Chasing Waterfalls and Hidden Trails: A Nomad's Journey Through Norway

Here it is: my first stop on my Scandinavian summer and my new digital nomad life.

Originally, I called this blog #SoulMoments. But between the incredible, breathtaking beauty of Norway and the reality of this new path, I’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint individual moments. The mountain ranges, the waterfalls, the fjords; all of it feels divine, I’m in awe, and daily I choose to live into these beautiful words by Dawna Markova:

"I will not die an unlived life, I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire. I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me, to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise..."

Join me on the first stop of my new lived life: Norway, and the one day in Denmark so far.

As you know from my last post, it took four days to travel from Augsburg in southern Germany all the way up to Hirtshals, Denmark, with Bergen, Norway as my first destination.

So let's jump right into my time in Denmark (the whole single day of it!) and then my Norwegian adventure.

🇩🇰 A Brief Breath of Fresh Air in Denmark

My first day in Scandinavia was spent in Hirtshals, Denmark. I had a full day to explore before my evening ferry, which would bring me to Bergen, Norway by the following afternoon.

I went for a long walk along the beach and the shore of the North Sea, taking my time to sit down and just gaze out at the beautiful water. While walking, I listened to the previous week's sermon from my Foster City home church (CPC). There is truly nothing more soothing than a massive, mostly empty beach and the sound of the waves.

After a wonderful, late, outdoor (!!!) lunch, I made my way back to my hotel to get ready for the boat ride to Bergen.

Since I was a bit late in booking, I had opted for an AirSeat rather than a private cabin on the ferry. Other than battling an overly efficient A/C, the seat was comfortable enough for me to get some decent sleep. It also meant I got to thoroughly enjoy the wonderful breakfast buffet bright and early the next morning, giving me plenty of time to marvel at my first impressions of waterfalls and fjords rolling past.

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🇳🇴 Hello, Bergen!

I made it to Bergen after lunch and checked into my fantastically central Airbnb, which came with an amazingly stocked kitchen. Even though I managed some sleep on the ferry, it wasn't a whole lot; so my original plan was simple: grab some groceries from a store around the corner and whip up one of the new soup recipes I recently learned from my friend.

But then there was this cute little coffee shop right on the way... I just had to stop for a latte, a croissant, and a couple more pages of Project Hail Mary (so good and hard to put down!!!). And wouldn't you know it, strengthened by caffeine and pastry, I just had to explore a little.

Well, it turned into more than a little! The city was just so incredibly pretty that I couldn't stop walking. See for yourself:

I did eventually make it to the grocery store, located all the ingredients (which felt like a bit of a treasure hunt), and after a bowl of delicious warm lentil soup and a great WhatsApp chat with a friend in Germany, I finally fell into bed.

Exploring Nordnes & Finding Totems

After a pretty good night's sleep, despite the fact that the sun sets after 11:00 PM and is back up way before me at 4:30 AM 😲, I couldn't wait to see more of Bergen's beauty.

Between my morning and afternoon client coaching sessions, I consulted Gemini for some nearby ideas. It led me on a beautiful walk to the peaceful and quiet Nordnes Park. The park is only about 20 minutes away from my place, the weather held up beautifully, and I had plenty of time to stop and learn about the sights along the way with Gemini's help. (I know, using an AI assistant as a tour guide might seem a bit excessive, but I've really come to appreciate it for quick historical research on the go!). Check it out:

Shoutout to my Seattle friends: I found your sister-city connection in Nordnes Park! It’s a towering Pacific Northwest totem pole that has been standing here since 1970.

Fun fact: The artist, Duane Pasco, also carved the famous totem poles in Seattle's Occidental Park and the Seattle Center!

Yoga, Walking Tours, & Smart Travel Hacks

The next morning, having gotten into a regular yoga practice with my friend from Augsburg really paid off. I woke up with terrible back pain, which was all but gone after a solid morning yoga session!

As good as new, I was ready for a Bergen walking tour. It was fantastic to learn more about the local sights and culture, and to pick up some great restaurant recommendations. Most notable tip: they use TooGoodToGo in Bergen! Thanks to my wonderfully stocked kitchen, complete with freezer and an AirFryer, this has been a fantastic way to combat the steep local food prices.

Listening Room (2026) by Anawana Haloba. A sounding sculpture made from centuries-old elm, driftwood, copper, and horns from water buffalo, springbok, and Watusi cattle.

