A two-week Norwegian road trip
Sometimes an ambitious itinerary can be fun; do you dare to follow in these footsteps?
Photo: Sarah Gerrity
Lofoten is possibly the most beautiful place in the world, with crystal waters, beaches, green hillsides, and spiky mountains.
Sarah Gerrity
Washington, D.C.
“Are you insane?”
That was how my friend Åse (pronounced “oh-seh”) reacted when we divulged our Norwegian road trip itinerary to her. We were just over halfway through our trip when we met her for what’s arguably the best restaurant in Bergen—Åse’s kitchen table, in her waterfront apartment.
With a handsome man at her side and a very cute, very serious baby on her hip, she was just as enchanting as the last time I saw her, three years prior. She is an incredible cook and highly skilled at pushing food on her guests, no matter how many servings they’ve already consumed. And when dinner’s over, there is dessert. And leftovers. And extra snacks for your hike the next day.
We gladly accepted.
Åse adores Bergen through and through, similarly to the way a born-and-raised New Yorker adores New York City: simply and utterly perplexed by anyone who would choose to live elsewhere. She even has me sold on the city—and I’m not exactly the biggest fan of rainy weather.
I agreed to move there if she found me a husband. To that, she responded: “Challenge accepted.”
I’ll be waiting for the notice when she’s found him.
Photo: Sarah Gerrity
The scenic drive from Trondheim to Brønnøysund includes many bridges and a ferry—and more blue waters.
The two weeks I spent road tripping through Norway were easily two of the best weeks of my life. From Oslo, we drove north and west: with our first major stops in Geiranger and the Atlantic Road. From there, we hit Trondheim, and then powered through Trøndelag and Nordland to Bodø, where we collected Silje—the woman who sparked my Scandinavian obsession. And thus began a ladies’ weekend in Lofoten (pronounced loo-foo-ten).
Lofoten is easily the most beautiful place in the world, in my eyes. Sharp, spiky mountains rise up from cerulean blue waters, and each horizon is dotted with little red fisherman’s cottages—rorbuer, in Norwegian.
Three tough hikes, four breathalyzer tests, and one mountaintop concert later, we all found ourselves aching to stay. At a bar, we were scolded for only giving ourselves three days in Lofoten. And I was finally in a part of the world where telling someone our nationality left both Norwegians and other travelers puzzled—what the hell were two American girls doing here? Nevertheless, we stayed out drinking with a German, a Swiss, and a Scot until two in the morning, only to realize that we’d have to hit the road at 4:30. Luckily, I sobered up in time to drive.
The second half of our trip flew by in what felt like a matter of minutes—except the hike to Trolltunga… that happened very, very slowly. But a night in Stavanger and one last night in Oslo let us appreciate Norwegian cities in all their glory: walkable streets, stylish inhabitants, and an architectural blend of traditional and modern design. On our last night, Silje and Greger brought us to Pjoltergeist, a spin-off by a Michelin-star chef, boasting a creative Icelandic-Japanese fusion menu. A handsome Norwegian man cracked jokes at our table in English, and yet again, I fell a little bit more in love with Norway. I’m not quite done with that country, and I’m not quite sure I’ll ever be.
Photo: Sarah Gerrity
Itinerary:
• Day 1: Fly into Oslo. Drive to our 200-year-old cabin in Fossberg.
• Day 2: Drive Gamle Strynfjellsvegan, a beautiful tourist route along glacial valleys. Continue to Geirangerfjord, where we lucked out with incredible weather and kayaked to the Seven Sisters waterfall. We drove farther to our waterfront Airbnb in Stordal and ate burgers at a fast food joint on a fjord.
• Day 3: Detour to the Atlantic Road (worth it, if the weather is good). Continue on to Trondheim. Commence Emily-Sarah Trondheim bar crawl.
• Day 4: Long, very scenic drive to Brønnsund, where the waters are an incredible turquoise blue. Hike Torghatten, a famous rock formation with a cave that opens up to a view of the islands and the Norwegian Sea.
• Day 5: Long drive to Mo i Rana, where we stayed in a haunted hotel.
• Day 6: Hike to Svartisen, a rapidly melting glacier. Drive to Bodø, pick up Silje, make her teach us how to count to 20 in Norwegian over pizza and beer.
• Day 7: Ferry from Bodø to Moskenes, in the Lofoten Islands. Hike Kvalvika Beach and drive to Henningsvær, our home for the weekend.
• Day 8: Attempt to hike Svolværgeita—actually hiked to Djevelporten, which translates to “The Devil’s Gate.” Immediately throw out running shoes. Go as a group to a sporting good store and purchase legit (matching) hiking boots.
• Day 9: Hike Festvågtinden for a Sondre Justad concert. Lots and lots of climbing.
• Day 10: Drive back to Moskenes to catch the ferry to Bodø. Fly from Bodø to Bergen. Dinner in Bergen, and drive 3 hours to Odda.
• Day 11: Hike Trolltunga. PTFO.
• Day 12: Drive to Stavanger. All of the exploring. All of the coffee. All of the cake.
• Day 13: Drive to Kvinesdal, sleep on a farm.
• Day 14: Drive to Oslo. Exploring and dinner with Silje and Greger.
• Day 15: Fly out of Oslo. Commence clinical depression as we return to the U.S. during election season.
Sarah Gerrity is an art director and a professional photographer living in Washington, D.C. Though she isn’t technically Norwegian, she’s traveled to Norway several times and would love to live there someday. If she’s not at the office or a cute coffee shop in D.C., you can probably find her on her way out of town for an adventure—camera bag in tow. For more photos, check out her Instagram at @gurrity.
This article appeared in the Jan. 27, 2017, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.
