Scandinavian Food, a Smörgåsbord!

February 10, 2020January 20, 2014 by Ashleigh Westphal

A few people have been asking me about what kinds of Scandinavian food we’ve been having so far, so I wanted to take a second to tell you all a bit about what we’ve been eating!

Norway

First up, Norwegian fish cakes or fiskeboller. Mostly made from spices, flour, and fish puréed in a blender, they look like pancakes but with a dense consistency, and are very tasty! Siv (Nathanael’s cousin) made them for us one night and they were delicious. We had them with Norwegian potato dumplings served with a sweet sauce.

My five favourite things in Norway!

February 10, 2020November 23, 2013 by Ashleigh Westphal

My Top Five of Norway

I wanted to do a quick entry about five of my favourite things we saw/did that I would recommend to anyone visiting Norway! Check out the rest of Scandinavia too at Sweden, Finland, and Denmark!

Hiking in Frognerseteren, Oslo

Nathanael, Frognerseteren, Oslo, Norway — Is that an owl back there?

The paths were a little rough in some areas, but the hike was beautiful. Cute little signs were posted at every intersection to let you know where the various cross-country skiing and hiking paths led. I could see these trails being fantastic on skis in the wintertime. Partway through our hike we were bombarded with golfball-sized snowflakes, making it seem even more like a mysterious winter wonderland!

Far over the misty mountains… Oslo

February 10, 2020November 10, 2013 by Ashleigh Westphal

Our next stop was Oslo. After having a chance to explore the smaller city of Bergen and the even smaller communities in Nordfjord, we were eager to see what the Norwegian capital was like. The morning we left Isane was hectic; we were worried about whether our 8:30 bus would wait for the 8:15 ferry we were taking. Fortunately, the bus was waiting for us (as Anne Britt and Roar assured us it would) and off we went. The bus ride was long (about 10 hours) but beautiful, with snowy hillsides and pretty houses. At the lunch stop we even got to run down the street and snap a couple pictures of the local stave church and surrounding area.

Family time in Dombestein

February 10, 2020November 1, 2013 by Ashleigh Westphal

What a whirlwind the past week has been, it’s hard to believe that just over a week ago we were jumping on a plane for Norway. We’ve been up to a lot since leaving Bergen, so this may get a little crazy.

In the beginning… there was Bergen!

February 10, 2020October 27, 2013 by Nathanael Weir-Wakely

At long last the countdown is done and the time has finally come to disembark. Our plane left from Vancouver at 1:30 in the afternoon on October 23rd, through Seattle and then Iceland, arriving at last in Bergen, Norway around noon on the 24th. The night was short as we sped forward through time zones across North America and the Atlantic Ocean. Getting any sleep was difficult, even after popping Gravol pills that were supposed to make us drowsy; no matter what sleeping position I took I couldn’t get an hours rest in that cramped little seat.

HelpX Opens the Way…

February 10, 2020July 14, 2013 by Nathanael Weir-Wakely

We’ve signed away to the Help Exchange website, opening the way to a colourful list of organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&Bs, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats looking for volunteer helpers to stay with them in exchange for room and board. In my mind it’s a pretty good deal, a damn good deal… yes I am a thrifty man, and the idea of not having to spend money on food and accommodation appeals to me, but of course there’s a whole lot more to this work exchange thing that I am looking forward too. You’ve got to take a look at some of these places! Here are a couple examples of HelpX spots we’re looking to volunteer on in Norway:

Tickets are Booked!

February 10, 2020April 2, 2013 by Ashleigh Westphal

Exciting news! We have officially booked our tickets to Europe! Departing from Vancouver, Canada for Bergen, Norway! We’re very excited, and we even managed to save a bit of money off of the airline’s posted price after some scouring through travel sites. We will be flying with Icelandair from Vancouver through the United States and … Read more