The Grand Finale
Two weeks in Bergen — friends, fjords, frozen ocean swims, and the kind of place that makes you rethink everything
Bergen was always part of the plan. Saved for last — the grand finale of a sabbatical that took us through Sardinia, Croatia, and Northern Italy — and it delivered in every single way. We're already talking about when we come back.
We landed to find Kari standing outside baggage claim waving a Norwegian flag. That pretty much set the tone for everything that followed.
Kari and Cody and their kids Ben and Anna have made their home about 30 minutes outside of Bergen in a place called Bougetveit Veit (Kari’s maiden name), and from the moment we pulled up, we fell completely in love with it. The kids — ours and theirs — immediately disappeared into a tornado of toys and laughter, and the grown-ups exhaled in the way you only can when you're with people who truly feel like family.
"A true Norwegian hike is when you don't really know where you're going or when it will end." — Kari, probably our favorite travel guide ever
Into the Wild (Sort Of)
Norway is not warm. After five-plus months of Mediterranean sunshine, we layered up fast and leaned in. And honestly? The landscapes here made every gray sky worth it. We hiked to picnic tables without a real plan, ate lunch in hammocks overlooking the most incredible views, and took a funicular up to Floyen — Bergen's most epic park — where goats roamed freely between café tables and absolutely massive obstacle courses. The kids lost their minds in the best possible way.
The cabin near Vøringsfossen was the trip within the trip. Two hours from Bergen, surrounded by waterfalls pouring down the mountains like something out of New Zealand, we settled into Kari's cousin's place and completely let go. One full day was spent at Mikkelparken — a kids' amusement park that is somehow not overstimulating, just genuinely fun — with electric cars, water cannons on boats, toboggans down a dry hill, and marble runs that kept everyone busy for hours. The kids were absolutely wrecked by dinner. We had carbonara, put them to bed early, and called it a perfect day.
The Swim That Almost Killed Us (Lovingly)
Norwegian Independence Day. A swim in the fjords and the North Atlantic. These two things belong in the same breath because they were both unforgettable for very different reasons.
Independence Day in Bergen was pure joy — scooters, bikes, parks, community, and a festive energy that felt genuinely celebratory rather than performative. But the swim. The swim was 10 degrees Celsius. That is not a metaphor. I dunked my head and genuinely thought my brain was going to freeze. You go in, you can't feel anything, you emerge victorious, and you eat something warm immediately. Highly recommend. Would absolutely do it again.
"Everything here is so chill, so safe, not crowded. The kids rule the world here."
The Food That Stole Our Hearts
Reindeer brats at the famous hot dog stand. Crabs picked up fresh from the water for a true Norwegian dinner. Bakery Bolles at every possible turn — and there were many turns. A dinner at Ikea after the aquarium that was, I'm not joking, actually delicious. And ice cream. Every. Single. Day. We are not sorry.
But the meal I keep coming back to was a vegan community dinner at a local garden — a gathering of moms, a long table, and a menu made almost entirely from foraged ingredients. Nettle soup. Wild green salad. Wild mushrooms on top of blueberry hummus. Local potatoes. Aquafaba meringue with edible flowers. Every single thing had been gathered from the land around us, and it was some of the most inspiring food I've ever eaten. Foraging isn't a hobby here — it's just part of life.
Really though, Chef Kari kept us well fed with home cooked loving meals every single day. We were spoiled rotten.
What Norway Taught Me
There's a concept here called "third places" — spaces that aren't home (first place) or work (second place), but community spaces open to everyone. Free indoor areas filled with hobbies, gathering spots, libraries with rooms where elder groups sing together. We visited one building that had a library on one floor and a dozen different hobby rooms on the others. No one was selling anything. Everyone was just... together.
It sounds simple. It kind of stopped me in my tracks.
The kids here bike and scooter independently and with total confidence. There is a chill and a safety to daily life that I felt in my bones — a pace that isn't rushed, a community that isn't performing.
"Watching Kari so completely at home here — thriving, rooted, joyful — was one of the greatest gifts of this whole trip."
Until Next Time, Bergen
Our last days were exactly what they should have been — walks, laundry basket baths for the boys, soaking up every last moment with people we love in a place we never want to leave. The kids are still talking about Ben and Anna. We're still talking about the fjords, the food, the flag at the airport, and Chef Kari's lamb curry that appeared like magic on our last night.
Bergen, you were always the plan. You were also so much more than we expected. We'll be back — layers packed, ice cream budget allocated, ready to swim in something absolutely freezing — and we cannot wait.