Favourite Places

I first just want to say that I really love America. It is so awesome to live in such a free country and we are so blessed to liver here. That being said... I think I must be European inside. I loved it so much when I got to visit there, and I get way too excited about news of the royal family so...
I got to go to Norway with my dad after I graduated high school and it was the best thing ever! I felt this immediate connection and I felt at home even though I didn't speak the language or know anything about where I was. I have never seen anything more beautiful, even in pictures. I had always heard how green Ireland is, and I haven't been to Ireland, but I can't possibly imagine anything being more green than Hjelmeland. On top of that we were right on the ocean and I love water. The temperature was perfect. The lifestyle was perfect. Every morning people get up and go to the market and buy freshly baked bread. I could live off that fresh bread. We had that fresh bread and delicious, creamy cheese every morning for breakfast. Even though I don't drink coffee, the house smelled like it in the mornings for the aunts that came to eat with us. I love the smell of coffee. And we always had the windows open. The air was so clear and crisp in the mornings, there is nothing better than that cool air mixed with the smell of the strong coffee and the taste of the creamy cheese on your tongue. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of extended family while I was there which was awesome. Most of them didn't speak English but they were so friendly and loud and I loved it! My great-grandma, or Oldemor in Norwegian, was still alive when we went, she died just a few months after our trip, and it was such an amazing experience to get to see her! She hadn't seen me since I was a little girl but she knew exactly who I was. She was an amazing woman. She lived on a little farm called Espeland, after her husband's family, and had 11 children! All 11 children are still alive today which I think is amazing. My great-grandpa, her husband, did a lot of work for the Lutheran Church so he was gone at the village a lot and when he was home he was mostly out working on the farm. Without any electricity or running water for a long time, my great-grandma made all the kids' clothes, all her own clothes, cooked all the meals, was the nurse for sick kids, and taught everything she knew to all the girls. When the Nazis came to Norway, they required a portion of all the crops and animals that farmers had. My grandma was very young when this was going on, but she still remembers them coming to the house with their tall, shiny black boots and how calmly her mother served them and got them what they needed. Even with 11 children, a husband that wasn't there much, not a lot of money, she always was calm and loving and on top of everything that had to get done at the farm. It was so great to meet her and see all the pictures she had of all the family. I really hope I will get to go back there. I really can't think of anything better than visiting one of my favourite places with Greg since we already visited my other favourite place, Canada!
Get ready for picture over load.

The view from the ferry on the way to Hjelmeland

My Bestefar (grandpa) and I on the ferry

The view from the road outside the house we stayed in

In Stavanger

A church built in Stavanger in like 1100 AD

The inside of the church was awesome

They had some really cool, exotic looking flowers outside the house

My dad and I with his cousin Anne outside the family farm at Espeland

Hiking with Norwegian pop in my hand that I still crave

See what I mean about green? This is at the farm

This is the view starting our hike

My Bestefar and I fishing, I got bored pretty fast

We took a day trip on a ferry on a tour through Lisefjorden

It got quite cold the further into the fjord we went

This is called Preikestolen, or Preacher's Rock, it doesn't look that big from down here, but trust me, it's huge

My dad and I at the end of Lisefjorden

We took a day and hiked up to Preikestolen. This is me with my uncle, Olaf. He was about 73 at the time and was in better shape than I was!

It was pretty awesome/scary looking down from Preikestolen

That is a ferry wayyy down there.

I was so worried my dad was going to fall off the edge!

That is Preikestolen, much bigger from the top!

Lisefjorden

My dad and I with his Tante (Aunte) Tordise

This is the little village church that my grandparents were married in before they were members of the LDS Church. There was a graveyard on the side of the Church where a ton of my ancestors are buried.

There was this random huge chair down by a cafe in Hjelmeland

We got to eat fresh shrimp with a bunch of the family. Not going to lie, I have a hard time going back to shrimp here after eating that. Man it was good!

Seriously loved the flowers there.

One last look at Hjelmeland before heading home.

I was missing Norway pretty badly and wanted to get my pictures all in one place so you're welcome!