My First Foray with Norway

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What can I tell you about Norway? Well, it’s absolutely STUNNING. It’s is also incredibly expensive. I think it is the most expensive place I’ve ever gone to. But I am dying to go again because I had the most wonderful time in Norway!

I took a long weekend to visit family friends in a small town called Farsund, in the south west of Norway. So for me, I had a really unique experience, being able to stay with a family in their house and see a ‘real’ place as opposed to seeing just the bigger cities.

St Svithun Hostel

After arriving around midnight at Stavanger airport, I took a FlyBus from the Airport to my hostel (the bus driver took me directly to the front of the hostel since it was late at night – how nice are Norwegians!?). Once getting to the hostel (at the Hospital….) I encountered difficulty getting into my room. My ‘roommate’ had deadbolted the door so that I could not get in. Super. By about 1:30am, I got into the room, sorted myself out and went to bed.

It was only in the morning once my room-mate had moved out (loudly at 5am) that I was able to appreciate how nice my hostel room was! 2 bunk beds and just little old me inside, with a flashy new television and everything was like being in a very nice hotel. There was also free breakfast which was really yummy – so my first impression of Norway was going well!

Norway Hike

After breakfast, my friends arrived to pick me up and we took a 40 minute drive to a parking area. From this parking area/visitor info hut we hiked to Pulpit Rock for incredible views of Lysefjord.

No words can really describe the feeling once you are up there but it was something that I will never forget.

After mastering the Pulpit Rock climb, we drove 3 hours to Farsund.

Pretty Farsund

Farsund is one of those places where you arrive and you think “Really? This is a real place?” It is so cute. The houses are built with wood and are mostly white in colour, running along the water and up into the hills, all overlooking the fjord they are home to.

Fjord Sailing

We spent the day on a boat sailing around the fjords. It was as fantastic as it sounds, maybe even better! We left Farsund and sped through, surrounded on both sides by mountainous lands, and new fjord towns.

We stopped for an ice cream on the way to our destination, before sailing to a part of a fjord that our captain ‘owned’. Here was where we got off the boat and took our lunch through the trees to where the camp bbq was.

We even had our own beach!

It was so wonderful seeing the kids play and become friends. The 2 sons of The Vikings speak English, and the son and daughter of the Norwegian friends speak Norwegian. However, their universal language of fun helped them become pals for the day and the 4 of them were inseparable!

Here’s a photo of them bonding over their mutual enjoyment of chocolate.

Drinking alcohol in Norway

Unfortunately, drinking alcohol in Norway is expensive. It costs about £8 AT LEAST for a normal sized beer. However, to counter the cost, the taste is delicious. On one evening in Farsund we went to a local pub which my host had gone to many times during his youth when he lived in Farsund.

The pub was wooden and rustic and warm. We had a CB, a porter and a tasting platter of other local beers.

Getting to spend time with the Vikings

Spending time with my friends, The Vikings, was heart-warming. Sometimes living abroad without your family and friends that feel like family is difficult. Being able to hang out like old times was much needed for my soul!

And I could be biased, but these two faces are the cutest faces in the world.

How does one say no to the 50th game of hide & seek? You don’t. You keep playing.

Stavanger

After my last morning playing hide and seek with the two cutest boys in the world, it was time to head to Stavanger, without them 🙁

We drove to Stavanger from Farsund just after lunch to spend a few hours in the ‘city’ before my flight back to London. Stavanger is so incredibly clean, it looks like it’s a movie set – not real.

My favourite thing about Stavanger is the colourful buildings! Along the water where the tourist ships dock is a row of gorgeous coloured buildings which are all restaurants/cafes/pubs.

However, my favourite street in Stavanger is Øvre Holmegate, which has 20 houses all with different colours. Supposedly it’s inspired by Miami Vice…!

It was here on this street we found a cute cafe/bar to relax in for an hour, called Bøker og Børst. This place has a lovely vibe, with a library within the bathrooms and a sweet courtyard.

I purchased 2 small local beers and a coca cola – this cost me £16…! The £16 was worth it because the beer was delicious and you only live once, right!?

Here’s a video I made on Magisto of my trip to Norway –
http://www.magisto.com/embed/KiEuQVYCQFk_JS8PYnZLAXg?l=vem&o=w&c=b

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About Lesley

Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!