We weren’t sure that travelling to Norway in mid April was the brightest idea as it would limit us to have far north we could go with snow generally hanging around until late May/June! Still, we were on a mission to spend time inland and in places that we hadn’t been to before. The timing was more due to the fact that we had promised to be in Bergen by April 29th for Jo’s great niece’s Humanist Confirmation (Coming of Age celebration) and then needed to be back for the King’s Coronation and Liz’s father’s birthday in the UK for early May. We gave ourselves three weeks to cover just under 3,000 miles in three weeks. No pressure then.

We had decided our route would be ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, then through the Netherlands, a bit of Germany, north through Denmark and ferry across to the south of Norway. Two days before our adventure began, Dora had her first proper service at a local Fiat Truck dealer and we filled her up with Adblue (additive for modern diesel engines) and and LPG at a local service station. It’s a lot cheaper to fill Adblue from the pumps than buying containers (as well as being more environmentally friendly). We are lucky that we have a local filling station with both and with relatively cheap diesel fuel as well.

We had a ferry booked from Harwich at 09.00 hours on the Saturday, April 15th so we drove near to the port on the Friday evening. The park up was in Harbour Crescent (P4N #56829), a quiet street overlooking the estuary. Not a particularly pleasant evening, weather wise, but we were snug in Dora so had a good night’s sleep.

The ferry crossing was extremely smooth and arrived in the Hook of Holland at 17.15 hours local time. Once through passport and customs control (no issues with anything in our fridge) we made our way to Spakenburg football stadium (P4N #296724) around 80 miles away where we parked up for the night. It was fairly desolate place but felt safe enough. Heated up traybake and relatively early to bed as the town was pretty quiet. The next morning, Sunday, we left our spot to drive to Flensberg by the Danish/German border 340 miles away. We were going to go via Bremen but we needed a LEZ badge which we didn’t have. As it happened, by the time we had stopped for lunch at a service station, it was 16.30 hours when we arrived. We initially parked up at Ballastkai (P4N #182277) and joined the many other people who were having a Sunday afternoon stroll. A couple of beers on the waterfront and a fish sandwich from a stall to have back at the van and we were very happy. After dinner we went for a walk to check out the parking places further out of town and found a gorgeous spot right by the creek and the water treatment works (P4N #103898) that had a number of camper vans there for the night. It felt much safer as there were more people around than the one in town so we moved. Luckily, we got one of the last spots as a number of vans came looking afterwards. A lovely peaceful night and woke up to walkers, cyclists and boats. Very happy.

Monday, April 17th, we set off just before 10.00 hours after a leisurely breakfast and enjoying the views. We are suckers for pretty boats. We needed to be at the top of Denmark at Hirtshals by the end of the day but it was only 250 miles so we had time to stop at Aarhus in Denmark first. This town is renowned for its architecture and also an Infinity Bridge just outside. Unfortunately, the bridge had been dismantled for the winter but Aarhus did not disappoint with stunning buildings set around the harbour.

On the way out of Aarhus, we stopped at a Lidl to stock up on food before Norway, knowing how expensive it is there, before arriving at Kjulcamping which was a ten minute walk away from an amazing beach. We wanted a campsite so we could ensure we had an empty toilet, a full tank of water and a shower before travelling over to Norway as we weren’t sure how easy it would be to get water and empty the toilet when we hoped to be free camping a lot to begin with. We only had one site booked for the whole trip around Norway so we were going to plan each day as it came.

The ferry over to Kristiansand was at 11.45 hours and was a good voyage over. We stopped in the centre of Kristiansand for some sightseeing and shopping then made our way to our overnight stop. We looked at various stopovers but they didn’t really impress until we found the one at Langenesvein (P4N #258609) which was between a lake and the sea. Having parked up, we went on a short but fabulous hike to the sea and were rewarded with amazing views.

The next day, Wednesday April 19th, we visited the oldest and most southerly lighthouse in Norway at Lindenes. We had more glorious weather so the lighthouse stood out against the bright blue sky. Really interesting history and not very busy. There was paid overnight campervan parking which would have been a lovely spot if we hadn’t arranged to meet Liz’s cousin, Ingrid and her husband, Jan Olav, that evening in Baly, about 30 minutes away.

