Tag Archives: Norway

Three Years in Norway?!?!

On February 1, 2013, four weary travelers arrived in Oslo. Tired, jet lagged, and quite overwhelmed, yet relieved to have made it. And ready for whatever was to come.Well, we thought we were ready. What was to come was a lot. Ups and downs. Good days and frustrating ones. But through it all, we’ve come to love living here.

Happy Three Year Anniversary to us!

Then
Now

Twenty Years and Counting

Friday was 20 years since Zack and I went on our first date.

20 years since we sat in a restaurant overlooking Atlanta, and talked about our backgrounds and our futures.

20 years since we saw the movie Dangerous Minds.

20 years since we first held hands.

20 years since I got back to my dorm room and told my friends that I knew who I was going to marry.

We’ve lived through a lot together in twenty years! Of course not every day has been easy. But the hard times pale in comparison to the seasons of fun and laughter, adventure and unknowns, excitement and opportunity. It’s been crazy, and it’s been great!

I love getting to spend each and every day with my best friend.

 

As we walked through our city Friday night, I looked around and once again tried to take in the fact that we’re living on the other side of the world, speaking another language (or at least trying to!), the parents of two pretty rockin’ kids, with friends and family from one side of globe to the other…

… and then I looked at Zack and said, “could you have imagined all of this twenty years ago?”

 

They say time flies when you’re having fun. And I believe it’s true.

Here’s to twenty more… and twenty more after that!

 

 

 

 

Kaffetur 18 / Coffee Tour #18: Stockfleths, Oslo

With 10 locations scattered all over the city, Stockfleths is a bit of an Oslo institution. While my niece was here in June, we stopped by their largest location on Prinsensgate for a morning coffee.

Once we managed our way around the construction outside, we walked into a clean and well-lit cafe. Not especially unique in its design, but appealing and comfortable all the same.

 

Stockfleths has been around since 1895. They are easy to find throughout the city. With a nice selection of coffee, as well as tea, pastries and sandwiches, it it a good choice for breakfast, lunch, or a coffee break.

We were on our way to the airport and a bit short on time, so we opted for their daily coffee. It was a nice medium roast with a good, smooth flavor, although I felt it was served too hot. That’s the drawback of getting the daily coffee, I guess!

The Prinsensgate location is two stories, and the downstairs also has a room for holding coffee classes.

How High?!?!

It really is a shame how little we have seen of this beautiful country after 2 1/2 years here.

 

We did manage to expand our horizons this past weekend. We have now explored a good bit more of at least the southern part of the country.

 

As we made our way to Stavanger last Friday, we stopped about an hour outside of the city to experience one of the more iconic hikes in the area.

 

 

Preikestolen – or Pulpit Rock – is something I’d seen in pictures before moving here. But pictures pale in comparison to the reality.

 

 

Standing nearly 2000 feet / 600 meters above the Lysefjord, this rock formation is impressive… and a bit scary!
Preikestolen / Pulpit Rock

It took us just under 2 hours to make the walk to the top. And it was amazing.

 

We highly recommend this hike!

 

Here is a video from our weekend in Stavanger. The first 6-7 minutes will give you a glimpse of our Preikestolen experience.

Tips for Preikestolen:

  • Wear good shoes. While the path is fairly wide, it is also very rocky. Careful measures have been taken to ensure that all the foot traffic (200,000+ visitors annually) don’t destroy the area.
  • Take water with you. And pack a lunch. There is no hytte/kiosk/snack bar at the top. We took a couple of Camelback-style backpacks, several packs of nuts, and sandwiches. There are quite a few spots along the way where you can stop and rest when needed.
  • Start early, or start later in the day. Mid-day hikes mean more traffic, and more of a queue. We arrived just after 2:00 and the majority of the traffic we encountered was from people descending the mountain. We also went on a weekday, thinking that weekends might be more crowded.
  • Most of the websites suggest hiking from April to October. Otherwise, you might encounter some additional weather challenges.
  • You can read more on Visit Norway’s Preikestolen page.

Have you heard about Tastemade?

We are excited to announce that we are participating in a fairly new site, Tastemade.

 

Tastemade is a video community created to “connect the world through food.” (https://m.facebook.com/tastemade/about)
We think it is a great way to check out the best of a city’s eats before a trip. And we also saw it as a great way to share what we discover around Norway.

