If you missed my last post, this won’t make any sense to you. Check out numbers 1-5 here. Okay, carrying on!

6) Neverending daylight.

We first encountered the 24/7 daylight phenomenon in the Lofoten Islands. After a day of sightseeing in gorgeous Kabelvåg, we enjoyed the view from our hostel around 11 p.m:

We got ready for bed, turned the lights out and burst out laughing. Light flooded through all the slats of our non-blackout blinds. Might as well try to sleep on the goddamn sun. We laughed and laughed, and proceeded to have the most terrible sleep of our lives. (Eye masks are highly recommended.)

We were faced with more 24/7 daylight in Ballstad; this is what it looks like to have a nightcap at 11:30 pm:

Oslo didn’t have 24/7 daylight, but the sun set late and rose early. So after drinks at Crowbar brewery and getting calzones from the 7/11 (don’t you dare judge me), we walked home while the sun was rising and got to feel 10 years younger.

7) Norway in a Nutshell

I know I said to avoid tourists and all, but this is kind of a must-do. It’s a 6-hour tour that includes a scenic train ride, bus ride, and a boat ride through the gorgeous Fjords.

DO IT.

8) Constitution Day

We arrived in Trondheim on Constitution Day, when Norweigan culture is celebrated nationwide. From infants to grandparents, every local we saw was dressed in beautiful traditional garb, beaming with Norwegian pride.

After the parade we walked through Bakklandet:

then visited the royal residence Stiftsgården and the Kristiansten fortress for a pretty bird’s-eye view of the city.

Lastly, we stopped by Baklandet Skydsstation to try their famous fish soup.

9) All the carbs, all the time.

Norweigans often eat open-faced sandwiches, and we were more than happy to partake in this tradition. We started every morning with this carb-alicious breakfast, offered by our Airbnb host:

Other awesome places we gouged on carbs were: Pingvinen in Bergen, an actually affordable place locals go. Also the magical place where we tried brown cheese for the first time (SO DELICIOUS):

Definitely our most affordable meal of the trip was the yummy pizza we ordered at Kafé Special in Bergen. Then there’s Saray, another delicious and affordable Turkish restaurant in Oslo.

And on our last night in Oslo we went to Dovrehallen, a traditional Norweigan restaurant where I tried a classic: pickled herring! Eater’s discretion is advised.

10) The E10

“Too much pretty! No more!”

We said this a lot. It just gets frustrating when you’re in a country that’s basically hemorrhaging beauty. I mean seriously, RELAX NORWAY. You’re pretty, WE GET IT. We said this most of all in the Lofoten Islands, on the E10 highway.

I’ve driven along the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia, the A1 highway down the California coast, the Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper, Alberta. But I have to say, I think that the E10 is the most beautiful, underrated road trip of them all.

Over time we became view snobs. We’d be passing by an absolutely stunning place and say “Should we stop here? Is this pretty? I don’t know anymore.” Then we would stop, get out and say, “Should we take a photo? I’m running low on memory.” There was just so much beauty we almost became desensitized to it. Almost.

Let’s finish off with my first stab at a video (eek!). Get a taste for this beautiful country and experience one minute in Norway 🙂