Norway - The Most Beautiful Countryside Ever

I traveled with the Jönköping Student Union on a trip to Norway. The Student Union planned the entire trip so that was really nice. The destinations were Oslo, Jostedal, and Bergen. This was more of a nature/adventure trip so I was really excited about that. We spent one night in Oslo, three nights in Jostedal, one day in Bergen, and one night sleeping on the bus. The most exciting things on the agenda were going on a Fjord cruise, hiking on a Glacier, and see the beautiful countryside.

We headed out on the bus on Tuesday morning and made our way to Oslo. Boy, am I glad that I went to Oslo earlier in the semester, because it was quite rainy on this particular day and we were on a tight schedule. We went on a tour of the Opera house, which is quite famous, and that was really neat. It doesn't look that big on the outside but once you get backstage, its absolutely massive. Everything is done there: from building the sets and costumes, to training facilities including medical services. There were even about 10 year old girls practicing for some ballet. I guess they have to start them young.

After the Opera house, we headed to Viking Biking for our bicycle tour of the city. The tour guide was quite interesting despite the fact that it was pouring rain. I think this biking tour would have been really great on a sunny and warm day. It was interesting to get some background knowledge on some of the sites instead of just looking at the sites. The crazy thing about Norway is that all the people in politics and all the political buildings are not guarded besides the Royal Palace. The tour guide even mentioned that at one point he accidentally bumped into someone that was really high up in the government because they just go around as common people.

Oslo was nice but I have to rank it third out of the three Scandinavian capitals. Stockholm and Copenhagen are such beautiful cities that are hard to compete with. The next day we hopped back on our bus to go to Flåm, where we would get on a ferry to go Leikanger, and then get on another bus to take us to Jostedal. The scenery in Flåm was amazing and the ferry ride was incredible. It brought us out into the Sognefjord which is the largest fjord in Norway and the third largest in the world.

Upon arriving at Jostedal Camping, where we would be saying, I knew it was going to be a great couple of days. It was nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains and we got the big cabin that had everything. Others just basically had a room to sleep and we had much more.

Now it was Thursday and today was our free day. There were two hikes planned and I decided I wanted to go on both of them. In the morning we walked down a road about six kilometers to where the hike to a glacier began. The problem was that was we got to where the hike was suppose to begin, there was about a foot of snow throughout the entire area. So it was impossible to know where the trail was or where to go. Along with not having waterproof boots, it was not for me. We turned back to do the more difficult hike up the mountain.

The views on the way up the mountain were amazing and unbelievable. I could just sit there all day and appreciate the natural beauty. We unfortunately were unable to make it all the way to the top of the mountain. The snow became too deep so it was too dangerous to go ahead any farther. In the summer the snow will be melted and it will be possible to reach the top. We were very close to the top though so had an equally great view. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The next day was the kayaking and glacier hiking. The glacier is called Jostedalsbreen and is the largest in Europe. This trip was filled with many "largest" things. Half of the group kayaked across the small lake while the other half walked. We then switched on the way back, so I kayaked on the way back. Kayaking was quite difficult and upper body demanding but it was really fun. Now back to the glacier, we were given a little instructions, crampons for our boots, an ice pick, and were tied to a rope so that if somebody fell off the edge, they didn't die.

The glacier was incredible and I never imagined that when I left the states, I would be walking on the largest glacier in Europe. It was really unbelievable how all of this was a huge chuck of ice and how it was constantly melting. You could definitely tell a temperature difference as you got closer to the glacier. Again, the pictures can do the talking.

The evening was spent relaxing as many of us were sore from the last two days of hiking. I will never forget the amazing scenery that I saw while in the Jostedal area. The next day we were bound for Bergen, which was our last stop on the trip. The ride to Bergen was amazing since we took a ferry for about four hours through the fjords. It's just so much beauty to take in. It was always neat to see the little towns that we stopped at along the way on the ferry.

Bergen has a famous area called Bryggen that is really nice and also an attraction called the Floibanen, that takes you up above the city for a nice view. I saw both of those things while in Bergen along with going to a restaurant and eating some delicious fish. Some people wanted to go to McDonalds for supper and once I saw the prices on the menu, I knew that I would not eat McDonalds. A McChicken meal was ~$12. This really shows how expensive Norway is. In the evening we headed home and slept on the 14 hour bus ride. Also, we went through the worlds longest road tunnel that went through a mountain.

Norway is the most beautiful place I have ever been. The nature is just breath taking and unlike anything I have ever seen. If you want some great nature and views you have to go to Norway. Being there kind of makes me wonder why my ancestors left (I'm 3/8 Norwegian). The views in Wisconsin are nothing compared to Norway. I'm hoping I can return to Norway some day and have the opportunity to see the incredible sights again.

Exams are coming up quickly. Wish me luck! I will be back in the states on May 23rd so my time in Sweden is quickly coming to an end.

Stockholm - The City on the Water

Last weekend I went to see my friend Viktor again. I hopped on the train to Södertälje where he grew up. Once I was picked up in their BMW, I knew I was in for one hell of a weekend. Viktor spent some time planning this weekend and I knew I was in for a few surprises. I met Viktor’s parents when Viktor graduated and his brother, Oskar, studied at Black River Falls for a year so I know him a bit too. It was great seeing them again and catching up since it has been quite a few years. Time has gone by so fast these past few years.

