I remember, as a little girl, how I used to love Christmas. I remember how I used to love looking at the Christmas trees in the windows of the houses, as you drove past them. Is it just me, or have people stopped doing this?
Norwegians maintain their traditions. On the first Saturday of December they put up their Christmas decorations. You don't really see trees in their windows, but in virtually every house, they have 7 candles (or lights that look like candles) in the window, and in most houses, they have a huge star (with a light inside). Norway can be seen as a cold country, but in fact, it's extremely warm. They do not hide behind curtains or blinds. In stead, their beautifully decorated windows allow clear sight into their warm houses. It's almost as if they willingly invite anyone who pass by, to experience the warmth and love inside their homes. As if they have nothing to hide, but lots to give.
We were on the early flight to Oslo. We didn't want to go, but knew that there was a lot more experiences still to come.
Tromso impressions:
Frances:
Highs: Northern Lights, snow, Scandinavian designs, our white Christmas
Lows: leaving
Nicole:
Highs: Northern Lights, snow, friendly Norwegians, our white Christmas, Tromso
Lows: Not being able to play with Huskies
Tertius:
Highs: Northern Lights, snow, rediculously pretty girls, driving in the snow, pelting sisters with snow, Tromso
Lows: driving in the snow (scary!), leaving
In Oslo, we collected our car in heavy snowfall, and set off to the city centre. We wanted to see the Viking Ship Museum. It was an easy drive past the rather impressive opera house near the harbour.
The Viking Ship Museum houses about 3 viking ships, as well as many artefacts that were discovered in some viking graves. These all contained the most beautiful carvings and gave some fascinating insights into viking life.
Our next stop was a 350km drive away. We were heading for Orsa, Sweden, where they have a bear park. Polar bears! I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how best to get to Orsa. From Stockholm, it would have been an easy 3 hour train ride. From Oslo, it was a bit more difficult. The countryside between Oslo and Orsa seemed remote, and driving along a lesser remote route meant a huge detour. We had no idea what the roads would be like, or whether they would even be drivable, because of snow, perhaps. Our zoo trip in Tromso gave us a lot more confidence though, so we set off fairly happily. The roads were great, and with our Volvo V50, Tertius was in his seventh heaven (it may have been the tenth, by now!) And the scenery was just beautiful. Well, the bit we could see before dark, that is. The song "I'm a lumberjack.." popped into our minds frequently, with the well-built road lined with pine trees and lakes. Beautiful red farmhouses with decorated windows reminded us that there would be a warm haven to escape to, should we need it.
I'm very proud of Tertius. He has taken to driving on the wrong side of the road, in sometimes rather scary conditions, like an absolute pro. We arrived in Mora safe and sound, and settled into our accommodation, with our rather weird landlord telling us about him being a ghost hunter, and something about the 14th month. He at least assured us that there were no ghosts in our room.
We were now in Sweden. Things were very similar to Norway. Houses were still welcoming us with open windows. Beautiful!
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