Memories From a Tourist in Norway

Summer is quickly fading away. Nights are chilly and darkness creeps up a little earlier each day. It is time to pack away the midnight sun memories and prepare for candlelight evenings and a warm fireplace. My time spent as a summer tourist in Norway has been over for awhile now. Before I pack away the summer I thought I would share one last post with you about my trip around Norway with my children. I have told you about our camping experiances, how expensive yet beautiful the country is, and how driving the roads here can be a challenge.  (check out the links)

There is a lot of history here in Norway as well, and some of the major things my son wanted to see here on his first trip to Norway were the Stave Churches, viking graves and ships.

Viking grave

In Oslo their is a huge Viking Ship museum which holds several viking ships that have been excavated from different parts in Norway. Viking graves can be found all over the country, they pop up everywhere like weeds and are free to the public to walk among. The churches however,  cost money to go inside. The cost of admission goes towards the preservation of these churches.We started our trip counting the number of Stave Churches we came across, but to be honest I lost count. I think we saw 7 of them. Each one just as fascinating as the last. We were not allowed to take pictures from inside, but here you have an idea of what a Stave Church looks like. My son explains his fascination with them in the  video at the end of my post.

Stave Church

No trip to Norway is complete without a hiking trip in the mountains. My family has a cabin in Norefjeld, and although it was raining the whole time we were there, we still put on rain clothes and enjoyed a wet, but nice walk in the mountains. After a long day hiking, it was great to go back to the cabin and relax in the hot tub. The fog and the rain was not going to stop us from having a good time! Being prepared for all kinds of weather is important when you vacation in Norway. The weather changes very fast and in one day you can experiance every season, even in July.

View from the hottub

Hiking in the rain

Hope you have enjoyed being a tourist in Norway with me. My son took a part of Norway home with him to Denver. I can not speak for him, but I believe his memory box has been enriched. I do not know when I will see him again. For now, all I have to do is close my eyes and remember, and if that does not work well enough, there is always film.

Have you ever been a tourist in your own home town or country? What do you have stored in your memory box?