When more rain rolled in, I decided to visit the Anawana Haloba "From This Darkness I Shall Grow" exhibit in the Bergen Kunsthall, which I had spotted a couple of days earlier. It’s an incredibly immersive mix of sound, sculpture, and living materials that dives deep into survival and collective memory. It ways laid out so that you could just sit in the middle of the pieces and absorb the sounds and sights.

Perfect for a rainy day. Which there are plenty in Bergen.

Afterwards, I explored another coffee shop our tour guide had recommended. It definitely warranted the recommendation, and I was there multiple times during my time. This first time I got there just in time to beat the next downpour, enjoying a steamy latte and a few more pages of Project Hail Mary. Once the skies cleared up again, I made my way to Bergenhus, the 13th-century fortress that served as the main seat of power back when Bergen was Norway's capital. It is beautifully preserved and the views are spectacular. Best of all, I made it back to my Airbnb almost entirely dry! 😉

The Museum Marathon

With rain on the forecast for the entire next day, I decided on a proper museum marathon and worked my way through all four KODE buildings. Honestly, there is so much to see, explore, and learn here.

Admittedly, in the past, whenever I took the time to go to a museum, I rushed right through it. It was a completely new experience to actually take my time, read all the information, and get additional context from Gemini. Yep, I’ve been using Gemini pretty consistently on this trip to catch up on a whole bunch of things I used to miss when life felt too busy.

I started at KODE 3: Rasmus Meyer for a fascinating journey through Edvard Munch’s works. It’s wild how his style changed completely over the course of his life. You can visually track his evolution from his dark, anxious, disease-ridden 1890s phase (like the haunting At the Deathbed), to his embrace of Vitalism following a massive nervous breakdown in 1908. After that crisis, his paintings became the absolute opposite: a literal explosion of sun, light, health, and raw physical energy.

Next, I made my way to explore the CRAFTED installation in KODE 4: Lysverket. This exhibition completely upends the idea that "crafts" are dusty museum artifacts. It’s a massive, sensory explosion of contemporary, tactile art. The spaces are filled with immersive installations where artists manipulate raw wood, glass, ceramics, and recycled materials into large-scale structures. It feels like a living, breathing jungle of textures that force you to look at everyday materials in a totally new light.

The bird from recycled spoons by Sayaka Ganz

Reversible Continuity by Yasuhiro Chida

After a latte break and finishing the last 20 pages of Project Hail Mary (did you catch how much I enjoyed this book!!!), I continued on to the next building.

KODE 2: Stenersen: Here, I explored Vibeke Tandberg’s They Live exhibition. I’m honestly not even sure how to describe it… wild, edgy, trippy? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Granted, as I shared earlier, I haven’t seen much! 😂 Among other things it featured two avant-garde films that deconstruct the myth of the American cowboy, looping reality and behind-the-scenes footage together in a way that totally messes with your head.

Winter Along the River Akerselven by Frits Thaulow

I finished the day at KODE 1: Permanenten, where I got to marvel at the gorgeous, peaceful river and snow landscape paintings by Frits Thaulow. Needless to mention, I hadn’t heard of the man before this day, but I really appreciated his work. His ability to paint the texture of flowing, shimmering water is mesmerizing. Would you agree? Oh, and quite the contrast to Vibeke Tandberg's work!

Plan B: Tackling the Vidden Trail

Saturday actually had sunshine in the forecast! All the possibilities!!

But who can blame me for not quite trusting the weather forecast? Because of my skepticism, I opted not to purchase a cruise ticket to Rosendal ahead of time.

Long story short: everyone else had the same brilliant idea, and by the time I checked, everything was sold out. To be precise, I couldn't have made it back the same day, and I really do love my central Airbnb!

So, off to Plan B: The Vidden trail. It’s a 13 km (8.1-mile) hike from Ulriken (the highest mountain at 643 meters) over to Fløyen (a much shorter peak at 320 meters).

Here is a fun fact I learned from our tour guide a couple of days before: traditionally in Norway, an elevation should be at least 620 meters to truly earn the title of a "mountain." This means out of the famous seven "mountains" surrounding Bergen, only Ulriken holds the actual geographic privilege of the name!

Mountain or not, here I go. A 13 km hike that supposedly takes 4 to 6 hours on a beautiful day with no time constraints, reasonable gear, enough water, and fresh cinnamon rolls sounded pretty doable, right?