Back to Baly where there was a motorhome aire (P4N #262115) with electricity right by the marina and Under Restaurant. As the name suggests, it is an underwater restaurant with mouthwatering prices. We had a booking for 19.00 hours so had plenty of time to walk through the woods, have some lunch and meet Ingrid and Jan Olav in their hotel room for pre dinner drinks. The restaurant was very special with the food and the presentation. There were 18 courses and we shared 2 flights of wines. It did take forever and we rolled out of the place at 23.30 hours completely full.

The following day, after a very small breakfast (we were still very full!) with Ingrid and Jan Olav, we bade our farewells and made our way back along the south coast to Oslo. We had booked a couple of nights at a campsite just north of Oslo centre as we wanted to explore and not worry about the van. However, before going there, we went in search of Jo’s niece’s art installation in the Financial District. Trine had been commissioned to create a piece of art following the tragic events of the bomb attack and mass shootings in 2011. The Monkey’s Fist is a wonderful piece that sits outside the Accenture building.

Then onto Vigeland Park to see the amazing sculptures by Gustav Vigeland that date back to the 1940s. There are over 200 sculptures in granite, bronze and wrought iron. Lovely to just wander round in the afternoon sunshine. It wasn’t getting dark until 21.00 so we had plenty of time!

We had planned to spend a couple of nights at Bogstad Campsite (P4N #15398) so we would have a full day exploring Oslo. We had bought a 24 hour Oslopass which gave us unlimited travel and entrance to many of the museums so the next morning we caught the bus then underground into the centre of Oslo. First stop was the National Museum, which had only been open a couple of years, to see The Scream by Munch and other artists. We particularly liked Johan C Dahl. We then walked along the harbour front to the Astrup Fearnley Modern Art Museum to see exhibits from Damian Hearst and Geoff Loons. More culture followed when we then visited the Akershus Fortress and the Resistance Museum. Back to the harbour for prawn tacos and beers at Salt – the place to sit outdoors in Oslo on a Friday afternoon! From across the harbour, you could see the fabulous Opera House where you can literally walk on its roof. Amazing. Finally, we walked to the cathedral and Royal Palace before dinner at the Grand Cafe where Ibsen and Munch were often seen.

Saturday, April 22 was a glorious sunny day if a little cold – the lake at the campsite was still frozen! We were now on our way north and having left the campsite at 10.00 hours. First stop was the Glass Cathedral at Hamar. A really interesting construction in the middle of a small town. Then onto Lillehammer to visit the Olympic Ski Jump. We started to see snow on the side of the road. We had lunch in the van in the car park right by the jumps (P4N #52428) with a view across the valley. We also drove up to the Peer Gynt Road which is supposedly to be a lovely scenic drive but it was still covered in snow. The No Entry sign was a bit of a giveaway although a skier coming down the road was also a clue! The drive back from there provided spectacular views. Our park up for the night was a lay by near Otta by Lake Lalmsvatnet (P4N #353869). Lovely and quiet until a car full of lads came screaming by, stopped to go to the toilet and then went on their way. We were worried they would come back and hassle us but they didn’t.

The weather changed overnight and we woke up to a damp, dreary day. We made our way to Lom to an amazing Stave church. As it was a Sunday, all the shops and the church were closed which was a shame as the town was supposed to have a very good bakery. Oh well onto our lunch stop at Lake Langesetvatnet (P4N #142776). It was just off the main road but could have been in the middle of nowhere. Gorgeous spot to break the journey to Geirangerfjord.

