I have been talking about going to Norway, pretty much incessantly for three years now. I think the desire came from getting lost in 4k videos on YouTube of Lofoten. The jagged snow capped mountains emerging from the Norwegian Sea always seemed so striking to me. And of course the allure of seeing the aurora borealis has been a bucket list line item for so long. And thanks to my bestie, I was finally able to go. Idk how I managed to convince her to pick where to go for her bday trip, but omg am I a so thankful. Everything about the experience left me feeling grateful.

THINGS I LEARNED ALONG THE WAY

1. Lofoten is pronounced “Lo-Fo-Ten”. Our American accents butchered every pronounciation everywhere, but the Norwegians we’re amused not offended 😅

2. The Arctic Circle is not really a circle (learned this thanks to the bestie). The Arctic circle is north of 66° 34' N, but is continuously creeping further north due to tidal forces and the axis tilt. It’s often qualified by its summer and winter solstices, where the sun never sets or rises, respectively. While the parts of Lofoten that we visited are north of this by coordinates, it’s unclear if they technically count as part of the Arctic given the relatively temperate climate associated.

3. Norwegians like pickling foods. I am not sure if this is a real thing or just observer bias, but it seems like given the harsh winters, they try to extend the life of their produce by pickling them? My traditionally non-pickled foods pretty consistently had pickled veggies in it that it’s hard to believe this wasn’t just a coincidence.

4. Along with number 3, it’s not the most vegetarian-friendly place, but I honestly wasn’t expecting it to be. I wasn’t visiting Norway for its food, but rather for its striking views (the latter of which did not disappoint). My experience was probably a result of the remote areas we travelled. The metropolitan areas on the other hand were totally fine. Oslo & Bergen, for instance, had plenty of veg-options at each restaurant and lots of types of cuisines to choose from. In fact, the Palak Paneer and Hariyali naan that I had here were soooo yummy.

5. Food is expensive in Norway. Like $20-25 USD/entree expensive. Another reason to pack some food if you can ha.

6. Lofoten is gorgeous, but in order to really enjoy its beauty you should rent a car. There aren’t many taxis during the winter, and the bus schedule while consistent doesn’t run very often. Also it’s not super fun to stand in the harsh cold waiting for 30m for the bus. Without a car you are pretty much stuck to your lodging.

7. The aurora borealis aka the northern lights are hard to catch. More on that later, but another piece of trivia that we learned is that aurora = lights, borealis = northern wind. The southern lights are called aurora australias by comparison.

8. Its actually spelled Norge in Norwegian, not Norway. And it’s pronounced Nor-guh. Its kinda like Bharat/Hindustan vs India, I guess?

9. Norwegian is a germanic language much like Danish and Icelandic, so some words might look a little familiar.

VELKOMMEN TO LOFOTEN

A little background. Named after a type of wildcat’s foot, Lofoten is an archipelago in northern Norway, that sits about 1500 miles from the north pole. While the mountains look quite striking, they aren’t actually that tall. The tallest mountain in the region, Higravstinden, is about 3800 ft. Denali (in Alaska) in comparison is 5x taller at 20,000 ft. While the weather was a shock to my system and cold, Lofoten actually has pretty mild winters. The warm currents from the Norwegian sea keep the temperature pretty stable around 25-40*F during the winter. The archipelago consists of 7 main islands and is about 500 miles long.

Lodging. We were fortunate to be able to stay in one of the red Rorbus (fishing cabins) at Eliassen Rorbuen right next to the iconic bridge. The cabins were the perfect retreat from the cold weather. We chose to stay in an Ocean View cabin which was incredible. We had a nice view of the mountain, water, and a skylight to watch the stars. The cabin was walking distance to the onsite restaurant but also had an electric stove and some basic kitchen utensils/supplies so that we could cook some of the Indian food we brought. And thank goodness we brought some, Lofoten hours and food options created some challenges when it came to eating.

Sights. Since we rented the car, we spent our days (when the wind allowed) driving the area. The roads & views are so pretty in Lofoten, it’s totally worth driving them. It’s the same side of the road as the US, and they are paved roads. We were so hesitant given the climate (we visited in towards the end of winter), but honestly it was fine so we ended up renting one once we got there. Best decision of our trip. Pretty much every minute of the drive was photo-worthy that we honestly had to stop ourselves. I definitely filled up my entire SD card in Lofoten alone and had to spend the rest of the trip deleting photos on my camera just so I could take more.

📍Ramberg Beach: snow, mountains, white sand beach with clear turquoise waters. It was honestly trippy to see all those components in one spot. Definitely worth the stop. During summer this beach looks like something out of the Caribbean.

📍Skulpturlandskap (Hamnøy Tunnel): nice little parking lot with a lookout to the water and a frozen lake on the opposite side. Was worth stopping during sunset so enjoy the view. There are picnic tables for those who want to stay for a little bit

📍Hamnøy: Honestly great spot with views of some of the notable local mountains. Very little light pollution for star and northern lights gazing. Every morning, 10 or so photographers would line up on the bridge to shoot the sunrise, mountains and cabins. It honestly was just such a surreal spot.

📍Everything else along the drive. Seriously though, take a camera, some snacks and wander. Get a little lost and enjoy the views.

Eats. None that are notable for vegetarians, but the “pralines” aka truffle chocolates were so incredible that we both brought back hordes of them. Also the alcoholic chili ginger beer was delish. The area is more known for its seafood.