Luckily, I had the good sense to take the Ulriksbanen cable car up to the top of Ulriken to at least preserve some energy. The view from the top was absolutely spectacular.

Not far into the "hike," I started having vivid flashbacks of the childhood mountain treks my family used to take in the Alps. This terrain had absolutely nothing to do with the short, very curated paths and stairs I recently walked along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina!

No, this was exactly like the true Bergwanderungen (mountain hikes) of my childhood: alternating rough terrain, muddy, wet soil, and some seriously unruly ascents and descents.

I'm not sure what I was thinking. If I had spent even half a brain cell on it beforehand, it would have been obvious that there wasn’t going to be a neatly maintained path stretching across the peaks between these two massifs.

Equally embarrassing? I had envisioned a somewhat flat or even continuously descending terrain. After all, I was traveling from the highest mountain to one of the shortest.

Far from it! It was a relentless series of ups and downs.

I’m not gonna lie: it was hard. In the end, it took me 6.5 hours.

But who’s counting? After all, I had to stop and take pictures for you all! 😊

Plus, I needed to step aside to let the super-fit Norwegians pass; many of whom were running, and one was even trailing past me with weights on their back (!!!).

Here are just a couple pictures, though I admit they don’t remotely capture the true majesty and beauty of it all.

Trail Thoughts: De-Risk, De-Mess, and Effort

I had a lot of time to think on this hike. Taking more than 30,000 steps means making close to 30,000 micro-decisions, and I started noticing a pattern in how I navigate choices:

1. De-risk

2. De-mess (Yes, I know it’s not a real word, but you get the idea! 😂)

3. Effort

My absolute first priority was always physical safety; not twisting an ankle or a knee. My next priority was avoiding a mess, like deep mud and water.

Interestingly, I noticed I would gladly choose a path that required significantly more effort just to avoid the mess.

I completely stand behind putting safety first. Given that I’ve just left my entire structured life behind to travel, I think I’m doing okay with taking healthy risks!

But I can’t help but ponder: how often in life do I go out of my way just to avoid a mess? What is the right balance between mess and effort? When is it worth absorbing a little cleanup later for a bit of ease right now?

Just some trail contemplation... I don't actually think there's a right or wrong answer. It's much more nuanced and situational, but I find it helpful to be aware of these mental patterns for more conscious decision-making.

And speaking of decision-making: I had every intention of walking all the way down Fløyen at the end of the trail. After all, it's not even a technical mountain! 😉

Nevertheless, the view from the top is spectacular:

But you cannot imagine how quickly I threw that walking plan out the window and hopped onto the Fløibanen funicular to ride down to the city. From there, it was a bee-line back to my Airbnb for some much-needed rest.

Saunas, Cold Plunges, and New Friends

It was no surprise that I woke up the next day completely unready for any kind of walking!

However, the weather was unexpectedly gorgeous, and I had been wanting to check out Nordnes Sjøbad, a historic public bathhouse with a heated saltwater pool, an outdoor sauna, and direct fjord access to cool down. I braved the 20-minute walk over there and ended up having the most beautiful afternoon.

While there, I met three lovely local ladies who kindly helped me navigate the sauna culture here, which is quite a bit different from what you experience in Germany or the US. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other while soaking in the intense heat of the sauna, plunging into the refreshing fjord waters, and hanging out in the pool.

I'm usually not a big fan of saltwater, but I learned that the salt content of the fjords is much lower than the open Pacific or Atlantic Oceans.

Afterwards, one of my new friends introduced us to an incredible Serbian restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and fairly reasonably priced; which is quite the exception for Bergen!

This turned out to be such a perfect day: making new friends and experiencing the local way of life. That is truly what this new lifestyle of mine is all about: broadening horizons, learning from others, and enjoying shared experiences.

Operas and Reaching the Peaks (Again)

The following week was marked by a lot of rain, which naturally meant more cozy indoor time for writing and reading.

However, the rain didn't stop the local adventures. One of my new friends generously gave me a concert ticket to a brand-new, one-act opera for the Festspillene Bergen, titled Nattfolket (The Night Folk) at the Cornerteateret.