We found that many towns in Norway provided facilities for campervans either free or for a nominal fee which then encouraged you to shop in that town and definitely discouraged littering. One such town was Stryn, where we drove to after lunch so we could refill our water tanks and empty the toilet cassette before parking up at Hellesylt in the evening. We had earmarked a spot near the ferry as we wanted to go along Geirangerfjord the following day to Geiranger itself. We had originally wanted to park up at Geiranger itself but the roads there were still impassable. We arrived at Hellesylt and the spot we had chosen was actually in the car park for a primary school. As it was in the school term we didn’t think it fair to park up there overnight. There was a campsite (P4N #26711) that overlooked the fjord but it was closed for the winter. However, on closer inspection, we saw a note attached to the office door saying that whilst there was no staff and limited facilities, the water and electricity were still connected and feel free to find a spot and then put some money in the honesty box! You can tell that Norway has a low crime rate, especially outside of the main cities. We parked up for the next two nights so we could catch the ferry the next morning to Geiranger as planned. We were blessed with a tall ship coming in during the evening to moor up right next to us.

The weather had definitely taken a turn for the worse as the clouds had rolled in and it rained most of the evening. Luckily, Dora is very snug and warm when the weather is inclement.

The next morning we caught the ferry along the fjord towards Geiranger. Unfortunately, the weather still wasn’t great with sleet and rain so the views were shrouded in mist and it was a bit early to see the Seven Sisters waterfalls in their true glory. We landed in Geiranger and had a few hours before the return ferry so we looked around the town (in the rain), had lunch at the Union Hotel and went for a walk up the hillside behind the hotel. As we climbed higher the rain turned to snow!

Back to the van for dinner on board as there really wasn’t much open in the off season. On Tuesday, April 25th we left Hellesylt after breakfast and made our way to the Briksdalsbreen Glacier and parked up at the small car park and caught the golf buggy up to the glacier. Luckily, a coach load of tourists were on their way back so there was only a handful of us at the glacier. It was magnificent but apparently had shrunk back quite a bit since Liz was there nearly 50 years ago. We then had a lovely walk back to the car park, had a cuppa and headed off to the skylift at Loen to get onto the snow covered mountain. They had even built an igloo with ice furniture inside.

Onto our stop for the night at the Jolster Panorama Campsite (P4N #27075) at Iskei. It didn’t disappoint with dramatic views across the fjord. It snowed overnight and into the morning but again, Dora was snug and warm. We even had electricity so didn’t need too use much LPG.

The next morning (Wednesday April 26th) looked so picturesque with a covering of snow and a definite drop in temperature but we needed to get on so we left around 10.00 hours and stopped at the nearby Glacier Museum at Fjærland which was really interesting and beautifully presented. Then onto Sogndale for some food shopping before driving onto the pretty village of Solvorn to see another Stave church, this time in white. Onto yet another Stave church at Kaupanger. There are only around 30 left in the whole country out of over a thousand that were built between the 12th and 14th centuries when Christianity was not fully established in Norway. The churches were usually heavily decorated with dragonheads and the like, clearly mixing pagan and Christian beliefs. The staves, or masts, held up the roof, hence the name.

We then caught the ferry to Lærdal and arrived at the campsite (P4N#13070) at 1700 hours. After a walk around the village we retired to Dora for the evening. The reason we were staying there was that the world’s longest road tunnel at 25km was just outside the village and runs from Lærdal to Aurland . It even has a roundabout in the middle. An amazing feat of engineering. We had a phone signal for all bar ten seconds. Extraordinary.

Once out of the tunnel we drove up to Stegastein viewpoint overlooking Aurlansfjord. Sadly, the toilets over the viewpoint were closed but the views were stunning as was the switchback road we had to drive up to get there! Back into Aurland to have coffee and a cinnamon bun before driving onto more waterfalls and toilets at Skjervet and on up the north side of Hardangerfjord towards our overnight stop at the waterfall at Steinsdalsfossen (P4N#34491). Lovely viewpoints on the way and we even picked up some wild garlic from a stall by the side of the road. En route we stopped at the lovely town of Øystese to pick up some local cider and look at the James Turrell Skyspace. Once we got to the waterfall, around 17.45 hours) we walked up to and behind it. It was a great backdrop for the night.