 

Our first video highlights our recent visit to Coffeeberry.

https://www.tastemade.com/places/v/VN4p7P2tQb-bThx1daucwA

To learn more and to follow along with our Tastemade adventures, visit: https://www.tastemade.com/@notesfromnorge

Kaffetur 15 / Coffee Tour #15: Coffeeberry, Stavanger

We just returned from a long weekend in Stavanger, on the southwest coast of Norway.And before I go any further, I have to say thanks to our friends for letting us stay in their home while they were traveling!

I wasn’t having a lot of luck when I did my usual pre-travel coffee research. I did read a bit about a few shops, but nothing much. So I called out to Facebook friends, and got some great advice.

The best tip was to try Coffeeberry. And we were so glad we did!

Coffeeberry has two locations, in Sandnes and Stavanger. We visited their downtown Stavanger cafe.

The decor is done well. Brightly colored walls on each end reflect the whimsical nature of both Coffeeberry’s logo and their packaging. One end of the shop is painted a bright turquoise, while the other boasts Coffeeberry’s signature bright red.

The furniture is retro and fun. A plethora of teakwood furniture fills the shop, and the walls are adorned with what I would consider throwback Norwegian art. Maybe the kind of work you’d see on the walls of your family’s hytta/cabin.

As you step in, the focal point is the copper coffee bar. And their wall menus are a playful touch, reminiscent of a diner or sandwich shop from years ago.

We visited Coffeeberry twice over the weekend. On the first day, we tried a hand brewed Colombian coffee, and an espresso. Both were excellent. While there we picked up a couple of bags of beans, from Colombia and Ethiopia.

On our second visit, we had their daily coffee. This particular day was from Burundi, and was another  top-notch choice. We also ordered a con panna (our current go-to specialty drink), a shakerato and a caramel ice latte.

Everything we tried was delicious.

Coffeeberry also offers a selection of pastries, salads, sodas, and juices.

For those of you with small children, you’ll be happy to know that they have a kids’ corner with some toys to occupy your little one while you enjoy your drink.

Coffeeberry: another superb offering from the world of Nordic coffee. Definitely worth a stop-in!

You can also check out our Tastemade review of Coffeeberry!

Coffeeberry
Klubbgata 3, 4013 Stavanger
Våsgate 34, 4306 Sandnes

 

Viking Festival

We happened upon a viking festival a couple of weeks ago. It was a sun festival, but apparently the sun didn’t get the memo. It was a bit drizzly and quite chill!

 

But despite less than ideal weather, we had fun. There was music and dancing, and a couple of us even geared up for battle!

 

 

 

We tried viking bread and fish on a stick.

It is always fun to stumble onto interesting cultural celebrations like this!

Kaffetur 13 / Coffee Tour #13: Fuglen, Oslo

Kaffekos. (Kaffe = coffee. Kos comes from the Norwegian word koselig. You can read about it HERE)
For me, kaffekos is a critical factor, and a single word that describes the whole coffee experience.
It’s the perfect combination of excellent coffee and an atmosphere where you’re able to sit, relax, and really enjoy your drink. No feeling of being rushed, but plenty to see while you sit and sip.

 

A couple of years ago, a friend introduced us to his favorite shop in Oslo. And so began our courtship with Fuglen (The Bird) in Oslo.
Seriously, the place looks like a set straight from Mad Men. And if you like what you see, you can do more than just envy its retro-chic styling. Everything from the furniture to the lamps is available for purchase.
After having an amazing cup of coffee, stop by their shop a couple of doors down and tell them what you’d like. And if you’re tight on luggage space, order online and have it shipped.

Fuglen has kaffekos. It is kaffekos.

