Beyond Copenhagen Part 3

Week 10 (28/03/16) – Cultural and Personal

Our adventures continued this week in true Scandinavian style as we boarded our first ever SAS flight which took us from Stockholm to Bergen on the west coast of Norway. Checking into our hostel, we quickly took advantage of the free coffee and cookies that were on offer and sat overlooking the city of Bergen; compared to Stockholm, we were living in absolute luxury!

The harbour in Bergen

 

Snow on the plateaux

View over Bergen from Ulriken

With none of the four of us being city girls, Bergen was a haven of relaxation and refreshment as, despite still being in the city, we were enclosed by the stunning backdrop of the mountains and surrounded by the natural beauty of untouched landscape; this was a welcome change from the business of city life (and also the flat terrain) that we had been used to in Copenhagen. Ham et al. (2008, p. 16) write that “Norway is, by any standards, one of the most beautiful countries on earth…” and, eager to explore this for ourselves, we spent two out of the three full days we had soaking up the exquisite scenery and picturesque countryside. Our hostel was located at the foot of Bergen’s highest mountain, Ulriken, which reaches 643m above ground level. On Wednesday, we packed our picnics and started our hike up the mountain, every so often pausing to appreciate the view of the city that lay beneath us. When we got to the summit, I was completely blown away by what lay before my eyes; I had never seen anything like it and was left speechless at the blankets of untouched snow that covered the plateaux. The sun shone on our faces as we sat on the rocks and enjoyed our picnic; this was one of the most memorable moments of the entire trip and definitely worth the tricky descent and aching legs that ensued the next day!

 

On Friday we had the opportunity to appreciate more of the natural beauty of Norway as we arose at 7:15am to embark on a day trip around the fjords, which have been included on UNESCO’s (2005) World Heritage List. As expected, they did not disappoint and again, I was speechless as I stood in awe of the sheer mountains, majestic waterfalls and picturesque hamlets that were enclosed by rugged cliffs on either side. A few hours of the day were spent on railway lines that hugged the mountainside and the final train journey back to Bergen was particularly spectacular as we drove through the snow-covered mountains. Reflecting on our time in Norway, I am extremely thankful for the beauty of creation that we saw; as it says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”



A small hamlet in the middle of the fjords





At Gudvangen

 

The Sognefjord

Snowy mountains close to the railway

 

It was lovely to be back in Copenhagen for Easter Sunday and, whilst we all missed our home churches, we were thankful for the opportunity to worship in the Baptist church we attend here each week. When we arrived back from church, Emma’s culinary skills proved to be as fantastic as ever and we sat down to a tasty roast dinner followed by Waffleberry pie. Despite missing home, we were able to celebrate the joyousness of the day together and continue some much needed relaxation after our jam-packed holiday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon completing this tenth blog, it is scary to think that we are beyond our half-way point! I am so thankful for all of the adventures we have already had and excited for what is yet to come. But, for now, farvel!

Reference List

Ham, A., Roddis, M. and Lundgren, K. (2008) Norway, London, Lonely Planet Publications, Pty Ltd.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) (2005) West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1195 (accessed 28/03/16).