Norway Traveling Alone

It was time to find out if a view and loneliness is right for me. I was excited and weary at the beginning of my trip to Bergen, or better outside of Bergen, Norway.

The first day was a bit challenging. Somehow it took me a long time to understand the bus stops and directions and a few times I hesitated too long to get on the bus, just to realize it would have been the right one. After the needed pit stop to get groceries, and then finally getting to the very cute cottage, I was quite exhausted. That must have been the reason I couldn't get the stove to work, being hungry and tired and taking a long time getting some hot food into my belly left me a bit raw. End of May in Norway also meant a light sky late into the night and so there was not much sleep on my first night at my long anticipated trip to Norway. Rather I laid awake, restless and emotional.

The next morning, the weather looked good, and so I decided to go for a hike. Having in the back of my mind that some practicing for the "big hike" would be a good idea, as well as eager to explore around.

It was hard going at first, my body really dislikes uphill and so do my lungs. I really have to push myself mentally, but I kept at it and started to enjoy the path.

Except  every so often I felt fear surge up , but fought it down and kept going.

The path was not too long but fairly steep, the majority was in the woods and really beautiful. Following a stream up on one side and covered by the trees, making it a bit magical too. I didn't encounter anybody on my way up and could enjoy the view at the summit on my own as well. It felt good to sit there and soak it all in, while sipping my tea.

On the way down, I met a few people, and they were all very friendly, Particularly this one woman hiking on her own, giving me tips for some useful apps. It turns out there is a popular hiking app Norwegians use, that had tons of paths, but was only available in Norwegian language. I used it to find my way by zooming in, but for planning it was not working for me, lacking the language skills. After the hike my emotions settled down and I felt a whole lot better.

As a person with perfectionism tendencies, nothing is harder than making a mistake. I had not double checked that my hiking boots were still rain proof and I somehow could not decide on buying gloves, despite the recommendation from the organizers for my "big hike". So after consulting the weather I realized, having gloves was indeed a necessity and off course water proofing the boots was a must too.

So I headed into Bergen to buy some much needed items,

Public transport in Norway is really good and reliable, but not fast. Small roads and many stops on the bus route meant it took 1 hour to get to Bergen center. In many ways that is fine as I was on vacation, but it also meant one had to plan the day ahead.

Spending on some none glamorous things and feeling quite cross with myself about it. Nothing like some hectoring voice in your head, pointing out the absurdness of buying expensive gloves, used only rarely while being stingy on having a glass of wine with your dinner.

But eventually I pushed these unpleasant feelings aside and tried to stay present in the city in Bergen, feeling the vibe around me.

It felt very nice to walk around the bustle of the city and being immersed among people, even without speaking to them. I saw quite a few sights that are the highlight for many tourists coming to Bergen. And yet I felt remote from the experience, a bit like an outsider looking in.

Off course having decided to stop eating meat and fish, meant the fish market held less of a invitation than perhaps it would have a year earlier.

So after a delicious cardamon role and and coffee I headed back to my remote place up the coast.

The landscape is majestic, that is the word that kept popping up in my mind. Blue green water, hills up either side, trees and forest that feel lush. Rocks peaking through, everything here is postcard worthy. And the kind of landscape that has captured me in Maine and Scotland already. But here it was even more lush with vegetation. It is nature at its finest, strong and dignified and proud. Riding a bus allowed me to take it in, to dwell in it. And strangely enough it made me emotional, raw and sensitive.

The weather too, being predictably unsteady with low hanging clouds and rain always expected. It is moody like a person.

And then when the sun suddenly peaks through and illuminates everything around it is like a smile lighting up a face.

That is how Friday evening ended. Me drawn outside by sunshine, on a small local "beach", feeling content, yes dare I say happy.

Breathing, meditating, noticing a man walking his dogs, divers preparing to go into the water. A local man by his car.

The stranger and I struck up a conversation, that lasted longer than I expected. At the end he gifted me his memoir of the place I was staying at. It is a big coffee table book in Norwegian with the loveliest pictures of the people there over several generations. And so I started much uplifted into the weekend.

Saturday sunshine in the forecast I headed out to hike again. I felt light and in a good mood. The starting point of my hike was a huge Ikea parking lot, which somehow amused me to no end. But quickly passing a cemetery one walked towards some small farm houses and then continuing on a agricultural path, that was a long and slow uphill. Oh man how I loathe those. But if one wants a view one has to walk uphill.

I passed some docile cows, which always make me smile, and some small stone huts for storage that looked ancient.

In the distance I saw two hikers coming in my direction and then turning right up the hill, But komoot told me my path was going to turn at a later point on the trail.

Then when my turning point came, there was no trail to be seen. Just a soggy field and a forest behind it. So I decided to backtrack and follow the trail I saw the 2 hikers use earlier. Perhaps the universe was giving me a big hint.

It was steep, so steep and to me physically strenuous. Quite a way up there came a bit where I had to use my hands too to get up, not quite a scramble but almost. This is where my heart dropped into my tummy. I felt uneasy, having not seen a single person in a while and being out there on my own.

I reached a small bit of level resting point. But the trail made a turn to the left around the top of the hill right in front of me.

Up until now the trail was steep but so was everything left and right of me. so it did not feel scary unless I looked back to where I came from. That I avoided for the most part.

Now though the path let to the outside of the hill, with one side falling away.

My nerves where like, nope we do not go there. I tried to go to the right through the heather, but there was no path. I realized after just a few steps, that I would get lost and there was no telling what that would look like further up.

