Must-See: Norwegian Sky-Water
The following is a post by Tripper and blog editor Anis Salvesen.
Which country has the most beautiful sky and water? I'm not sure but Norway would rank quite high in my book; it has the most amazing lakes, coastlines and sky.
These first two photos were taken in Western Norway. I'd been to Oslo and the South but this was my first time out West. Wow!
You know that game where you inhale deeply when you enter a tunnel and hold your breath until you drive out the other side? Well, don't try that one in Western Norway, because those tunnels are l-o-n-g! The landscape is so mountainous, that although the Norwegians did manage to build these amazing tunnels, often times the only way to get from Point 'A' to Point 'B' is via ferry. The good news is, the view is wonderful!
Even when the sky is overcast, it's still awe-inspiring. Motion sickness be damned, I kept my nose pressed to the window, camera at-the-ready to capture the beautiful scenery.
The waterfalls in Norway are magical. Below is a photo of a waterfall in Western Norway called Kjosfossen. There is a train that runs up to the top of the mountain, part of the Flåm Line, which is the steepest standard gauge railway in Europe. (So says Wiki. I believe it because I found myself wondering during our crazy steep ride if it was really such a great idea to ride it.)
During this train ride, the train stops and everyone rushes onto the platform to get front-row spots to take photos. I can't remember at what point the music starts, but suddenly a woman emerges from the mist and sings her bewitching song.
She is Huldra , a seductive forest creature in Scandinavian folklore. Do you see the tiny-looking person dressed in red in the photo below? That's Huldra.
Not only are the waterfall amazing, the lakes of Norway are mesmerizing! My husband's family lives in the South of Norway, and even a drive to the nearest grocer is inspiring. I normally sit in the back seat, and you periodically hear, "Darn it!" when I am unable to snap a good photo as we drive along. But I do get lucky and snap a good picture through the window now and again.
In so many of these beautiful Norwegian lakes, the water seems to hold the very sky: I call it "sky-water."
I don't know when I will return to the amazing sky and waters of Norway, but I do know that I will have a bunch of new photos of sky-water to share with you all when I do. :)
This was a guest post by Anis Salvesen.