Living my Norwegian Dreams in Stavanger

As the light dimmed and I relaxed into my seat, I was ready to start dreaming. However, excitement got the better of me and I could barely sleep; travel does this to me, it often brings out the child in me. This was my first visit to a Nordic country and I was ready to be surprised. My love affair with Geography started only after school, but I did remember Nordic stories of the midnight sun, the gorgeous fjords, the unusual rock formations, the freezing arctic waters and many such natural wonders. I could also faintly remember the folklore from there, especially stories around king Thor.

This was the first time I was flying with KLM, and I didn't quite realize when I slept off after a generous helping of some delicious white wine. For those who do not travel as much, KLM is one of the few airlines which take you to Scandinavian countries (and much of the rest of Europe as well) from India, and in my experience, also offers the best flying experience for travellers. Formed in 1919, KLM is today the oldest airline in the world still operating under its original name!

Here is me on a street in Stavanger

Coming back to the story - as the golden sunlight filtered through the my window, I got up just in time to witness sunrise just before we landed in Stavanger, Norway. This was the closest I had ever come to the Arctic circle and I could feel goose bumps just thinking about it. I had done some preliminary research before coming to Norway, but still was not quite sure about what to expect when I stepped out of plane. Would it be freezing cold? Will I see everyone looking like gold walking round? Would it be freezing cold and white all around even in summers?

It was late July and when I came out I realised that the weather was shockingly good! What happened - I felt a little cheated that things would be much less extreme than I imagined. In my heart I wasn't complaining and nor were the Norwegians, who welcome summers every year with open arms and most even go on a month long vacation across Europe during July. Some stay back in Norway as well and spend time at their mountain cabins or simply go hunting, fishing or sun-bathing!

I spent a little over a month in Norway and kept dreaming more, but also managed to live some of those. Sharing a few of those here. Who knows, maybe these will also help you dream and make you pack your bags and go out to live them :)

Diving into the Fjords

This was perhaps the craziest thing I did in during the entire trip! My friend Paulina was perhaps a fish in her previous life because she has this close affinity to water unlike most other people I know. She can also be held responsible for making this insane plan to swim in the fjords at the break of dawn. We were living in the countryside and the fjord was right next to the house, so all it needed was to get up and jump. The next morning, I was shaken out of bed with groggy eyes and I followed her and jumped into freezing cold water. For the first few seconds I didn't even know what hit me - I was just numb! I quickly came out and jumped right back in. Only cold could fight cold and after a few more dives it actually became fun!

Diving into frozen water!

Sailing in a real sail boat!

It is not uncommon for Norwegians to own a sailboat. In fact every Thursday there is a boat race and many locals take part in it. Frode is also one of them, and one day when he invited me to join him for a boat ride in the fjords, I readily agreed. It wasn't a race day so water wasn't crowded at all and we had the entire fjord to ourselves. We had carried some food with us and needed that and more soon as the cold arctic air started blowing right into us. We not only survived, I also got to steer the boat for a while. It is not easy, but once you get a hang of it, you can manage. We came back tired and I had a huge dinner that night to regain all the lost calories!

As we returned back, the sky was awash with golden light

Sitting on the edge of the world at Preikestolen

If you have never been to Scandinavia, chances are that you would not have heard of Preikestolen or Pulpit Rock. It is basically a huge rock which is shaped almost like a square with sharp and deep edges which can take you straight to the rocks and fjord below. A visit to Norway is incomplete with a visit to Preikestolen, and a visit to Preikestolen is incomplete without going to the edge and sitting with your legs dangling. It's scarier than you can imagine and quite full of risks. The first time I went there, it rained constantly and the rock was barely visible due to fog. However, on my second visit, I saw the rock in its full glory and also sat on the edge. So how was the experience then? Exhilarating!

Sitting on the edge!

A countryside weekend with with my Norwegian friends

TI and his family (his wife, kids and parents) invited me a few more friends to their ancestral village Garvik far from the Stavanger. A boat ride followed by a car drive took us there and the place completely stunned me. It was unlike any other village I had seen before - it was straight out of a fairy tale! Now I can imagine why fairy tales must be so relatable to all the Scandinavian kids - they live in fairyland! Over the next three days, we cooked together (including an Indian meal), trekked together to a Viking village, did boat rides and I ate the best waffles of my entire life!

 

Our weekend home from the Fjord...

Girls took the bedroom and the living room became my cozy bedroom :)

  
I fulfilled many of my Norwegian dreams but a few still remain, and one of them is to see the Northern Lights (possible only during the winters). Maybe I will visit the beautiful country again to fulfill that dream, maybe I will dream of something else and chase that down somewhere else. Hmmm...

So #LetsGoDutch with KLM!

When it comes to travel, we all have dreams - some insane and some rather sane. Do you also have some? If your answerer is yes, then there is some cool news for you. KLM has come up with a unique campaign where they will help you fulfill your travel dreams by ‘Going Dutch’! 

What does it mean? As a part of #LetsGoDutch campaign, KLM will Go Dutch (share expenses) with you on your dream vacation. They have amazing offers of discounts, free stay, vouchers, event passes etc and fun contests based on your travel dreams (read more). Based on your entry, you might be able to win the contest and fulfill your travel dream :) 

Intrigued? Do watch the video below!



Follow KLM India on their Facebook and Twitter pages for more contests over the next few days. All the best :)