Norway

Hello,

Being a pilot and doing as much travel as I have already, I get asked over and over again, “Tyler, what is the best place you’ve ever been too?”

I always give the same answer:  Norway.

My answer usually shocks people at first, which raises the second question I always get asked, “Out of all the places that I’ve been to, and everywhere in the world that I could have possibly traveled to, why Norway?” It’s so far away, they think, but when you are in Europe, it’s so easy to country hop! Why spend that kind of money and suffer 12 hours stuck in a plane when you can’t even go to another country without wasting another day on a train or flying?

Well, first off, flying between European countries is incredibly cheap with the low-cost carries such as Norwegian Air and Ryan Air, just know how to pack (but that’s a discussion for a different day).

As for why Norway, I say, “It’s simple, Norway is THE most beautiful place I have experienced, and I doubt it will fall from my number one spot. Norway is not just physically incredible, but is so rich in other ways, like;

History Of Norway

Norway’s history is long and vibrant with the mix of different cultures that currently reside there. Its past boasts of the powerful Vikings explorers and the Norwegian resistance fighters of World War II. The country is proud of its history, and invests a lot of money to share it with several museums and landmarks scattered throughout the cities. Norway has done an amazing job of sharing its history, better that most of the other places I’ve been to. For example, they have entire museums full of Viking artifacts and entire Viking ships that were discovered in different areas of Norway! Seeing these ships and level of craftsmanship put into their ships is a truly awe inspiring experience. Try to imagine yourself sailing to Britain or France in one of these ships! This is only one of several landmarks and museums that surround the cities of Norway. That’s why history is one of my top reasons for visiting this country, whether you are a history buff or not, you can’t help but be intrigued and humbled by this country’s past. I’ll post about the top places to check out in Oslo and Bergen later.

Places to See

 As someone who has been face to face with the powerful glaciers of Alaska and flown through the Alaska Range itself, I was truly stunned by the views I saw during my short ten day stay in Norway.  Some were viewed during hikes in the mountains surrounding Bergen, and other sights were offered looking out the window of the train winding through the countryside. Even Oslo gave some truly astonishing moments that I’ll never forget. In fact, I tried to take pictures of some of these views, but failed to do them true justice.

People Of Norway

 What makes this country a truly special place to me is the people. Many of my friends are Norwegian, and I’ve found the people of Norway to be open and welcoming to me. What makes traveling here without know much about the language great is that everyone in the country grew up speaking Norwegian and English, and can converse with you with few language barrier issues. Now I will say, while it is possible to spend your entire stay without knowing a word of Norwegian, I don’t recommend it. Knowing a few words like Takk (thanks), Hallo (Hello), and most importantly, SKOL!! Which means CHEERS!  Will be an easy icebreaker for meeting new people. Norwegians are also very proud of their country and will easily point you in the right direction for things to see and explore.

Food In Norway

What would a vacation be without indulging on food a bit, right? However, while finding traditional Norwegian food can be a bit tricky, it is out there though. But you won’t need to fret too much because the other foods are equally incredible. Norway is an incredibly healthy country and you will not find the same gross food that are in other places around the world. All their food is all organic, no weird chemicals, in fact, all of their food might as well be from Whole Foods; even the McDonald’s there is healthy! Now, keep in mind, you will be paying more for food and drink than you might be used to, but it is totally worth it; at least you aren’t expected to tip. The cities also have a vast array of food to tantalize anyone’s taste buds. Even I, a sworn Pacific Salmon man, will admit Norwegian salmon is pretty dang good.

For keeping this article’s length somewhat reasonable I’ll end it here, even though I could probably write a novel on the ten-day trip I did over a year ago now. My memories from it are still incredibly vivid, and if it wasn’t obvious already, I have absolutely fallen in love with Norway. If it was easier for me to transfer my pilot license over to the European license, I’d probably be writing this post in Norway. So do yourself a favor, and go to Norway!

Till next time,

Tyler Gaebe