Norway: From land of plunderers to global peace makers
The author goes on a first trip to the Northern Scandinavian region.
My first trip to the northern Scandinavian region of Europe gave me several pleasant surprises, and my family knew that a Nordic adventure just had to include a visit to Norway, a lifelong dream destination for us.
Today it is a wealthy nation renowned for its high living standards, very well developed infrastructure, and an international reputation as a political peace broker amongst nations of conflict, being a hub of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremonies. Several centuries ago, however, this was a land home to the Vikings, historic warrior settlers whose very name invoked fear, plunder, chaos, pillaging and death. For a long time this aspect of Viking culture was all that I thought of them.
My recent journey to this land did much to open my eyes and heart to the more noble and positive influences which this legendary people had on the development of modern Western civilization (aside from their pop cultural incarnations through the Marvel Comics superhero Thor and more recently the new hit show Vikings on the History Channel).
Seeing how Norway is ruggedly beautiful with an unpredictable weather pattern, I could see how the early Vikings were molded into rigid individuals with the capacity to adapt to harsh environments.
Our family’s brush with this nation’s ancient heritage and lush natural beauty was all the more memorable because of the warmth and hospitality of Philippine Ambassador to Norway Bayani Mercado, a career diplomat and longtime family friend who has also been assigned in past years at the Philippine Consulate General and Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York, and Consulate General in Guam.
We arrived at Oslo, the expensive yet extremely relaxed and delightful capital of Norway. Our first couple of days in the city consisted of touring the green summer hills, quaint neighborhoods, the ultra-modern opera house, and the Royal Palace, home to the King of Norway Harald V. We experienced none of the jam-packed traffic for which bigger cities like London and New York are notorious, yet there was a noticeable lack of ornate grand architecture in Oslo compared to other European cities such as St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Berlin, Copenhagen, and even Helsinki. Then our hostess, Nida Mercado, wife of the ambassador, informed us that what Norway lacks in elegant man-made design, it more than makes up for in its natural and geological beauty. This inspired us to embark on a voyage through the country’s trademark attraction, the fjords.
From Oslo, my parents and I went on a three-hour train journey heading towards the western coastal region of Norway to the town of Flam. The scenery which greeted us throughout this trip was nothing short of breathtaking and spectacular. Scenes of picturesque green mountains, hills, waterfalls, valley streams and meadows as if they were taken right out of an artist’s canvass were practically everywhere we looked on both sides of our train. Even more beguiling were small wooden cottages built along rugged terrain, testament to the ingenuity of the early Vikings in adapting to their harsh environmental surroundings.
After arriving in Flam, we boarded a river ferry to begin our exploration of the magnificent Sognefjord, Norway’s reputed “King of the Fjords,” and home to fjords which are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Now a ferry trip through the Sognefjord from Flam to the picturesque coastal city of Bergen is not only a highlight of a trip to Norway alone, but throughout the entire Scandinavian region itself. If God had imprinted samples of Heaven on earth, then the Sognefjord is no doubt one of them!
I simply found the fjord scenery to be unlike anywhere else on earth, and awe-inspiring doesn’t even begin to describe what I saw. Spotting seals and whales along the river waters amidst the Sognefjord is not unheard of. Even the man-made structures add to the overall charm of the environment, including small salmon fishing farms, source of the very delectable Norwegian Salmon cuisine which is by far my favorite Scandinavian delicacy. The clear waters of Norway undeniably contribute to the fresh taste of this fish.
The cottages which serve as homes and resorts flanking the fjords and mountains covered with snow during the summer season (when daylight practically runs for 24 hours due to Norway’s proximity to earth’s north pole) gave me yet another good picture of the Viking lifestyle of the 8th and 9th century AD.
Our trip to Norway alone has made 2013 an enriching travel year for my parents and I, all the more so knowing that this country has particularly been a lifelong dream destination of my father. And now that dream has become a reality.
Former Consul General to New York Willy Gaa and wife Linda tour the Sognefjord on a ferry boat. Photos by Wendell Gaa
The Gaas visit the Philippine Embassy in Oslo. With them in photo, Philippine Ambassador to Norway Bayani Mercado and wife Nida.
