Week 10 (almost 11) Southern Norway and Back to Sweden

Hello! I hope wherever you are you're having a great day :)

Ketnipz Bean on the road

This coming Wednesday marks the beginning of our 11th week of 12 in Europe (thanks Brexit and fuck you). When we began planning this trip we had wanted to do 6 months in Europe before travelling to USA/Canada and doing 6 months there but sadly had to change plans due to the 90 day rule. Nevertheless, we have absolutely made the most of our time in Europe and with just under 2 weeks left, we are still going strong!

So firstly, a van update. In the time that we have been away we have experienced more vehicle vice than I have experienced in my LIFE. From day 1, we had lights come up on the dashboard, coolant leaks, no running water due to a burst pipe in the boiler, flat tyre, a fairly catastrophic breakdown on the autobahn, various minor issues with not enough power and not being able to run the heater, and now a locking issue which despite going to a garage it is only intermittently fixed and our bed is on a slow descent to death. So..... that's where we are at lol. We have a long list of things to do to repair/replace/fix up somehow when we are back in the UK for 4 weeks before going to the USA, so watch this space; Black Betty will be a new woman. Despite all of these issues and various mental as well as mechanical breakdowns we persevere with adventures and fun and laughter. Because we can't fix it in an instant and there is no point raising your blood pressure over something you can't control. This has been a real test whilst we have been away as we both struggle with stress/anxiety management but it's never to late to stop learning!

A peaceful morning in the van in Lillehammer

We are continuing to make our way south now with a slow plan to reach the UK. I am a little bit devastated to be going home but I am excited to see those who we love the most. Despite this being a return home journey, we are making the most of it and enjoying all that Norway has to offer. Last week we went to Geraingerfjord which was spectacular with it's views. Definitely up there with one of the most beautiful sights I've seen. We had a great time on the drive there as well doing a little cruise through the fjord and seeing the waterfalls, cliffside farms and mountains. We walked around the town a little but as it was the off season this was purely sightseeing as most things were closed.

From Gerainger we drove to Bergen and did some typical city stuff, saw the UNESCO heritage site and took the Funicular (like a cable car) up to the top of Mountain Floyen and spent some time enjoying the views, drinking hot chocolate and walking through the woods. Bergen was a nice town, it had lots of weird and wonderful things on offer including a Palestinian shop where we bought 2 bowls with a pretty floral pattern. Next we drove to Flam and took the famous Flam railway up into the mountains and enjoyed those views too! The dogs befriended a nice couple on the train and lots of love and cuddles.

After this, we went to Lillehammer and stayed on a campsite for a few nights to do some 'home stuff'; cleaning, emptying toilet etc. We were on a really nice site with a beautiful view over a lake. It was just starting to thaw and the dogs enjoyed playing in the snow and ice. We had a few quiet days here, after doing lots of stuff in the last week we wanted some downtime and not having to be on the go as much... the break served us well and we were ready to take on Oslo! We stayed in and around Oslo for approx. 1 week, doing typical city tourist stuff as well as enjoying some really great parkups on a nature reserve and in a tiny village on the Oslofjord. The tiny village park up was my favourite, the weather was lovely so I even managed to paddle my feet in the fjord and Pepe had a little swim whilst the other two played in the sand. It was just for 1 night but it gave us a taste of spring and summer to come.

We are living a very charmed life right now and are well aware of how lucky and how privileged we are to explore and have these experiences. I'm trying to learn new things as we go to make the most of this time and so far the most important thing I've learnt is.....be slower in life, be kind to nature and most importantly.... Always make time for Fika :)

grid photo breakdown

1: Stream in Gerainger

2: Bergen Street Art

3: Flam Railway Selfie

4: Mount Floyen moss/bog

5: Pepe watching the views from the Flam Railway

6: Selfie from Oslo Centre

7: Bat and Ayman taking photos on the Flam Railway

8: Cathedral in Oslo

9: Boat selfie on the Geraingerfjord cruise

10: Bat boots

11: Sweden parkup views

12: Flam railway view from window