We’ve arrived in Haugesund on a very blustery, Sunday morning! This is a metropolis compared to the last few stops we have made in Norway! Haugesund once had a bustling herring industry, but now has gone over to the petroleum industry…..and I think the town has lost part of its charm because of it. There…
Category: Norway
Nordic Christmas Traditions: Birds at Christmas
One of the things I learned about Norway, is the folks really like the outdoors! They love the clean, fresh air, the farm life and simple living. Another Norwegian tradition, with an unknown origin (although they have ideas about it) is the sharing of the julenek, or the sharing of grain, as a Christmas…
Nordic Christmas Traditions: Let’s Take the Sauna and Ice Plunge!
What could be more Nordic than the sauna and the ice plunge? The oldest known saunas were found in Finland. They were simple pits dug into the slope of ground and used as a dwelling in winter. Brrrrrrr……. They added a little fireplace with stones….and by throwing water on the stones produced steam, which gave…
Nordic Christmas Traditions: Nisse
The word nisse may have derived from the Old Norse word, niosi, meaning “dear little relative.” Today a nisse (Norwegian) means a “homestead man,” who is a mischievous elf, that oversees the domestic household and the health of farm animals. He demands respect…….. plus a bowl of julegrøt (Christmas porridge) with butter, on Christmas Eve. …
Nordic Christmas Traditions: Gingerbread and Gløgg
How can one get through Christmas without gingerbread or gløgg? I know my family couldn’t! Making the gingerbread is a family affair! I love the fragrance of gingerbread baking! So, who made the first gingerbread and gløgg? Originally the term gingerbread (from the latin word zingiber, via the Old French word gingebras) meant preserving ginger….
Nordic Christmas Traditions: Fika (the Swedish Coffee Break)
I’m including a Nordic Christmas Tradition with the WeekendCoffeeShare today! So come on in and sit awhile, while we enjoy a fika! The Nordic lifestyle is one to be envied! Purity and simplicity are essential elements! In Sweden, Fika is translated as “coffee and cake break.” It is an essential part of the culture! It…
Nordic Christmas Traditions: Broom Hiding
The Winter months in Norway are dark and long……………..What better way to spend the dark, dark hours of the night, but to focus on winter stories! Many of these stories include mischievous sprits, elves, trolls or witches…….. In the Nordic countries it is said that witches roam the land during the darkest month of December….
Nordic Christmas Traditions:The Oldest Stave Church in Norway (Still In Use Today)
Have you seen my hubby’s walk to Undredal? The easiest way to get to the village of Undredal (population 100) is walking the three miles from a goat farm over the mountains to the other side, to the village. It was an awesome hike and only two men (one was my hubby) and the guide,…
Nordic Christmas Traditions: The Nordic Christmas Goat (Yule Goat)
I love learning the traditions that have been passed down through the centuries to get to the beliefs we celebrate today, don’t you? Since, I have been posting my Norwegian travels, I thought it might be fun to share some Christmas Nordic traditions. We’ve been visiting goat farms and have seen the goats for ourselves!…
Thursday Doors in Undredal, Norway
Hello followers of Thursday Doors! Today, I am finishing up with the photos from the hike, my hubby took from the goat farm from Flam, up the mountain to Undredal. Believe it or not Undredal is a popular tourist attraction because of its location along the Aurlandsfjorden, which is a branch of the massive Sognefjorden,…
My Flimsy Excuse In Flåm, Norway
Today, we arrived in Flåm, Norway and it was pouring down rain! We have been so lucky to have been on the ship for over a month and we’ve had some days of on and off drizzle, but today, it was a full on downpour! Much to my husband’s disappointment, I opted not to take…
Thursday Doors at the Herdalsetra Farm, Norway
We are here at the Herdalsetra Farm, near Geirangerfjord, Norway, the last operating mountain farm in Norway, which is also a National Heritage Site. To learn about Geirangerfjord and the history of the farm look at my previous posts. You will see what all it takes to get to this place and how the folks…
Over the River and Through the Woods in Norway
We are back on the bus. Remember we arrived in Geirangfjord by ship, then took the Eagles Pass across the mountain plateau to the villages of Eidsdal and Norddal. Along Eidsvatn Lake, with the old farmhouses scattered along one side of the lake we followed, believe it or not, the toll road, single lane and…
Up the Hill and To the Lake; Geirangerfjord, Norway
We’ve been traveling down the fjords from the sea, taking in the mountains, landscape, waterfalls and deep blue waters. The fjord was busy with lots of small vessels, helicopters and a few other cruise ships…………. We had docked for a short time at Hellesylt, population 258, to let some folks off, who were going to…
Welcome to Hellesylt, Norway!
We have finally made it here! We are in the world-famous, Unesco listed, most opt photographed fjord in the world! It is a majestic combination of huge cliffs, tumbling waterfalls and deep blue water! I took most of my photos in panoramic view so they might look a tad weird here, but you’ll get the…
ThatTravelLadyInHerShoes 