3-Day Kayaking Adventure: Norway
Since we moved to Amsterdam, we’ve been to the coast multiple times, feeling the mist of the North Sea breeze on our faces, and pedaled our road bikes past windmills, canals and lighthouses to tiny Dutch villages. There is no denying the beauty here, but growing up in Colorado and Alaska, there is an element we miss deeply…Mountains. Especially in the summertime with the sun beaming down as you climb peaks and swim in crystal clear waters, breathing in the fresh mountain air. The Netherlands may be the flattest place we’ve ever lived, but thankfully we are able to change our scenery in just a short flight. So, while every European flew south to the bougie beaches, we flew north to one of the most breathtaking places we’ve ever been: Norway.
Joined by our dear South African friends, we began our trip in Bergen, Norway…at least we’re mostly sure it was Bergen.
Bergen, Norway
Just as Denver boasts 300 days of sunshine, Bergen statistically rains 300 days out of the year. Incredibly, we spent the day exploring the city in full sunshine at 90 degrees! We couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off the trip. We got breakfast at a quaint little sandwich and coffee shop where we relished in the Nordics’ heavenly bread baking skills, then caught the bus to the cable car so we could see Bergen from the sky. Luke promptly covered himself in sunscreen.
We then walked the popular fish market, where we enjoyed the first of about a thousand smoked salmon sandwiches, and took pictures by the pier before heading to the train station. Bergen is Norway’s second largest city, but it doesn’t feel that way. Tucked in the mountains, filled with colorful, wooden A-line homes and cobblestone streets, it is an adorably quaint, beautifully preserved UNESCO Heritage site.
Voss, Norway
We caught the train to Voss, Norway where we would be staying before our early morning pick-up for the 3-day kayak adventure. I had never heard of Voss before we went, so I didn’t know what to expect, especially considering the only accommodations available appeared to be old and outdated. Voss was truly a pleasant surprise for all of us!
Where to Stay:
We arrived at the Fleischer’s Hotel and it felt like we walked back in time. The building was established in the 19th Century and the hotel doesn’t appear to have changed since. (In a good way.) Gorgeous wood beams and antique paintings filled the main entrance and large windows in the back opened up to Lake Vangsvatnet. The Concierge was friendly and welcoming, encouraging us to take a dip in the lake after getting settled in our room, which surprisingly resembled more of a small cabin.
We enjoyed beers and more smoked salmon on a patio in the sunshine (at 9pm) then went back to our rooms, changed into our suits and jumped in the freezing lake. The Alaskan was in heaven. I lost all feeling immediately.
The coldest of our Norway swims and likely my crazy husband’s favorite
Taking advantage of the late sunset, we played cards and drank wine until large spiders carried out a surprise attack and we called it a night.
Our backyard for the evening.
Post spider attack trauma
We grabbed breakfast at the buffet of the hotel then walked to the Nordic Ventures meeting point to load our luggage into a van and begin the best part of our holiday – The 3-Day Norway Outdoor Adventure!
Day 1:
We arrived at the Nærøyfjord around 10AM to meet our guide and the other 3 people in our group then packed our kayaks. Luke and I were given a 2-person kayak, and I took full advantage, pretending to paddle while mostly playing with my GoPro Hero 7.
We paddled the Nærøyfjord to our lunch spot where we helped pitch a tent to shade from the sun and get to know each other a little better. We were joined by a lovely couple from London and a bad ass, Canadian solo traveler who had been hiking through Scandinavia all summer. Our guide, Isaac, was a fascinating Kiwi who somehow always surprised us with his campfire cooking skills. More importantly, it was at this moment I was introduced to Jaffa Cakes. Good. Lord. What are these things?! I nearly spit it out…but I didn’t. Then I had 2 more. Okay, 3 more. And that’s about as well as I can describe them.
We then paddled to another little hideaway bank to hike up to a waterfall.
After a swim and a photo shoot, we proceeded to our campground where we would post up for the next two days.
Norway is the only place I want to camp from now on
Day 2: The Hike
Yup, we hiked that.
We ate a quick breakfast and started our 30km hike around 8am. The first leg was through tall grass along the bank of the fjord. We were warned this is home to quite a few ticks, so we should all start in full clothing to be able to “just shake them off once we arrive at a clearing.” I faked an air of nonchalance while compulsively sweeping my pants for tiny bugs. We made it through tick free (I’m still unconvinced and waiting for my surprise disease to hit), filled up our water bottles at a small waterfall and continued our ascent.
I made most of the time pass by asking our Kiwi guide extremely personal and uncomfortable questions until we made it to the peak and devoured our well-deserved (smoked salmon) sandwiches. I never saw our guide again.
A storm rolled in at the top so we cut our summit leisure time a bit short and started our descent, stopping briefly at this gorgeous lake for a swim.
Our friends who recommended this trip (the same friends who also shared the Abisko Northern Lights holiday…let’s call them our “Euro Trailblazers”) encouraged us to reenact one of their most treasured memories of the trip once returning from the hike – grab life jackets and glasses of wine and take a moment to quietly float in the fjord. We did as we were told and I will truly never forget the moment. Taking in the beauty and honoring the opportunity was something I’ll cherish for decades to come.
Day 3: Final Kayak
We packed up camp and ventured out on our final kayak.
Luke continued his role as my personal photographer and paddler.
It was already more challenging than the first day, fighting harsher waves as we pushed through the merging of two fjords. Once we made it onto the Aurlandsfjord, we took a break to share our last meal together, laughing and eating too many cookies.
We saw a storm was rolling in and watched someone in a different group flip their kayak. We laughed nervously, quickly packed up and tried to get the hell out of there. Luke and I went first, along with the other double kayak, and were met by large waves and strong 20 knot winds. What should have been an easy 30 minute paddle to the finish line turned into over an hour as we fought just to keep from moving backwards. Relationships were tested and all survived.
Clearly pumped to be alive
We made it back to Voss just in time and ran to catch the train to our hotel. While we were discussing accommodations, we decided to head straight to Bergen and sleep in a nice hotel with a comfortable bed, shower and a breakfast buffet. The Zander K Hotel was literally steps away from both the train station for when we arrived, as well as the bus stop from when we left for the airport the following day. This decision was so clutch. There was an awesome Thai place down the street, so we grabbed dinner there, then, exhausted from paddling for our lives, crashed early.
Last morning:
It was pouring rain all morning so we took it easy, playing board games and drinking coffee in the lobby until it was time to fly home. These are the moments we’ll hold to when homesickness starts to creep in. Reminders of why we chose to step out in faith and move far from our family and friends, feeling the ache of missing them often. These moments in cities we’ve never heard of, with dear friends we would have never met, experiencing the beauty of God in deeper ways than we could have ever imagined.
