I want to go everywhere, and why not right? Life is meant to be lived to its fullest and for me that means travel and experiences. In fact, it's experiences that mean more to me than things; I find them more fulfilling. So, everywhere seems a legitimate summation of where I want to go. There's a little thing called money that gets in the way of my grand plan though, and that other resource that never seems in a state of abundance...Time. src
Considering those two limitations I'd say that Faith and I have travelled extensively, seen many amazing things and had so many experiences it would be difficult to count them. We are fortunate to have placed ourselves in the position to enjoy some travel through hard work and effort of the years.
We can't go everywhere though, not until hive reaches $1,000 anyway, so we spend time looking at places we would like to visit, research, learn about them and understand them a little better. It's fun for us.
I decided to do a few posts about the more extreme places we'd like to go and this post is the second in that series. You can see part one here if you are interested.
Fjords of Norway
Masterpiece is a fitting word for this place; A masterpiece that started some twenty five million years ago at the beginning of the most recent ice age, and is still a work in progress. src
Situated on Norway's west coast is the UNESCO World Heritage Site that stretches over 3,000 kilometres from Stavanger to Nordkapp - If one was to follow the exact contour of the land though it's 25,000 kilometres!
As the slow-moving ice rivers and glaciers, some many hundreds of feet thick, moved off the mountains towards the sea they gouged out deep and narrow valleys between the sheer walls of the earth itself. Some 12,000 years ago the ice melted back leaving the fjords, many thousands of feet deeper than the Atlantic ocean with walls of granite, sandstone, slate, marble and gneiss. These battle-scarred rock walls are hemmed by mountains, see above, and the last land-glaciers, all of which is guarded by many low islands off the shore in the cold Atlantic ocean.
When I think of this place I envision its Viking inhabitants of old taking refuge from the intense Atlantic storms within the deep, steep, valleys. There they would farm the terraced slopes, fish the icy waters and venture to far away places to trade, raid, pillage and plunder in the summer time.
Their steep fjords offered the Vikings a natural defensive barrier however also caused problems through the sheer nature of their construction...The Vikings were expert seamen by necessity as it was only by sea they could reach places that were inaccessible by land, even if only in the very next fjord.
The Norse Men ranged out as far as Baghdad and America and in between in their search for new trade and new lands to plunder, and as they did trading cities sprung up; Bergen, Tromső and Trondheim to name three. One wonders how different the world may be had the Black Death not killed some two thirds of the polulation of Norway in 1350 - this event curtailed the Vikings' plundering ways as they pulled back to Norway and trading all but ceased.
These day's one doesn't need to be a Viking, or battle them, to see the fjords close up. Many cruise operators hug the coast line taking tourists into once mysterious and, probably quite dangerous, places. I'm not into cruises, but maybe on a small bespoke ship I think I'd love it, certainly with such spectacular scenery.
From what I know the fjords are spectacular from the sea, however it's only from above one can truly understand the enormity and extreme beauty of the region. And on land there's wonders to see also...Sculpted ice, majestic frozen waterfalls and sparkling lakes glistening turquoise in the sun...An ideal place to hike, climb and ski. src
I believe this brutal, bleak and ancient place to be one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet; A location that changes ever so slightly to this day and where each season brings different sights. I believe I'd want to see the fjords in summer, which is when most are there, and winter when the area is blanketed by an eerie, almost constant, darkness. It is then that through the constant gloom comes the beautiful light-waves of the Northern Lights: Green, pink, gold and violet they glow leaving those watching in awe, and the coldness forgotten.
So there you have it...Number two of my wish-list places...I'd like to hear yours. Where would you go and why? And, if you have been to Norway, please tell me about your experiences.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
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