Why Norway?

Why have I chosen to focus on Norway for this blog? It’s simple - I firmly believe that Norway is the most beautiful country on planet Earth. From majestic fjords carved from thousands of years of advancing and retreating glaciers, to small, charming, colorful towns, to the eerie glow of the Aurora Borealis during the long arctic winters - Norway is a land of enchantment and wonder.

It is a land where hundreds of reindeer roam the arctic plateaus freely. A land where Europe’s largest land mammal, the mighty moose, reigns supreme in the boreal forests, where pods of orcas swim playfully in the fjords, or where the small, but enchanting, puffin clings to cliffs so steep, seemingly defying the laws of physics.

It’s a country steeped in thousands of years of tradition. Wooden churches standing as they were when built, nearly a thousand years ago, when St. Olav converted Norway to Catholicism.

A land where the sun never sets for nearly 3 months during summer. Where impossibly jagged mountain peaks rise up out of the sea like something out of a Tolkien novel.

Picturesque cities, such as Ålesund, on Norway’s western coast, cling to the narrow strips of land that define much of Norway’s coastline.

This same rugged coastline harbors countless incredible lighthouses, guiding centuries of Norwegian sailors safely home during the treacherous, unrelenting storms of the Norwegian Sea.

The harsh climate harbors some of the freshest ingredients in the World. Salmon caught right out of roaring rivers, cooked over an open fire, strawberries ripened by the cool weather and intense sunlight of the midnight sun, to the Minke whale - Norway’s cuisine is wild and wonderful.

But, perhaps most importantly, the country of Norway is a land of incredible people. Always smiling, despite the harsh, dark winters, Norwegians consistently rank as the World’s happiest people. My purpose in writing this blog is to share their secret with you, the reader, so that you, too, can experience the beauty that is Norway.