Viktor, Oskar, and I headed into Stockholm with the BMW to take a quick look around the city for a couple of hours. I cannot think of any other words to describe Stockholm besides beautiful. Stockholm is situated on quite a few lakes so no matter where you are in the city you are bound to find water within a short walk. Some of my favorite quotes from this evening were “You see everything that looks like gold, it’s real gold.” And “As long as that flag is flying, Sweden is still Swedish.”

It was ironic that when we got back to Södertälje, we ate cheeseburgers, the American classic. Most Swedes really love the USA with many of them wearing American flag t-shirts, including Viktor that day. It is really great to just have that friend that even though you don’t see them very often, it feels like you were never apart.

The next day was the big day with a “surprise” for me. We took the train to Stockholm and I figured out my surprise when we walked into the Segway store. Yeah we went on a tour of Stockholm on Segways! About a three hour tour to be exact. It really was a great way to see the city without destroying your body by trying to walk everywhere. We must have covered around 25 km in the short period. They are a lot of fun to drive and I got the hang of it easily. The only trouble with a Segway tour is that it is hard to take in the beauty of the city in just that short time. There is so many things to see in Stockholm that I think you could spend weeks there and not see or appreciate everything.

Later in the afternoon we went to the Vasa Museum, a ship that was built in the 1600’s and sunk within 20 minutes of it first sailing. It was salvaged from the water in the 1960’s and has been a museum for a little over 20 years. It is a massive ship and very well perserved for its age. It’s something you have to see in real life to really appreciate. The tour guide said it took only two years to build the entire ship, and it took them three years to make a scale model of the ship!

That evening I got to experience something that is a big part of Swedish culture but isn’t actually Swedish. Tacos! Most Swede’s eat tacos on Fridays or Saturdays. It’s really a crazy thing but I can understand because tacos are so delicious.

The next day, I had to say “see you later” to Viktor since we won’t see each other again before I head back to the USA. It’s always tough saying bye to a friend, but this wasn’t bye because I know I will be back in Sweden at some point, so this was a “see you later”. I wish I could see Viktor more and hang out, guess that’s the trouble with having friends half way around the world. Maybe next time I see him, I will be more fluent in Swedish. He was already impressed with how much that I have learned in the four short months I have been studying it.

After Viktor left, I headed into the open air museum called Skansen. It was a really cool step back into history since there were old Swedish workshops, farmers, and stores. While there it was easier to imagine the olden days and how things were then. I even had a traditional Swedish kanelbullar (cinnamon bun) there. There were also some Scandinavian animals there including wolves, bears, moose, reindeer, and a few others.

My trip to Stockholm and Södertälje was one of the best weekends I had while in Sweden. I wish I could share my experience in Stockholm with my friends and family back at home. I guess these pictures will have to do for now. Maybe someday I can bring them to this beautiful city and country.

Sauna in Sweden

The only people more obsessed with the sauna than the Swedes are the Finns. Last weekend I had my first real sauna experience in Sweden. I received an invite from my Swedish friend, Saralie, to go up to this house in the woods on Lake Vättern and enjoy a sauna. For me, making this big trip just for a sauna seemed a little crazy but I went with it anyways.

There were about 10 of us total that went and it was a great time. It was at a church camp and I was expecting wilderness conditions. Much to my surprise we were in a modern house with WiFi! After we looked around for a bit outside, we went to the campfire spot so we could make our dinner. We roasted hot dogs and made bread over the fire. The bread was quite a challenge since you make it in a bowl beforehand and then wrap it around a stick and slowly roast it in the fire. It is very difficult to not burn it and I wasn’t quite patient enough to make a good one.

We stayed around the fire for a bit and we waiting until it was our turn to use the sauna. The sunset over Lake Vättern was beautiful! I never get to see it so well since I live on the other side of the lake. Once it got too cold we headed into the house to change and prepare for the sauna.

It was a short walk to the sauna and it was a small wooden hut that fit around 10 people. The sauna felt really great when you stepped into it but over time it started to get hot and you started sweating. When water was poured over the rocks, it was almost impossible to breath and was a big “wave” of hot air. At one point the thermometer said 93 degrees Celsius, that’s almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit. You could only stay in the sauna for about 10-15 minutes then you needed to go outside and run into the freezing cold lake! It sounds insane but it was really nice and cooled you off very quickly. After we went in the water, we laid on these benches and watched the beautiful stars for a bit. Once you became too cold, then it was time to go back into the sauna. This process went on for about an hour and a half. It was really a great experience and a lot of fun. I felt very relaxed and felt like it cleaned out my system. 

That evening really made me realize how beautiful of a country Sweden is and how much I love it here. Sweden is so peaceful, happy, and enjoyable. It’s hard to imagine that in less than a month I will be back at home working at my internship. I know that these experiences have shaped me and will influence my life when I get back home.

If a Swede invites you for a sauna, accept it! You will have a great time and get to know more people. J