Norway

After a lot of research I thought I knew what to expect from Norway. Some things matched: Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) is as spectacular as every review says, and Stavanger has a genuine energy I'd read about. The bacalao obsession is completely justified. What I wasn't prepared for: excellent hiking…

I'll be honest — I went to Norway primarily to see Flåm Railway, and it delivered beyond what any photo prepares you for. But the surrounding region surprised me just as much. Stavanger has a character I didn't anticipate, and wandering without a plan for an afternoon turned out to be one of the hig…

Norway is undeniably beautiful. Flåm Railway and the area around Ålesund have a visual quality that photographs don't capture fully. I enjoyed brunost and appreciated excellent hiking. That's all real. But public transport outside cities requires planning was more of a problem than I expected based…

Norway is a genuinely beautiful and interesting place. Lofoten Islands is worth every superlative thrown at it. The rakfisk is legitimately excellent. midnight sun in summer gave the trip real depth. What I struggled with: the tourist infrastructure around the headline sites in Oslo is relentlessly…

Did Norway on a shoestring for 18 days and it was absolutely manageable. Based in cheap guesthouses near Oslo centre and ate mostly at local spots — brunost from street stalls cost almost nothing and was better than anything in a tourist restaurant. Geirangerfjord has an entry fee but worth every p…