Norway is a land of waterfalls. Land of mountains, streams and windy roads…read more There are so many beautiful falls to see! This one, however, stayed with me. May be because it is only twin waterfall I've seen over there. May be because of the rainbow over the basin that mesmerized me. May be it was a roar of the water falling 150m down from the cliffs... Or may be it was a ride on narrow one-car-wide road that leads to it and views of the valley from there. Whatever it was, Skjervsfossen for me is one to remember, a must see, and a place in Norway to come back to, one day.

If you ever find yourself in this part of our beautiful world, then I highly recommend dropping by…read moreto visit this beautiful church. It is located in Vik, Norway. Pretty scenery everywhere one looks!! There is an entrance fee to enter the church. I believe the proceeds go towards the upkeep of this historical place. We were fortunate to visit before the bus load of tourists arrived. This church is a wonderful example of Norwegian architecture from bygone days. It is a stave church. Most of these churches were constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries. This specific church was built in 1130 approximately. It has been restored by The Society For The Preservation Of Norwegian Ancient Monuments. Much of the building is still original, though, including many of the stave walls. Such a beautiful wooden church!! The Norwegian wood carvings both inside and outside are impressive. A "Must See" when in this part of Norway!!

I really enjoyed my visit to this church. Plus, there was no one else there, so we were able to…read morehave the place all to ourselves to explore. A few of us made a day trip out of this, renting bikes in Balestrand and biking to the ferry in Dragsvik and continuing on to Vik. Needless to say, it was a long bike ride, and the reward at the end was this beautiful church. The church is located on the outskirts of town, a few minutes from the main area of town. When we arrived, we had the place to ourselves. It was extremely peaceful, but also gave us a great opportunity to rest our legs after a bike ride that was more challenging than expected. The exterior of the church has some wonderful woodworking at the top with dragons radiating from the top. Inside the church is rather dark and austere. It's also pretty empty, no ornate decorations present. The church was built around 1130, so it has been around for a while, albeit with reconstructions over those 900 years. Regardless, it is an impressive structure and display of craftsmanship. The person collecting the admission can provide some additional information about the church. This was a great day trip, granted taking the long way, as we did not have a car and rented bikes. We moved at a healthy clip (or at least tried to) and it is a full day of activity, when you factor in ferry schedules and travel time. At the end of the day, you can look back fondly on soaking up the scenery along the route and seeing a wonderful example of Norwegian architecture. I would highly recommend this as a visit should you be in the area. It's worth noting that there are limited dining options in the town of Vik, in the event you are looking to coordinate a visit with a meal.

This Medieval wharf is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the oldest section of Bergen inside the…read morehistoric harbor district known for its 62 colorful, wooden boat houses from the 12th century. Bryggen has been damaged by many fires and has been rebuilt after each, closely following the previous property structure and plan as well as building techniques. Bryggen's appearance today stems from the time after the fire of 1702. Today many of the buildings are being renovated & repaired. The ground level of must are now gift & souvenir shops along with Starbucks & restaurants catering to tourists. There are many alleyways with club's & restaurants hidden in the back.

It may look like a Disneyland attraction circa 1955, but it has historical value in showing…read moreBergen's former glory as the salted cod trading center of Europe. The Norwegians brought the cod to the port and the Germans would buy it to sell to the rest of the continent. Think of Bryggen as a really old Fisherman's Wharf. Besides, the facade of the colorful plankboard buildings makes it the ideal subject of refrigerator magnets (photo: https://bit.ly/3zRYuH7). Sure, it's picturesque because it's always the opening shot of any travel video about Bergen. But as usual, what lies beneath is what fascinates as the narrow alleyways between the leaning warehouses houses interesting shops, art galleries, and museums. Apparently it's been rebuilt several times over the centuries due to fires and such, so it's like an HGTV program on a constant loop. I also noticed otherwise normal housewives turn into cheek-sucking fashion models posing against the aged planks for their Instagram moments. Jamie W. and I tried to emulate their approach, but we didn't starve ourselves enough to look waif-like. More whale-like. RELATED - Exploring Norway? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3PEL4Fe

There's some weird things that have happened to me during my adventure here in Europe but nothing…read moreas bizarre as what happened yesterday. During a random hike, at some random place I picked to hike, called Kongevegen (King's road), I was chased down by a rabid herd of goats. I was near the end of my hike towards an old 18th century bridge built next to an old Viking era stone bridge when I heared bells clanging, hundreds it sounded like, and it got louder and louder barreling down the hill towards my location. This trail meanders through forests and open grasslands full of sheep and other farm animals. There are gates that you simply pass through and close behind you but you pass by private property it seems like. Back home somebody would have a shotgun ready to gun you down from stepping into their private property, but not here, I passed by farmers going on about their daily routines and waving to say "Hallo!" Very friendly bunch these Norwegians...but back to the goats...Yes there I was finally making it to the fabled stone bridge and a pack of rabid horned goats ready to mow me down. I quickly ran towards the nearest wooden gate at the end of the bridge and quickly locked it from behind me. The goats dared follow me closer but to no avail...whatever drove these crazy animals to chase me is beyond comprehension - maybe because of what I was wearing? All red.

Rimstigen is by far the best hike in the best fjord in Norway, and it's a hidden gem! The trailhead…read moreis in Bakka, down a small road from Gutvangen. You can park on the side of the road and the trailhead is on the right side of the road just before the bridge. The trail starts as a steep climb...and then continues as a steep climb until the very top! But it is SO worth the pain. All the way up and all the way down are amazing views, and if you are really adventurous, you can keep going up onto the ridge. This trail was an old road the farmers used to take with their herds to take them to the summer grazing fields, so it connects several cities if you're willing to hike far enough. It would be a fun multi-day hike if you are up for it! Naeroyfjord is easily one of the most beautiful things in Norway. Partly because no one else is going to be there while you're there, and partly because it is such a small fjord, you can easily access all parts of it and see across the fjord without a problem.

There are so many waterfalls in Norway! Steinsdalfossen is a beauty of a waterfall! This falls is…read morevery accessible from the main highway. There is also a parking area and a souvenir shop. Makes for a wonderful stretch break and photo opp!! The waterfall is not very high, but is still gorgeous! You can walk on a paved walkway with a slight incline in order to walk behind the falls and to the lookout. So go ahead and stop at Steinsdalfossen. It is not everyday that one can view a waterfall so close up and stay relatively dry!!