well. The view was incredible! I need to find better adjectives, and I was in awe of the beauty.
I really wanted to do all seven mountains, and after researching the final two (Damsgårdfjellet and Løvstakken) I learned that they are steep, can be muddy and slippery, and don’t have clearly marked trails/ I should use a guide. I decided that it is in my best interest to stay safe and be happy with the five.
Initially, Dave was planning on taking Friday off and when the forecast showed rain we changed our plans to take a fjord ferry on Wednesday instead, because we really wanted to have him be able to have one adventure without being wet, and I’m SO glad we did!
We took the Hardangerfjord Express Ferry to Rosendal because it was a 16th of the price of an official fjord tour and it was absolutely beautiful. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining and we even had a warm breeze. We came back the same day so we only had a few hours in Rosendal. This was fine though because the views from the ferry were a huge part of the experience, and we made the most of every minute.
The landscape of Rosendal was truly spectacular with the mountains and the waterfalls. We began by hiking to the Hattebergfossen waterfall. We walked along the creek and through fields with sheep that provided incredible views of the Malmangernuten and Skeisfjell mountains.
After visiting the waterfall we walked through the Steinparken (Stone Park) and then made our way to Elins Matgleder for lunch. We knew we were going to be splurging on lunch because everything is expensive and it was worth every penny! I had probably the most delicious fish and chips I’ve ever had and Dave enjoyed his chicken sandwich as well. It was definitely the best food we’ve had since Glasgow. Especially since I have only mastered frozen pizza, mac n cheese and spaghetti. 😂
On Friday I hiked to Troldhaugen, the home of Edvard Grieg, a famous Norwegian composer. The house was in a lovely location right on the shores of Smaholmane Bay. It was another beautiful day. We really were fortunate last week with only one day of rain.
Saturday, we got lucky with our first weekend day without rain so I brought Dave up Mount Fløyen so he could experience the view. Then we did more exploring around town. It was a wonderful day and it was so nice to spend it together.
We have one more week in Norway before we head to Lisbon, Portugal. Even though it is expensive and rainy here I’m glad we came. It has been awesome to do so much hiking and exploring of Norway’s beautiful landscape. I will say I’m a little sad that I have found Norwegians to not be as open and friendly as I had hoped. We haven’t made any friends and no on has chatted us up. It has been kind of disappointing especially after experiencing the generous spirit of Scotland. We did a little research on this, and it said that once you get to know Norwegians, they are very welcoming, which is probably true of many cultures, just not what we’ve experienced thus far. And, now we know.
It is hard to believe that we will be back in MN in just over four weeks! Time is a flyin’! I am so excited to see our family and friends again. After being away from them last year for the holidays, I’m can’t wait to be able to celebrate with them this year. I’m also looking forward to being home without having to find new tenants and have a million appointments. I’m hoping this fact spreads a blanket of peace over all of it. I intend to stay grounded in gratitude every step of the way and enjoy every minute until then.
Sending you a universe of love, wherever you are!
