Travel writer Rosemary Burningham expressed her adoration of Norway, having travelling extensively across the country for its secluded villages and music festivals
‘Do you live in Norway?’ I am asked. ‘No’ I reply. ‘Do you have Norwegian family?’ ‘No’ I reply once again reply. ‘Are you visiting friends?’ ‘Yes’ I finally say, because technically I am, even if they are also travelling from outside of Norway. Such is my first exchange every time I enter Norway, because this conversation always occurs in Norwegian – a language I have never needed but nevertheless chose to learn.
Whilst many were taking up new hobbies during the 2020 lockdown, I decided mine would be Norwegian. It was something I had planned to do for a while, since Norway piqued my curiosity as a solitary language lover interested in scenic railway routes and cooler climates. Of course, it would be a while before I could travel to Norway.
So, when I won a free interrail pass in 2022, I knew I had to visit Norway on my journey. This resulted in a plan beginning in Norway, and travelling back to the U.K. by rail, visiting several countries on the way – along with two friends. Our journey would begin in Bergen.
By pure coincidence, we arrived in Bergen at the beginning of Bergenfest music festival. However, we opted to go up Mount Fløyen with the Fløibanen funicular railway to see scenic views of the city from up above. On another day we took a cruise to the nearby picturesque fjords and embarked on our first Norwegian hike.
We soon continued onto Oslo via the breathtaking Bergen-Oslo railway line – to coincidentally arrive on the day of one of Norway’s biggest music events: VG Lista. This is a free concert with Norway’s biggest artists which attracts a huge crowd of several thousands. We attended, of course, and the night closed with a spectacular show by Alan Walker.
“We soon continued onto Oslo via the breathtaking Bergen-Oslo railway line – to coincidentally arrive on the day of one of Norway’s biggest music events: VG Lista.
The next days would be spent exploring the Oslo Fjords, and Bygdøy: home to various museums, such as the open-air Norsk Folkemuseum. The in-between moments consisted of wandering around aimlessly, enjoying what we discovered.
Oslo was the kind of city where you could come across virtually empty city centre streets in the sunset. It had a certain air of solitude and yet was still comforting. Thus, our time in Norway had ended, and we continued on to Sweden.
I have returned to Norway another 5 times since then – all of which were visits related to live music. After all, around the time of my first trip to Norway in 2022 I had found a group of friends to travel with through a common interest in Norwegian music, although none of us came from Norway.
Two of these occasions were trips to the city of Trondheim to see Norway’s Eurovision selection, Melodi Grand Prix (MGP) live. On the second of these occasions, in 2024, we had the unique experience of a private tour around the arena, discovering what goes on behind the scenes of the live broadcast.
On another occasion we stayed in Rena, in which we had a conversation with a Norwegian who kept exclaiming ‘RENA?’, flabbergasted that out of all places, we would stay in Rena – a seemingly random Norwegian village. Ironically, that was one of my favourite stays in Norway.
It was never my aim to travel for music events. In fact, most may assume walking amongst eye-catching landscapes in solitude is more my style. Indeed, they would assume correctly – I have never been one for large crowds. Moreover, I take a great interest in the commonalities of life, and walking around and seeing what I find, rather than rushing around attempting to visit all the hotspots. Yet, these travels have eased me out of my shell and taught me to take more risks and to not be afraid to get involved in events, in the meanwhile teaching me the importance of connecting with others. It is unlikely that these experiences would have been possible without these friends, after all. My experiences travelling are intangibly intertwined with the company I had beside me.
“These travels have eased me out of my shell and taught me to take more risks and to not be afraid to get involved in events, in the meanwhile teaching me the importance of connecting with others.
Ultimately, the Norwegian language has brought me confidence in language learning, and Norway has brought me experiences I never would have thought possible. Perhaps my time in Norway will always start and end with that ‘Do you live in Norway?’, and that hint of stability can be comforting, like a welcome letting me know that I have officially arrived in Norway.
Regardless, it has truly been an adventure, and there is much more to come.
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