CHASING THE AURORA BOREALIS

We stayed up every night that we were there to try and see the lights and weren’t having much luck. Every night we were met with cloudy skies and temperamental weather that brought bouts of rain and wind that made it *almost* impossible for us to see anything. But finally after four nights of chasing the aurora, we finally saw her and man was she one of the most incredible, awe-inspiring sights. She was mesmerizing and will make you completely forget that you are cold, wet and weathering 35mph winds. My heart was left so happy. So happy that now I want to just chase the aurora more.

If you plan on traveling during the winter to see the Northern Lights, be prepared. Some tips from our experience:

✨Bring all the thermals, hand/toe warmers. You may be outside for hours trying to catch a sighting.

✨The aurora is most likely visible from 12-2am, so nap during the day so you can stay awake.

✨Bring a good camera preferably full frame (not a crop sensor) and a tripod.

✨Do some research in advance on astrophotography (and maybe even practice before so you are comfortable and quick when the opportunity comes).

✨Download the aurora tracker apps, study the moon phases and if possible stay at least 5 nights to increase your chances.

FJORDIN IN BERGEN

Our trip to Bergen was pretty quick given the last minute addition. We flew in one evening, spent the entire next day and then took the train out the next. The place was almost as spectacular as Lofoten. The fjords are incredible (very reminiscent of Milford Sounds, New Zealand).

Do. We spent the day on a catamaran, cruising through miles of fjords, walking through the city and stocking up on random Norwegian snacks in the grocery store.

Eat. Stopped by Daily Pot and Sumo sushi while there. Both were fine, but not anything notable IMO.

Stay. Our VRBO was about an hour outside the city, but it was quaint, spacious and had incredible views. Definitely recommend if you have your own car. Would be great for families.

A TRAIN FROM BERGEN TO OSLO

The Vy train ride from Bergen to Oslo was an incredible journey through the mountains between the two cities. It stopped in a couple ski towns, climbed all the way to the base of the Hardangerjøkulen glacier and back down into the hills outside Oslo. The ride was so serene but long at 7.5 hours. Definitely incredible. I have never seen so much snow in my life. Like plowed piles 12+ ft high in the cities and endless snow in the mountains! The piles almost look like dividers to the roads or retainer walls on a highway. And while the weather didn’t really drop below 28*F for most places throughout our trip, it definitely was not our balmy 70 degrees that we were used to.

HEI, HEI OSLO

In the weeks leading up to our trip, we kept exclaiming how much entertainment we will surely bring to Norwegians and we were right. I mean here we were, two Indian Americans from Texas traipsing around Norway. It must’ve been funny, because from the moment we landed people just seemed to giggle. We were ready for the Arctic (almost literally), while the rest of Oslo was easing into Spring. Where we had our thermals, puffers and snow boots, the locals had fleeces and normal shoes lol. But I’d like to think we owned our turtlecore 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Do. Visit the National Museum. Tons of incredible art, and also fun activities throughout. We may or may not have left some doodles behind on a wall (to be clear I do not mean graffiti). Also checked out the famed Opera House. The pictures online of this are a little misleading - it doesn’t quite enter the water, but the architecture is still quite striking.

Eat. Several of the top 10 restaurants according to TripAdvisor are Indian or Pakistani. Thankfully the top rated one had availability so we gave it a try. It was delish and authentic. Arguably my best meal during the trip. Also Tunco is pretty solid quick Asian eats. And tried out Schouskjelleren for beers - definitely more of a locals spot. It’s a kinda a hidden gem in what appears to be an old church or something that was converted into a basement brewery.

Stay. Honestly by this point of our trip we just wanted something with plenty of hot water, a breakfast buffet and location that was accessible to the airport and trams. Nothing notable, but had what we were looking for.

Images above from left to right: 1. Vegetarian spicy noodle dish from Tunco, 2. Sculpture from National Museum, 3. Palak Paneer from Der Peppern Gror Indian Restaurant, 4. A wall tapestry made from cattle skulls at the National Museum, 5. Icons art from Eastern Orthodox Churches at the National Museum, 6. Added our artwork to the wall at the National Museum, 7. JB Monomer Painting at the National Museum, 8. Dahi Puri at Indian Restaurant Der Peppern Gror, 9. Edward Munch’s the Scream Painting at the National Museum, 10. local Schouskjelleren brewery, 11. Enjoying a beer at local Schouskjelleren brewery, 12. Self-portrait outside the famed Opera House

Shoutout to the bestie for inviting me to go with her on her bday trip. We had so much fun during our 10 days off from being moms. Thank you for letting me eat all your snacks, driving in sometimes questionable conditions while maintaining your cool, staying up with me to watch the lights and entertaining my endless philosophical questions on life and endless photographs 😬. This trip would not have been nearly as fun with anyone else.

And lastly, to the Hubs who managed the home front and took care of our kiddo while I was away. I am very fortunate to have a partner that not only was supportive but insisted that I go on this trip. Thanks for recognizing that I needed some time to recharge. Thanks for showing our tiny human endless amounts of love so that she couldn’t even possibly feel like anything had changed during those 10 days. Thanks for tackling so much of the “honey-do” list while I was out. Oh and thanks for making sure there was mexican food ready for me when I got home, because honestly…priorities!!

❤️

charisma