Powered by Nature: Two new countries in one day

 

 

Saturday's plan was simple - drive through Sweden, reach Norway and spend the night on the other side of Oslo.

 
We started the day with a luxury breakfast at Baltic Queen, with a selection from eggs and bacon to unsalted oatmeal and macaroons. We managed to do a few laps on the ferry before arrival in Stockholm, and before long we were already in Sweden.

 
We started our drive to Oslo and, with the exception of a few toilet stops, drove until it was time to eat. For lunch, I had chosen a beautiful beach by the lake, which, as it turned out, was right next to a hydroelectric power plant, but nevertheless away from the highway and visually very enjoyable. As a bonus, wild raspberries grew right next to the car.

 
At the Norwegian border, we only had to present our documents and the vaccine certificates, and already we were sent on our way with wishes to enjoy the trip. A few hours later we turned into the parking lot of our hotel.

 
Ever the frugal tourist, I had chosen a room with a "garden view" (read: car park view) for us, but we asked and got a room with a balcony directly overlooking the fjord. First thing we set our dinner table on the balcony, ate and enjoyed the view.

 
After dinner we planned to take another short walk and the first stop on our walk was the goose beach. With some frustration I remembered a beach in Northern Michigan, where there was no place to put your feet down in-between all the goose shit. Instead of continuing the minefield, we turned around and headed to the hill. A lady on her evening walk suggested that we march to the top of the mountain and enjoy the beautiful views from there, but ever the skeptical me thought that after the sunset it was probably not the best idea to go on a couple of hours hike through an unknown forest. Instead, we went back to the room and got to bed.