 

The shop got its start back in 1963. And taking a look around the place, one might notice that the decor pays homage to the cafe’s 60’s roots. In fact, I always half expect to find  Don Draper lounging on one of the sofas.
Yes, the styling of Fuglen is cool. But that isn’t what keeps us coming back.
As you would expect, Fuglen’s baristas typically hit the hipster image on all cylinders. And yet, while their plaid shirts, wayfarer frames and perfectly tailored beards are iconic, they aren’t so overpowering that you miss out on their exceptional coffee knowledge.
Yeah, these folks know their stuff.
And it’s not just their knowledge and friendliness that makes this a frequent stop for us. It all comes down to the coffee they serve. Excellent equipment, proven expertise, and only the best beans.
If you see it on the shelf, you can try it in your cup. We typically choose something from Tim Wendelboe or Drop Coffee. On my last visit, I enjoyed Tim’s Nano Challa Heirloom. Incredible.
Don’t let the light color fool you. This was not at all weak. It was one of the smoothest and most flavorful cups I’ve had in quite a while.
But no matter what you order – pour over, espresso, coffee drink, or cocktail – you can expect a memorable drink and a memorable experience.
Yes, when we first stepped into Fuglen, we definitely found our Oslo dose of kaffekos.
Fuglen has cafe locations in Oslo, Tokyo, and New York.
For more info, check out Fuglen online. If you are in Oslo, this is our number one recommendation for the perfect combination of cool atmosphere and quality coffee.

The Graduate: a European Tour

Two weeks came and went, and before I knew it, I was driving my niece back to the airport.

 

Anna made her way back to the states on Wednesday. Based on my own experience and the occasional iMessages we exchanged, it was one of those days that seemed it would never end.

But now that she is back home, I want to take a little time to show a bit of what we were up to.

 

Her grandparents were gracious enough to help out with plane tickets and passport to get her here, and we really appreciate it.

 

And once here, we found some low-cost airfare so we could show her a few of our favorite places.

 

For the first week, we spent time in our city, as well as Tønsberg and Oslo. After that, she and I had another day in Oslo, before flying to Stockholm for a couple of days, and then to London for the weekend.

It was a great trip, and I look forward to sharing a bit more about it in the coming days.

 

One Day in Oslo

As I took the bus from the city center of Oslo out to Bygdøy, the island that is home to several well-known museums, I struck up a conversation with a lady from Florida. She was spending the day in the city, along with her husband, 13 year old son, younger daughter, and mother, as a brief stop on their European cruise. She asked what I considered the must-see spots if you only have a day in the city.

 

Ironic she would ask this, as I was doing just that: showing my niece my favorite spots in about 10 hours.
We purchased 24-hour transit passes, to help us make the most of our time. If you plan to use public more than twice in a 24-hour period, it makes sense to buy this pass.

 

From Oslo S, we took the 30 bus towards Bygdøy and got off at Vikingskiphuset. The bus stop is a 2 minute walk to the Viking Ship Museum entrance.
This is my favorite museum. Not overly large, but really cool. One of the ships was originally discovered in our city, Sandefjord, and another discovered in our neighboring town on Tønsberg.
We took the bus back towards the city. We exited at Aker Brygge and walked over to Karl Johans Gate.
Lunch was at Deli de Luca. With locations all over the city, I really love this place. I have yet to order anything I didn’t enjoy. Sandwiches, calzone, wraps, salad, dessert, ice cream, drinks, coffee. And I especially like the Karl Johans location. Indoor and outdoor seating, just across from parliament, and great people watching!
After lunch, we took the trolley to Frogner Park and the Vigeland sculptures. Also known by many as ‘the naked statue park’. The statue exhibition is extensive and impressive. There are almost always bus loads of tourists milling about. In the summer, the massive green space plays host to hundreds of carefree locals and tourists, enjoying the sun, a picnic, biking and exercise. Anna and I took time to explore more of the park than I ever have before. And even so, I still have much left to discover on future visits
We took the trolley back to Aker Brygge, where we walked around a bit, took some photos of the fortress, and then stopped at Espresso House for a cold coffee (it was really warm in Oslo today!!).

 

We checked into our hotel (CityBox Oslo is a great budget-friendly, no frills hotel in the city center), and then set out for another stop. A critical stop, in fact, in my quick must-see Oslo tour. Fuglen is our favorite cafe in Oslo. I will be writing about it on the coffee tour soon, but suffice it to say that it is on the top of our cafe list!

 

After coffee, and some really bad walking navigation on my part, we grabbed a pizza at Dolly Dimple’s. From there, we walked to the palace for a few photos, and then strolled the full stretch back down Karl Johan’s.

 

We finished up the evening walking up to the top of the Opera House.

 

If you have more time, I can recommend quite a few other top spots. But this tour seemed just right for us: we managed to squeeze in some shopping here and there, and never felt really rushed. We had a great day!