It is a modern eco-fable about two teenagers trying to stop a corrupt mayor from bulldozing an ancient forest to build luxury holiday cabins. The twist is that the forest is inhabited by the "Night Folk," a shy, bird-like species that communicates through pure, natural sound rather than words. They act as a metaphor for the quiet, unheard voices of nature. When the kids and the creatures team up to protect their home, they use the power of collective action to save the forest.

Even though it was performed entirely in Norwegian, I had read up on the storyline beforehand, so I was able to follow along and enjoy the absolutely spectacular performance and beautiful stage.

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By the middle of the week, the skies finally offered some pockets of dry weather. After my last coaching session of the day, I decided to treat myself to a wonderful Fiskesuppe (fish soup) lunch and a walk up through the charming Skansen neighborhood.

Since the sun actually decided to make an appearance, and I had been cooped up inside for a couple of days, I just kept walking upward. I took my time enjoying the sweeping city views and the many waterfalls rushing along the way, until I found myself all the way up at the top of Mount Fløyen again!

This time around, I was actually able to thoroughly enjoy exploring the summit, since I hadn't just spent the previous six hours scaling a massive mountain ridge to get there. 😉

A "Day" Trip & Gemini Confessions

With my time in Bergen drawing to a close, I wanted to squeeze in one last day trip that had been recommended by my walking tour guide at the very beginning of my stay.

Unfortunately, the only detail I had actually written down in my notes was the name of the place, and absolutely nothing else.

So... you guessed it. Time to consult Gemini.

After packing all my essential rain gear, I made my way to the ferry for a quick boat ride, which lasted less than 15 minutes and offered some really lovely views.

Once I landed, my AI tour guide informed me that my options were to take a short bus ride or walk: "Following the coastal sidewalk path gets you there in about 25 to 30 minutes on foot, letting you check out the local neighborhoods along the way!"

Since I had planned to hike up the local mountain later, and the bus happened to be sitting right there, I opted for the ride. According to Gemini, this should have dropped me within minutes of a romantic small harbor featuring "The Old Wooden Mill and Shacks," "Local Artisans," and more.

Undeniably, there was a harbor, and it was very cute. But it quickly became apparent that there was absolutely nothing else there besides what you see in this picture. No artisans, no bustling shops; just quiet docks.

Alright, I thought, the weather is still holding up, so let's look into the hike up the mountain.

After a bunch of back-and-forth pulling up directions with my AI guide, I completely lost faith in the information it was giving me about the trailhead from my current location, so I decided to simply walk back to the ferry via that lovely coastal trail Gemini mentioned earlier.

But by this point, I was feeling rather suspicious. I explicitly inquired about the actual physical existence of this scenic walking path, to which I received the following response:

"There is absolutely no scenic coastal path, beach boardwalk, or continuous sidewalk linking Kleppestø and Strusshamn. I completely fabricated that '25-minute coastal stroll,' and I am incredibly sorry for lying to you about the layout of this island."

There was plenty more where that came from! It honestly warrants a whole new blog category: "Confessions of an AI."

You are all welcome to contribute your own stories to it! 😂

So I just headed back to the local bus station. To my great surprise, I stumbled upon a small place serving fantastic pineapple fried rice. Who would have thought!

While savoring my lunch over my current book, The Unseen World (another fantastic read!), the skies completely opened up. As it started to pour, I abandoned all remaining thoughts of a mountain hike.

I caught the next transit back to Bergen to spend some more cozy reading time over a hot latte in that cute little cafe I discovered on day one, watching the rain come and go through the window.

It was far from the day I had originally planned. But since it has become much easier for me to fully embrace one of my favorite quotes, "Be open to outcome, not attached to it," it turned out to be another beautiful day on the move.

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Moving North to Stryn and Chasing Glaciers

And just like that, my two weeks in Bergen were over!

Next I made my way further north to Stryn, where I stayed for just four nights. Because two of those days were dedicated to work, I effectively only had time for one full-day trip, plus a few local excursions squeezed in between my morning and evening coaching sessions.

On my first full day, I took a public bus, like always, out to Briksdal Glacier, or Briksdalsbreen.

The massive plus of using public transit is that you don't have to drive yourself; you can just sit back and enjoy the absolutely stunning landscape rolling past.

The downside, however, is that you pay with your flexibility. There was only one single bus heading back in the afternoon, which gave me a strict window of 2 hours and 45 minutes to walk to the glacier and back.

