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On the Planning of Norwegian Explorations
The trigger for my creation of this collection of places to look on the web for information of places to explore in Norway was a leaflet that came inserted in a walking magazine from a while ago that I recently found again. That brochure was aiming to sell Norway as a walking wonderland and subsequent investigations have revealed it to be much more than that again.
Any brochure or website trying to lure visitors to the area being promoted will have glossy photos showing the best side of what is on offer but there seems to be an embarrassment of riches in Norway's case and quite a bit of variety too. In fact, there's enough to keep one going for a lifetime and just reading about it all eats up hour after hour too.
Norway very rightly is highly regarded for its buckled countryside and indented coastline. The latter is so intricate that it makes Scotland's Atlantic coast look simple in comparison while the former dwarfs the nation's hillier parts. What I have seen so far appeals to me and I like the fact that finding websites in the English language is made far easier than it would be for nearby Sweden. On this evidence, it appears that they are trying harder for the English visitor than their aforementioned neighbours.
Maybe I should visit sometime to see a little of what is there to be found now that I am a little less preoccupied by explorations of my home turf. It cannot be a regular occurrence but one trip could be very nice. What's needed before then is to do more reading and that may have me adding to what's here. After all, a recent summertime trip to Sweden came from nowhere so you just never know what lies around the corner.
Getting to Know Where You Are Going
When learning more about a country that is new, you need to start somewhere and this looks like a good port of call for getting to know the place. You'll find the usual needs satisfied such as places to see, things to do, places to stay and getting about. All in all, I reckon that I need to spend more time on the site in order to learn more.
The word "fjell"should possess a certain ring of familiarity to any visitor to Cumbria and other parts of the north of England where many a hill is called a fell. That's no accident because the English word came from Old Norse in a time when the "Northmen" were all over the area. So, these websites are promoting many of Norway's high places and height is the operative term because we are talking about altitudes much in excess of anything in Britain and Ireland. After all, summits do exceed 2000 metres above sea level over there. The first entry on the list is the hub of a network that includes the others that follow it.
Given that the country gave the word "fjord" to the world, you'd expect it to have some of its own and there are loads by the looks of things. It almost feels as if it has as many them as Scotland has islands though the reality is that there may even be more than that again. Correspondingly, there are many websites promoting their respective attractions so I decided to bundle them together and the majority are part of a network with the first on list as its hub.
One look at the website should be enough to convince you that they aren't trying to attract passive tourists who pass through admiring the sights. Words like active and involvement appear in the spiel. This is Norway's geographical midpoint and there are seven national parks nearby. Between all that, there should be enough to do.
Heading to the north of Norway takes you into the Arctic Circle where the midnight sun and northern lights are phenomena that are part of the area's identity. It's not all ice-covered frozen wilderness because the influence of the Gulf Stream is still to be felt even at these latitudes. That may also explain the existence of the indigenous Sami and their reindeer herds too. Still, there are parts that feel like outpost bathed in cold blue light with stark stony scenery surrounding them. Those icy fastnesses are there too but it all sounds to me like a land of striking contrasts.
Travel Options
This is Norway's low fares airline and it's been around since the early 1990's when it started operating domestic flights in the west of the country. They have come a long way since then with destinations all around Europe being served though Manchester, my nearest airport, isn't one of them so I'd need to look at what SAS have to offer. In Britain and Ireland, you need to get to Dublin, Edinburgh and London Gatwick for the selection of Norwegian destinations that are on offer. Even so, seeing direct flights to places around Norway and not just Oslo, its capital city, does look interesting.
This is the website of Norway's state railway company so it should be useful for planning an itinerary without recourse to driving a car around from place to place. It does seem that railways do pass through some very scenic countryside so a train journey might make a good introduction to the place. Naturally, travel planning fits in among all the sales pitches for the various lines that are part of the system.
