For the second half of our cruise to Norway, we stopped first at Olden, a tiny little village hidden between the mountains. Although this was our first real taste of colder weather as the sunshine had decided to desert us, I really enjoyed the fact the weather was so mixed and gave us a feeling of each season in the separate locations. It was truly so magical to experience landscapes so vastly different from one another all within the same few days. If you’ve never been to Norway before and imagine what a traditional, unspoilt and quaint little village will look like, Olden is exactly that.
The final port of call was Stavanger, on yet another bright and sunny day. If you’re in the mood for shopping and eating (which if you’re like me, is always) then there’s plenty of trendy places to explore. Though be careful when it comes to food as I somehow managed to spend just over £10 on a starter sized portion of nachos. Stavanger really has it nailed when it comes to being everything I love about Scandinavian cities, ultra clean looking and decidedly monochrome architecture along with the odd edgy graffiti artwork and of course a huge amount of plants and trees.
Stavanger’s answer to a Scandi hipster version of Selfridges comes in the form of Høyer, and if you have cash to burn, it’s unmissable. It just so happens that I managed to stumble across a rather pricey bomber jacket and kissed goodbye to an eye-watering sum all at once. Enter with caution.
I truly had the most incredible and memorable experience in Norway, and having the luxury of being able to see so many wonderful places all whilst hopping back onto the Britannia at the end of each day was an absolute joy. I know only too well that cruising can have the rep of being an older person’s thing, but I strongly believe it’s a gem left to be discovered for younger generations and I’m convinced that it’s by far one of the most efficient and enjoyable ways to travel. As for Norway itself, I’m already hoping that I get to visit again one year soon!