So it was follow the trail or back down the way I came. Both equally scary, and neither seemed doable.

I sat down, felt desolate for a moment and then started some pep talk in my head. I was not going to allow this to defeat me. With shaky knees and my hands holding on to the grass I inched myself along, very slowly step by step.

And with a huge moment of relief, just around the bend ( that seemed at the edge of doom and gloom) the path turned back inwards and the left and right side along the path where once again level and not scary at all. This was not visible from the start and had I not overcome my fear I would have missed out. The rest of the way to the summit was very gentle hills and quite safe for a fearful mind. I felt elated and so proud of myself.

At the top a friendly woman took some pictures of me and I enjoyed my lunch and tea.

Though as more people arrived with small kids and all super fit looking my win was a bit diminished. ( as I write this down I wish I had held on to my feelings of pride a bit longer in that moment)

Downhill I wrestled with feelings of worry about steep bits, but it was quite moderate all the way down.

At some point I met these two women. They appeared to be well into their sixties and quite well rounded. They were cheerful and were accompanied by their two dachshunds. One was old and almost blind and barked at me. Reminding me of Rags and instantly lifted my spirit. They were out in nature having a great afternoon, not caring one bit if they fit the picture we often have of hikers and their dogs.

They did mention a rope section that they came up and I was nervous once again. But if these wonderful ladies could make it then so could I, It turned out to be simply 2 steps down and not scary at all.

Another chat with another hiker and I was almost skipping down the path, feeling good, enjoying the landscape and the clear sky and sunshine.

Almost at the end I met a couple and their 2 big retrievers. She asked me: Did you see any snakes? " Me: " Snakes? There are snakes here?" She: "Oh yes, the area is known for them." Me: "Ehm, are they poisonous?" She: "Well yes!" Her husband intervening at this point. He: "Like a wasp sting" She interjecting: "But deadly for dogs" A few more kind words exchanged and off I went, happy I did not encounter any snakes that day.

The last bit was on a winding country road, quite deserted and at this point I was looking forward to reaching the bus stop and being done. Then quite suddenly, he hopped onto the low wall on the other side of the road a few meters ahead of me. Almost prancing in the sunshine, feeling good. A marder, brown fur with white chest, not really big but still. He noticed me, freezing, staring and in a flash darting off out of sight.

What a wonderful animal encounter and such a highlight for this day of many wonderful moments. This is why I keep coming back for more hiking.

Sunda was a forced rest day, as the "big hike" was coming up soon. Feeling guilty for not doing more but knowing full well I needed it.

The big hike aka "Trolltunga Adventure" .... deserves its own entry to be found here

So we are now at Thursday, having come back the previous evening from Odda.

I started to feel like I wanted to go home. Yet I still had until Monday morning before I was scheduled to leave Norway.

As beautiful as the landscape was, I could not imagine living here. In the few conversations I had, it seemed people here like to stay close to where they grew up and where their families live. This makes it harder to become part of a social group. Aside from the language barrier and the remoteness of many of the smaller villages I had seen on my long bus tours.

And the cottage, that looked so beautiful in the pictures and was truly cozy and inviting, felt too much like someone else's home and wakened the yearning for a place on my own. Where the plants and thoughtful nicknacks would be mine. Where the yard and patio was mine and where I could nest and feel home.

Nonetheless I had to figure out how to spend the remaining days. I started planning and ended up booking a kayak tour for the following Saturday. Leaving Sunday to clean and pack. Then Friday morning, despite forecast of rain, it started to look like a perfect day and so I headed into Bergen instead of a shopping mall and decided to walk up the stairs.

This hike was what I had seen in some travel guide that made me want to come to Bergen.

Hiking up the Ulrikken Mountain, 1330 rocky uneven stairs of stone. Winding left and right. Some shallow some steep and as a reward the view across Bergen and the Sea. It was slow going but the weather held and I was enjoying the view as I was getting higher and higher above Bergen. Here I walked along many people, most faster than me, some even running up.

And the view at the top, perfect. One could see how big Bergen truly sprawls, and the ocean in the distance. I did not have enough time to hike the peak route to the other Top, but perhaps that is something to do when I come back.

I enjoyed coffee and cake on a very nice cafe terrasse and splurged taking the cable car down. Looking at fancy houses and gardens. Heading back to my remote cottage feeling proud of myself.

The kayak experience was the one truly disappointing adventure on this trip. The time on the water was too short and the guide not my cup of tea. But the water was clear and beautiful and the weather perfect. And being one more time in a group really helped me through the remaining time in Norway.

I still got to see the coast from the water and can imagine it would be wonderful to do more of that if I had the chance to do so.

Sunday I spend sipping coffee, trying to allow all the impressions and emotions to have space and also being lazy before heading very early on Monday out the door to the airport.

I am proud that I've overcome my fear multiple times on this on this trip, even at the last couple of Steps up Ulrikken.

And yes, I probably looked ridiculous and out of shape and all those things, but for who I am and in what shape I am, I'm very proud that I was able to to do the things that I wanted to do.

That I overcame that fear that so often had paralyzed me in the past and prevent those accomplishments before.

It was not like it appeared to me in my breathing session months ago, where I had envisioned myself at the top, caught up in this glorious freeing moment of pure joy overlooking everything. This was mostly due to me being bashful around other people that seem to be younger and fitter. I could not quite get enough out of my head in the moment to just let my feelings run free.

Maybe that's the last bit of the perfectionism that I have not overcome yet. Not wanting to make a spectacle out of myself when I feel indeed, very proud and happy about whatever accomplished.