This summer, we decided to take a week’s vacation and travel around Norway; our
plans were to drive from Oslo to Bergen with stops in Arendal and Stavanger,
and then to return to Oslo via Hardangervidda. We’ve been to Arendal and Bergen
before, but never Stavanger. The trip was about 780 miles (1255 kilometers)
long. We followed the E18 highway south out of Oslo to Arendal, and then as we
made our way to Stavanger and Bergen, we followed the E39 highway. On the way
back to Oslo, we followed RV 7 instead of E134 that would have taken us through
the Telemark region of Norway. I’ve mapped out the route we took on the map above.
We had booked hotels for one night in Arendal, two nights in Stavanger and two nights
in Bergen. In this way, we didn’t have to drive too much each day, and it gave
us a chance to experience each of the cities at a leisurely pace. Arendal is a
small charming seaside town that is a summer destination for many Norwegians
who have cottages there. However this year, the town was rather empty,
strangely enough, since July is the month when most Norwegians take vacation. South
Norway, in the area around Mandal (the southernmost town of Norway), is one of
the most beautiful areas of the country in my opinion. I really enjoyed being
in Stavanger; the city has a very open feel to it, as well as being quite
pretty. Its city park is beautiful, as is its waterfront. We drove out to Sola
Strand (beach) one day, a long sandy beach with dunes and beach flowers. It can
be quite windy there, so it is popular with those who like to fly kites. We
took a long walk along the beach, commenting on the large number of dead
jellyfish that were half-buried in the sand. There is a resort hotel not far
from the beach where we ate lunch--the Sola Strand Hotel (http://en.sola-strandhotel.no/?_ga=1.143502581.1544536728.1406195460); it would be a great place to stay, perhaps
on a future trip to Stavanger. We also walked around Gamle Stavanger (the old
part of the city) on the last evening we were there. This part of the city has
lovely old white homes with picket fences and beautiful flower gardens; they
are immaculately maintained for the most part.
The
following day, we drove on to Bergen, which is a beautiful coastal city, but not one for timid or impatient drivers. If
you want to become completely flustered, try driving in Bergen. We had problems
not only localizing our hotel, but physically getting to it. Fortunately, we
managed. We had a great seafood dinner one night at Bryggeloftet & Stuene located on Bryggen (the pier), and also spent time visiting
the Bergen aquarium as well as an old friend who lives on the island of Sotra that is located west of Bergen. It was
pleasant to walk around the city, packed with tourists, boaters, and classic car
enthusiasts, quite a different atmosphere compared to Arendal. We also spent some time listening to the street musician Gee Gee
Kettel and his daughter Soluna Somay.
And then it
was time for our return trip over Hardangervidda. The last time we drove over this
huge plateau in Hardanger was in 1991 when we attended the International
Society for Analytical Cytology conference that was held in Bergen. According
to Wikipedia, Hardangervidda is the largest eroded plain in Europe. I remember
being fascinated by the landscape then—both hilly and flat (plateau-like), rocky
terrain, stones here and there, dotted with small lakes and streams and patches
of snow, and mostly treeless. I had never seen anything quite like it. At that
time, I made my husband stop so I could get out of the car and walk to one of
the small pools to touch the water to see how cold it was (it was cold). Hardangervidda’s
somewhat forbidding landscape was used as the ice planet in the Star Wars film
"The Empire Strikes Back". After having driven over the moors in
northeast England last year, I realize that Hardangervidda resembles the moors
in many ways. It stretches for miles, and is often closed to traffic during the
winter months due to the large amounts of snow that pile up on the road. Sheep
wander about, often coming up to the road or crossing it, exactly as was the
case on the moors last summer when we drove over them. When we reached Geilo in
Hol, we enjoyed an afternoon visit with more friends who have a cottage there.
And then it was a few more hours of driving before we reached home. In my next post, I'll include some photos from our trip.
