Norway - my current place of residence, a place I like to call also a bit “home”. It has a lot of things that make live here interesting, not only the nature but also the people, traditions, and the local’s understanding of where they are in the world. From the partying during the football world championship to the nature during the seasons - Norway is a lot more than fjords and trees.
Most visitors arriving by ferry in Kristiansand head north on E18 towards Oslo. Turn west instead, onto E39, and the road runs along the real Sørlandet and Jæren coast to Stavanger - past Norway’s southernmost lighthouse at Lindesnes, the Dutch-built old town of Flekkefjord, the WWII history of Jøssingfjord, and some of the country’s best beaches, entirely ferry-free the whole way. It is, for many, the first proper look at Norway - and a fitting welcome.
Above the city at Holmenkollen, with Nordmarka starting right behind it, the Scandic Holmenkollen Park is the one hotel in Oslo I keep going back to - for a business trip as much as for a weekend with the dog.
Bus, day train, night train, car, or a short flight from Kristiansand or Stavanger - comparing how they actually stack up once you count the whole door-to-door trip, not just the time on board.