After a very peaceful evening we were on our way to Bergen via the Dale Factory outlet. Dale produce fabulous Norwegian jumpers but full price is a big steep for us so the outlet store was perfect. We arrived in Bergen on the Friday evening, April 29th around 14.00 hours in plenty of time for the celebrations to begin and celebrate Ruby’s confirmation the next day. We parked up just up the road from Jo’s nephew’s house where there was paid parking (P4N#53357). Luckily, he could pay for it online as the app didn’t like a non-Norwegian credit card or phone number!

We spent the next few days enjoying Bergen and spending time with family in their stunning house overlooking the city.

As we had to be back in the UK for early May, we said our goodbyes on Sunday April 30th in order to drive back towards Stavanger. We called in at the Haraldhaugen National Monument that celebrates the unification of Norway in 885 by Harald Hairfair. The monument is on the site of his burial mound.In nearby Haugesund, we came across a statue to Marilyn Monroe, whose father was supposed to have been a baker from the town. Apparently, DNA proved recently that she was actually the daughter of Charles Stanley Gifford and not Martin Mortensen.

Onto Karney Island where the old copper mine provided the material for the Statue of Liberty and a smaller replica stands proudly nearby.

Onto Stavanger to meet up with Liz’s cousin, Ingrid, only to be surprised by her other cousin, Kristin who had flown down from Trondheim. We hadn’t made it that far north due to the weather (and time to be honest) so it was lovely to see everyone. We spent the evening catching up then slept in the van on their drive! We woke up early the next day and had breakfast together before travelling to the Three Swords monument just outside Stavanger. Legend has it that if one of the swords ever gets dislodged then Norway will disintegrate as a country. As you can see, the weather was not great at all!

We couldn’t believe that it was already May 1st and that we needed to make our way to Kristiansand to catch the ferry back to Denmark and head home. We left the family at 11.30 hours and drove down the coastal road (Rv44) and called into Egersund, where there was a traditional May Day convention of hundreds of motorbikes, Sogndalstrand, Ana-Sira and Flekkefjord where Liz’s great aunt once lived. Arrived in Kristiansand around 19.10 hours and stayed in a parking spot just outside the town by a lovely cove on Karanteneveien (P4N#24676).

The ferry was at 08.30 hours on Tuesday, May 2nd so we were up at 06.30 to get round to the ferry back to Hirtshals, Denmark in plenty of time. Uneventful crossing and we then drove onto Aalborg to have a late breakfast near the marina. It was gloriously sunny with blue skies. We then drove to Luhe, south west of Hamburg, Germany and arrived around 19.10 hours. It was a pretty cramped car park (P4N#210865) but there was street food nearby so couldn’t complain. Liz had managed to twist her ankle at a service stop on the motorway earlier in the day so we didn’t venture very far at all that evening!

The next day, Wednesday, we crossed into the Netherlands and drove to Utrecht as we were meeting our Harpenden neighbours, Stuart and Wendy, with their campervan, Hetty. They were on their way to Scandinavia and it was lovely that we could meet up en route. We parked in the centre of town around 15.00 hours in a car park that you could pre book and that had a barrier so it felt very safe. Utrecht is like a mini Amsterdam with bicycles (a lot), canals and cobbled streets. Lovely place. Wendy and Stuart weren’t due for a few hours so we wandered around the market sampling the cheese and having a late lunch courtesy of the street food stalls. We managed to find a lovely gay bar for a swift beer (or two) before heading back to the van to meet Hetty’s owners. After a pre dinner drink we all wandered into town to find a spot for dinner. We sat outside for a drink before eating tapas at Vantage before retiring back to the vans for some cheese and biscuits.

On Thursday, May 4th, we all needed to continue our journeys and we had a ferry to catch at 14.15 hours back across the North Sea to Harwich so we left Utrecht around 10.00 hours. We made good time so we stopped for lunch at Maarssluis (P4N#21489), about 20 minutes from the ferry port. A delightful spot with designated moho spots to park as well.

Onto the ferry and another uneventful crossing before driving back home.

A wonderful trip that only made us yearn for more. We will definitely have to come back to Norway and the rest of Scandinavia in the summer when we can get to the far north. Can’t wait!

Total miles driven: 2,898

Number of days away: 21