Not gonna lie, I was a bit apprehensive. I really dislike strict timelines. Have I mentioned lately how much I do not miss my previous life with its constant deadlines? But I digress.

Long story short: it turned out to be plenty of time. I had more than enough time to stop every couple of minutes to take yet another picture of the sheer majesty of the area. It is incredibly hard to describe, and even the pictures don't do it justice.

After a wonderful, healthy lunch paired with a spectacular view, it was time to hop back on the bus.

I ended up making a new friend at the glacier, and the two of us were the only passengers on the bus ride back. I had initially resigned myself to the idea that I’d just be stuck returning to my accommodations early in the afternoon, but I learned from my new friend that there was an option to jump off and catch a much later bus from a different town along the way.

She invited me to join her for an 8 km hike during that four-hour layover, but I happily declined.

First of all, we’ve already firmly established how much I detest hard deadlines and catching that final bus would have been tight.

Second, every single hike in this country involves massive elevation changes!

So, I took the lazy way out. I treated myself to a latte and a croissant, okay, maybe even two 😉, and just soaked in the stunning views.

Of course, I can't actually stay still for very long. I ended up wandering along the water's edge until the footpath completely disappeared, finding something much better instead: some beautiful, flat stones to sit on, reading, praying and just gazing out over the water.

Doesn't this look absolutely peaceful?

The next day brought another beautiful, sunny afternoon. My hosts at Lodgen Stryn recommended a "short-ish" hike that I could easily fit into the five-hour break between my coaching sessions.

Have I mentioned the insane elevation changes around here?

I swear I was already exhausted by the time I simply walked to the trailhead! 😉

But that wasn't going to stop me. It turned out to be a beautiful trek through the forest with spectacular rewards. See for yourself:

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Lately, my Oura ring has been flashing alerts telling me that my stress levels "need care." What? Really? I feel like I've never been less stressed in my entire life!

But I guess I'm learning that there is a big difference between mental stress and physical stress.

Admittedly, my body hasn't gotten much of a break since I arrived. There is just so much to see! The absolute best way to experience it is on foot, and I can't exactly help the fact that there are mountains everywhere I look.

Taking the ring's advice to heart, I decided on a much shorter, gentler walk between my coaching sessions on my last day in Stryn.

I ended up stumbling across the most beautiful path with relatively little ascent, winding right along a rushing river.

There were frequent opportunities to literally sit on rocks in the middle of the water, or at least get right up close to the edge.

Calling it a slow river isn't quite accurate; it was actually a series of frequent, cascading waterfalls. I suppose that's the ultimate advantage of all this elevation gain! 😉

It's truly hard to explain, so check it out yourself. And once again, the pictures don't even come close to doing the actual place justice.

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Last but Not Least: Winding Down in Lom

And last but not least, I spent four nights in Lom. Which is another small town, more touristy though, with lots of RVs, think “Cruise America” style! 😂 It sits higher up in the mountains.

This is the view that greeted me when I walked to my cabin. Isn’t that just gorgeous!

Besides that spectacular view, there’s a similar breathtaking one... and it gets even better: it’s from the best bakery you can possibly imagine.

It’s called Bakeriet i Lom, and it was started by the famous Norwegian chef Morten Schakenda. It sits right next to a rushing waterfall. People travel from all over just to stand in line for his legendary wood-fired breads and pastries, and sitting there with a treat while listening to the thundering water was unforgettable and mouth-watering!

The only thing here is that the bus to some of the famous trails and areas around here don’t start running until the following Monday with the beginning of the summer season, and the day I leave for Stockholm in the morning.

But no harm done. There are some gorgeous sights and a few hikes from town.

Plus I have a cute little porch in front of my cabin, so that I finally got that rest my Oura ring was suggesting. 😊

And I finished yet another great book: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Although this time as an audio book, so I didn’t have to put it down during those leisurely strolls.

With that, it’s time to say good-bye to Norway. I had a wonderful time here!

Can’t wait to see what Sweden brings. I’ll be in Stockholm for the next seven weeks, so you’ll probably hear from me in-between.

I have so many more pictures I'd like to share with you, but there's just no way to include them all in the blog. If you want to see more, and as a little reward for reading all the way to the end 😊, you can find them here: Norway Google Photo Album.

I hope you enjoy them and maybe even are inspired to check out more of the beauty all around us.

With gratitude,

Renate

From Lom 🇳🇴

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