I spent four months in Norway over the summer of 2017, and after that freezing cold, almost exclusively grey Norwegian summer, I had absolutely no desire whatsoever to return. Apologies to the entire nation. I’m a sunshine loving kind of a gal, so having only witnessed the sun twice during the whole time I was there, I was positive that this was not the place for me. Then I got offered a month-long contract during Autumn in Norway.
Well. What was I supposed to do? It would have been downright ungrateful of me to say no, after waiting an entire pandemic-fuelled 18 months to return to work. Norway, here we come.
And you know what, pals? I bloomin’ well loved it. From the end of September until the end of October we watched the seasons change from the warm scarlets and oranges of Autumn to the first icing sugar dusting of snow on the mountain tops, and it was altogether marvellous. Norway in Autumn is truly a sight to behold.
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Bergen
Bergen definitely lived up to its title of the rainiest city in Europe; but then Bergen lives up to the title whether its winter, summer, spring or autumn in Norway. It’s just the way this city rolls. Put bluntly, thank God I packed my umbrella.
After a failed hike to the top of Mount Fløyen- due to the rain, which blew my well-thought-out brolly inside-out three times before I admitted defeat- I stopped to admire the half golden glow and half pitch black storm clouds across the sky.
Autumn light is dramatic, just the way I like it.
I made my way back down the mountainside and meandered through narrow streets lined with white clapboard cottages, colourful Autumnal flower boxes and ferns pushing through cobbled walls. With zero people around, and only the patter of rain on pavements and pouring from drainpipes, it was actually rather peaceful.
And if you’ve read my blogs before, you’ll know that I am a skilled professional at sourcing the best coffee shops to shelter from the rain. During Autumn in Norway, this coffee shop hunting hobby isn’t just a pastime but an actual necessity.
My current favourite coffee shop in Bergen is Vågal. This place doesn’t just serve great coffee, but also a whole load of delicious home-baked treats, and all the alcoholic beverages you could wish for. On a rainy day the warm glow emanating from its steamed-up windows attracts all the punters like very cold moths to a flame, and the cozy atmosphere inside is perfect.
Ålesund
Ålesund is an art nouveau Norwegian town which I’m ashamed to say I never once saw during the first four months I was here. Finally, during this Autumnal Norwegian contract, I made it off the ship; and I’m so glad I did.
Dramatic autumn light stuck with us wherever we went, and Ålesund was no exception. Across the other side of the fjord, the mountains were completely monochrome. Dark shapes rising and falling underneath heavy dark clouds, broken up with sweeping white blankets of snow. They looked a little bit Mordor-ish to me, but I love the drama, you know!?
In comparison to all that black and white, Ålesund is smattered with pops of colour- yellow, turquoise and pink buildings amongst more monochrome. And the best place to see all this is from the Aksla viewpoint. After a very blustery four-hundred-and-something step climb to the very top, past mossy rocks, lilac heather and all the colourful leaves, the view is nothing short of spectacular.
Was I worried I might blow off the side at some points? Why yes, yes I was. But never mind. I lived to tell the tale.
Autumn in Norway is also when the Northern Lights start coming out to play, and as Ålesund was the furthest north that our ship went, this was the best place for us to witness them. In very late Autumn it’s normal for the lights to appear here very early in the morning- around 2am- as long as the skies are clear. In October the aurora was just about visible as a wash of green in the sky, but if you want a more striking view of the Northern Lights during Autumn in Norway, your best bet is probably to go further North, to Trondheim, Tromsø or all the way to Nordkapp.
And wherever you’re watching the Northern Lights, a word of warning- they always show up far better on camera than to the naked eye. Just so you’re mentally prepared for that.
Stavanger
A pretty little city, Stavanger is filled with colourful shops and houses, and the benefit of visiting during Autumn was that there was barely anybody else there!
The tourist season is coming to a close here by the time autumn comes around, and this meant that the streets were quiet and relaxed compared to the summer craziness that I’ve experienced in the past. On a sunny day the temperature is still fairly mild, and I loved exploring while it wasn’t too chilly or busy.
In the harbour I spotted a lions mane jellyfish slowly billowing along; these cold water creatures can grow to be absolutely gargantuan although the one I spotted was only roughly the size of my face. Plus tentacles, obviously. Meanwhile a seagull landed next to me and began hurling a starfish onto the pavement in absolute desperation. It’s all go in Stavanger, wildlife-wise.
Hanekam has great coffee and cake and an interior filled with a thousand things to look at. (My favourite is the drum kit which has been upcycled into sinks in the bathroom.)
Geiranger
Geiranger is the crowning glory of Norway in Autumn. (Maybe Norway, full stop, but I’m on an autumnal roll here.)
When I opened my curtains first thing in the morning to reveal that we were skimming past a mountain landscape of greens and teals and golds and yellows, I was speechless. This place is exquisite at any time of year, but autumn is something special.
Over the coming weeks I went off on hikes up, down, and all around these mountains, and every time I was astounded. Each week we returned, something else had changed. Apples fell all over the place, chomped up or trampled on by hungry goats. Treetops changed from green to fiery ochres, red berries became visible when the leaves dropped, and just before we left, snow covered the tops of the mountains, spreading down like icing dripping down a cake.
Somehow, Norway in Autumn is way more colourful than I’d witnessed it throughout an entire summer.
We were visiting right at the end of the season, but unlike Bergen and Stavanger where everything was still open, in Geiranger almost every shop and cafe and restaurant was shutting up shop for the winter. The village was almost like a ghost town, with one main street on which every single building had its shutters up.
The only option for it if we were peckish was the local supermarket- which does a great flourescent yellow donut- or the Norwegian Fjord Museum. On our last visit to Geiranger we discovered a fire very thoughtfully lit outside the museum’s entrance, complete with a circle of chairs for warming your cockles. What a brilliant discovery that was. Both for the glorious smell and the warmth.
So, Norway in Autumn was basically an absolute dream. It was cold but not too cold, the crowds had thinned out, and the colours were nothing short of spectacular. I’ll be completely honest, four weeks was definitely enough- I’m on to the Caribbean now, in search of a warmer stage to sing on– but for one month I was downright delighted to have witnessed the magic of the seasons changing in Norway.
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