Travelling Fletchers

We now enter a very different culture. Oslo. Having cancelled our overnight stay we pushed on to get the train to Stavanger and came across a minor problem.

The train wasn’t running from Oslo to the west coast at all – engineering works had taken over our plans. Instead of the scenic glide we’d expected, we were welcomed onto a coach for the first leg.

Our app indicated that we had a three-minute walk with six minutes before the bus departed… we made it. In Norway, when getting an interconnecting train with a bus replacement service, there is a requirement for the train to wait. We finally felt the rhythm of the rails again.

By the time we swapped onto the train again, the landscape had shifted – mountains softened into green valleys and wide lakes. The journey still ran to time.

The journey to Stavanger was a journey of two halves – the first half I was going backwards and the second forwards. The train pulled in to Kierstensands and had to double up on part of the track! It made for a change and was fun travelling that way. Somewhere along the way, we met another interrailer from Germany who was travelling solo. She’s a student, and it was nice to swap stories and hear about her adventures.

Coming to Norway is a first for us – and so is actually getting the car we hired. Usually we end up with “something similar”, but this time we drove away in the exact model booked.

It’s a Toyota RAV4 – the boys assure me it’s a nice one. I’m not a car person, but I can confirm it’s smooth, comfortable, and has a boot big enough for four backpacks plus a few days’ worth of shopping. We could have easily squeezed in a fifth person with luggage to spare.

The drive to Forsand was like no other. About half the journey was underground – Norway really does love a tunnel. Some stretched on so long you almost forgot what daylight looked like. And when we finally emerged, it was still light – even at 21:30 on a rainy day, the grey waters mirroring the dramatic grey sky.

Just our luck, the main road was closed, and our hosts helpfully guided us onto the coastal road instead. It wound along the water’s edge, a narrow, twisting single track now shrouded in semi-darkness. With David focused intently on the road, I could let my eyes wander across the fjords to the tiny lights twinkling from houses on the opposite shore – like a fairy town in some hidden, magical wonderland. Definitely a place to see again in daylight.

The place we’re staying could best be described as a hiker’s cabin. Built to sleep eight, it gives us plenty of room to spread out – and comes complete with a composting toilet. It’s simple, cosy, and feels like the perfect base for exploring this part of Norway. We’re near Forsand, Norway – and for those tempted to Google it, make sure you add “Norway” or you’ll get a plethora of IKEA links for a wardrobe. The same goes for Stavanger – without “Norway” you’ll find yourself scrolling through an abundance of IKEA mattresses instead.

Our first glimpse of our surroundings in the morning was through one large frame and a single glazed panel, perfectly capturing a huge rock and a still lake. The weather was cloudy, the low clouds curling around the rock and shifting the view as we watched. It was like having a real Harry Potter picture on the wall – alive and changing before our eyes

For now,  we are simply happy to sit and watch the ever-changing views.