Salmon and Shipping.
Two words I’d associated with Norway long before taking a trip to the Scandinavian kingdom. I didn’t even know that it was a monarchy, but what I did know was that the country had some of the most delicious salmon. And having worked almost four years at a Scandinavian financial institution, I knew that the nation was prominent in the maritime sector.
But what brought me to this part of Europe was neither its shipping industry nor the fish. Well, perhaps the latter is not exactly accurate considering that I was (and still am) a pescatarian. I digress.
From Me to Me
In 2018 I had decided that to spend my birthday overseas and after receiving an email about a tango event in Bergen, I thought ‘why not?’ Researching the trip led me to find that in addition to dancing, I could visit the beautiful fjords and also get some hiking in. In celebration of life, it would be the perfect gift to myself. Not that I needed an excuse to travel, it’s just that I’d heard that Scandinavian countries were some of the most expensive in Europe. Still, I mostly shrugged it off, rationalizing that staying in a hostel would cut costs and I could splurge for my birthday.
But why Bergen and not Oslo? It turns out that the Bergen Tango Marathon took place the week of my birthday and therefore, Oslo wasn’t on my plate this time. And because that was the case, there were no direct flights from New York City to Bergen, which meant that I’d have two long layovers in Helsinki (one being almost 24 hours). I viewed this as an added bonus because now I’d get to see two countries instead of one. Of course that meant I’d only have enough time in Finland to see a little bit of the capital and check out a milonga. No complaints here.
My “do it yourself” Fjord journey
First off, let’s start with pronunciation. Phonetically, “fjord” sounds like fee-yord and refers to the narrow inlet of a body of water surrounded by mountains, farms, waterfalls, in short, a lush landscape whose beauty cannot be confined with words. In western Norway lies Nærøyfjord, an arm of UNESCO World Heritage Site’s Sognefjord and it is here where I had my first fjord experience.
Talking with Hande, a fellow tango dancer about visiting the fjords, I wanted to know how to DIY it. She gave me helpful tips. Though here’s the thing about “doing it yourself,” on the one hand you’re on your own clock (which is fantastic), but the flip side is that if something goes wrong you gotta be resourceful at a solution. But hey, that’s all part of the adventure of solo travel. I’m all in.
From Bergen I took public transportation, Nettbuss to Gudvangen, then at Gudvangen I purchased a one-way ferry ticket to Flåm. Why one-way? Because at Flåm the return trip to Bergen is by railway (via Myrdal).
Cost breakdown (Nov 2018 prices):
NOK237 (USD28) – Nettbuss to Gudvangen
NOK445 (USD53) – Ferry boat Gudvangen to Flåm
NOK708 (USD85) – Train ticket Flåm – Mrydal – Bergen
USD1 = NOK8.358
For a native Norwegian’s detailed outline of travel options to/from Bergen/Flåm, check out Lisa’s blog here.
Ferry to Flåm
The ride from Bergen to Gudvangen was about 1/4 full and arriving at Flåm I was met with an unexpected surprise: a tour bus. Not a fan of the these guys. As I walked over to the ferry boat waiting area, the tourists poured in. That’s when I realized that I’d been mistaken: the “do it yourself” version did not guarantee there’d be fewer tourists. It just meant I’d have a quieter (less crowded) bus ride to Gudvangen. The boat ride, that was anything but “quiet.”
However, there’s always a bright side and due to the chill of being on the water at this time of year, many folks remained inside the ferry (as did I after taking several shots and a few videos). Realizing that I was beginning to think negatively, I reminded myself to enjoy the wondrous landscape, the clean, crisp air and the beauty of this moment.
Arriving in Flåm, I walked around and hiked a short trail before purchasing my return ticket to Bergen (with a change of trains at Mrydal). To say the rail route is scenic would be an understatement. Sprinkled with colorful houses, majestic mountain peaks and yes, you guessed it, waterfalls, the countryside is so very picturesque.
As the country’s second largest city (after Oslo), Bergen boasts having mountains quite literally in its “backyard.” In total there are seven, though I spent a few hours of almost each day trekking Mount Fløyen (also known as Fløyfjelletor). At 400m (1312ft) by no means would I categorize its trails as super strenuous; however, the challenge lies in the asphalt road leading up to the forested areas of the mountain. For those preferring to go easy on the joints and looking to conserve a bit of their body’s energy, there’s a funicular option (fee: NOK90) that takes visitors up to the 320m outlook area.
As if the beauty of nature with towering trees, fauna and birds weren’t enough, Mount Fløyen also has an interesting troll park, a children’s playground and a lake where you can go canoeing in the summer months.
Sharing Culture & Our Passion For The Dance
Dancing in Bergen was an interesting experience. Granted, during my stay I met people from Germany, Turkey, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Argentina; and yes, not surprisingly I met more than a handful of Norwegians. And while I absolutely agree that one should avoid generalizing an entire population, I will say that at milongas (tango dancing) I felt a slight *chill* in the room. After speaking with a young Turkish woman, I asked her about it and she commented that being married to a Norwegian she knew where I was coming from. You see, the Turks in my inner circle closely align with my own (Puerto Rican) culture: warm, embracing, very welcoming. Her perspective was that they are “shy” and just need some time to “warm” up to others. She could be right, after all, I was simply visiting for a week, whereas she lived in Norway, was the wife a local fellow and obviously had much more exposure than me.
One early evening at dinner with a group of tangueros (of mixed nationalities, including a couple from northern Norway), the topic of culture came up and that’s when the woman from “up north” admitted that she was not, in her words, a “typical Norwegian” because she is very outgoing. This opened the conversation to everyone sharing their perspectives on cultural experiences and perception. It was met with plenty of laughter and a reminder of what brought us together: a love of tango. That night a few of us went for an evening hike (my first ever) to catch the sunset before that evening’s milonga.
During one of my day hikes, I came across what I called the world’s tiniest waterfall. A small stream of water pouring forth onto the ground against the backdrop of horizontally aligned stones, seeming as if to form a wall. The soft trickling sound summed up my impression of Bergen: a small city surrounded by nature, bursting with moments to celebrate at every turn.
Coming across this picture I shot during a day hike at Mount Fløyen, I knew I had to include it in this post. When playing the “live version” of it on my phone, I smile comes to my face. The morning of the day I finished this post, I gave a free yoga class in my neighborhood. Since I don’t teach for a living, this is simply a way for me to support the beautiful sisters in my community. Whenever I guide a yoga practice I always start by quoting the inspiring 13th century philosopher, theologian and poet, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi.
Looking at this photo of the “tiny waterfall” reminds me of one of Rumi’s quotes:
Indeed, this Scorpio knows it to be so.
