Roadtrippin with our twins thru Northern Norway
“Did you not find anything closer?”, “Are you sure a campervan is suitable for your 8month old twins?” are just a few of the many questions we were confronted with when announcing we are taking them on a campervan trip up North for 15 days. But things can and do go wrong even when you travel without kids. So we booked the air tickets, packed our bags and went on our first real road trip to Northern Norway.
We only had an approximate route planned out as we knew our tempo would be different now that we had two big bosses narrating our daily routines. Nevertheless we managed to see quite a huge part of Northern Norway.
We landed in Trondheim where we were awaited by our campervan, our home for the next 15 days. A quick doubt crossed my mind, thinking that this maybe really wasn’t a good idea. But it didn’t last long and the next day we already felt totally at home!
Our route took us mainly through non-touristy destinations. We hate crowds and hate standing in line to see the wonders of nature.
The city of Møsjoen is definitely such a place, where time seemed to stop in the 15th century. But it is a city with such a character and great energy that we prolonged our stay here for one night.
This is where we also packed up the munchkins and took them for their first hike in Norway. Helgelandstrappa or the path of 1000 steps. No biggy I say to myself, that’s only 10x as many steps as there are to my parents flat in Ljubljana, it can’t be all that bad. Well that “only 10x as many” seemed 1000x as many and we breathed deeper with each step ha ha. The munchkins however seemed to be thouroughly enjoying themselves and with a big smile greeting everyone who passed our way. But we made it! And at the top the little ones got lunch and we got a bottle of cold water and breathtaking views. It was worth it. And my bottom was grateful for it! So that the next day I tried their traditional pancake with no bad feelings ha ha. And btw – try this pancake. It’s filled with porridge, cinnamon and raisins. Even if you don’t like raisins it’s something worth trying!
From here we continued our way towards the island of Lovund, the home to 250.000 puffins and only 520 inhabitants. Such type of crowds we like! The puffins come here every year to mate and we just caught the right time of year. We stayed and watched in awe as these amazing birds were flying in and out of their nests in the highest parts of the mountain. Unfortunately we don’t have a better or closer photo of these amazing birds, yes, that is utterly my fault as I was all smart at home that we REALLY don’t need such a huge lense with us. Next time I shall not interfere with the lense decisions. Lesson learned!
Two years ago we visited and hiked through the Lofoten Islands so this time we headed straight towards an island the locals like to call “Small Norway” – Senja. This island holds all the characteristics of the Norwegian landscape and is an amazing and still quite pure and non touristy place. Especially the Southern part of it, where you rarely bump into tourists, but not so rarely into reindeer and never-ending herds of sheep. We were unanimous in naming this place the “Norwegian Maldives” as it hides such crystal clear waters that all you want to do is run in as fast as possible and enjoy a dip in it. But reality hits quickly and you realize the water doesn’t have more than maybe 10 degrees, so you watch it from a safe distant in your warm sweater. This was maybe the only place we really didn’t want to leave, as it is filled with such serenity, peace and pristine nature. Norwegian Maldives, we will see you again soon!
On our way towards Bodo from where we flew home we stopped in the worlds northernmost Polar Park that is home to rein deer, moose, bears, lynx, wolverine and many more. I met AND petted a moose here (even though he got told off by his mamma later on as she isn’t such a people enthusiast as her son ha ha), saw a muskox having a very bad day as he just got dewormed that morning and saw wolves chilling in their natural habitat. An amazing experience that we warmly recommend to everyone. Especially if you have small children. Or if you still are as childish as I am ha ha.
With a lump in our throats we sat into our campervan and started making our way towards our final destination – Bodo. Our munchkins loved this road trip adventure, they were out in nature all the time, spending quality time with us, being fascinated by everything they saw and being on their best behavior. They are never as good at home. So for all of you asking – no, we couldn’t have found a closer or better destination as this one was amazing! And yes, a campervan is definitely something you CAN do with twins. A bit of improvisation and patience solves everything that stumbles across your path. Munchkins adapt to everything as long as we’re together. So for all of you that have doubts about travelling with babies, our advice is – just go!
When planning a trip to Norway there is one more thing that shouldn’t be left out – it is Scandinavia’s most expensive country and this isn’t just a myth. Two pizzas can add up to 40 EUR, two pastas and two gin tonics 80 EUR. Shops are on average 50% more expensive than in Slovenia. You have to “learn” how to shop, as they always have some discounts and once you master this you can come out of the shop with quite a lot of groceries for a decent amount of money.
To sum it up – thank you Norway for helping brake the ice and welcoming our munchkins into our travelling lifestyle. We will surely be back but until then we are already planning our next adventure.
P.S. A small piece of advice – get lost! Always follow the less walked on paths, streets, talk to the locals! They are generally a bit more introverted but are more than happy to give you some advice and chat with you for a few minutes. This way we found the best places, hikes, restaurants etc.
Oh and yes – always look at the price menu. If you don’t, be prepared to pay 32 EUR for two coffees and two glasses of wine!
