Traveling to new places, meeting/having conversations with people, and learning about other cultures has always been my favorite form of education.
I just returned home on Monday after traveling abroad for the last two weeks with my partner. First on our list was Iceland for several days, and then we made our way to Norway, where we caught the train to three cities all equally rich in history, culture, and good food.
Everywhere we looked left us awe-struck. The phrase “this is insane” while overlooking historical sites and natural areas was said at least a dozen times a day between both of us. Along the open plains we saw while kayaking along the fjord in Norway, for example, we came across a memorial, a burial mound built from stone, that was constructed in the middle Bronze Age. Sheep roam freely in this area, and two were just ahead of us when we walked up to the site. Truly an insanely beautiful place to see as visitors, and a normal (and respected) part of the terrain for the locals and farmers living nearby.
Like many countries in Europe, churches were prevalent and respected for hundreds of years, and their structures are still preserved today. In Bergen, Norway we made a point to stop by a number of these churches, including the Bergen Cathedral, which dates back to as early as 1150. The cathedral is noted as having a long and turbulent history, but for nearly 900 years, people have worshiped there and it is still very much in operation.
Sites like these also hold prevalence for withstanding time. Located outside the west wall of the facade of the cathedral is a cannonball that’s been sitting in place since the Battle of the Bay of Bergen in 1665 between the British and the Dutch Navies. As cliche as it may sound, it’s surreal to be able to see and learn about bits of history like this in-person. This battle was hundreds of years ago yet people can still see a fragment from this event now. It makes you feel infinitely small in the best way and helps put into perspective how much the world has changed over the centuries.
We made sure to visit a number of museums in the area as well. We loved the Bergen Maritime Museum, which highlighted the diverse maritime history of the area through exhibitions and artifacts. From learning about how massive but also practical Viking ships were in ancient times, to the evolution of shipbuilding and the history of how Bergen developed into a maritime port, we were simply amazed with it all.
So grateful to have been able to adventure to these countries and learn about the cities and people that have made them everything that they are and more. A quote I love by the chef/ author Anthony Bourdain that I have had saved as a screenshot on my phone for some time now resonates especially while writing this: “Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.”
