The Charm of Gamla Stan

There’s good enough reason why all roads in Stockholm lead to Gamla Stan or the Old Town. It has a really old town charm that promenading through its narrow cobblestoned streets gives you a feeling of being part of its glorious past.  

Gamla Stan dates back to medieval times as early as the 13^th century. It was then Sweden’s center of government and commercial trade with its neighbors around the Baltic Sea. The baroque-style Royal Palace, the Royal Chapel (Stockholm Cathedral) and The Parliament buildings are built around it. 

The town houses one sees along the Old Town today were built during the 17^th and 18^th century.  They look old and faded yet their rustic exteriors are what draw one’s attention to this piece of history.   

I was especially captivated by the medieval-looking building doors and the meter-wide alleyways separating the residential structures from one another.  Passing through them is like crawling through secret passages where the clicking of one’s footstep is the only sound one hears.  The energy from the main road cannot be missed as it is lined with a mishmash of the old and new, souvenir shops, specialty boutiques, restaurants, ice cream and coffee stops.  Throngs of tourists were coming from all directions; this medieval part of town was as alive as it must have been in the glory days of the horse-drawn carts. 

We just had to check out one of Old Town’s traditional café’s as the noontime stroll along this labyrinth of mustard town houses and narrow passageways left us yearning for some foot rest and thirst-quenching break.  The hubby recommended I try his favorite coffee tandem – a slice of melt-in-your-mouth Budapest cake, made of layers upon layers of cream filling flecked with ground walnuts and dried fruits. It was so rich and invigorating; this number was certainly no piece of cake for the tummy!

We returned to Gamla Stan a day before leaving the city to pick up some travel souvenirs and of course take more photographs of this charming place.  I was hoping it would be less crowded on our second visit but it seemed that the  irresistible Stockholm summer  was drawing more and more visitors to what was once a slum area in the middle of the 19^th century but has now become today’s most sought address. 

Helgehornet Calls

Summer has always been my favorite time of the year.  I love the sunshine and all the colors that come with it.  The flowers are in full bloom, trees are standing tall, and pasture is alive with activity.  The best part of the season is the fine weather that allows for outdoor activities like mountain climbing. 

To end the spring semester, my Norwegian language class decided to trek to Helgehornet, a 623-meter high mountain located between Ørstafjorden and Voldafjorden.  The class assembled at the school grounds to make sure everyone was accounted for before driving down to the “skytebane”, Norwegian word for “shooting range”, at the foot of Helgehornet.  Helgehornet is totally covered in snow during the winter and the more daring of souls ski their way up.  In the summer, it is an easy climb, even for non-climbers like many of my classmates were!  The terrain gradually goes up, and the way is paved with tiny, pretty mountain flowers too hard to resist taking pictures of.  I must confess I enjoyed this summer climb more than that which the hubby and I took towards the beginning of spring when Helgehornet’s mountain floor was colorless and simply white with snow. 

The expedition got a little more daunting towards the top as one had to literally crawl up through huge rocks.  There’s no giving up at this point as the goal is not too far away!  

I reached the top in about an hour and a half as I had to stop many times to take photographs of the blooms along the way.  My friends had time to enjoy their packed lunch, take lots of photos of themselves against the beautiful Ørsta background while they waited for me.  Once I got to Helgehonet’s summit, they were ready to trek down!  I just had some minutes to regain my energy, take more photographs of the mountain range surrounding Ørsta and the obligatory we’ve-been-there-class-picture!  

 

We made it!

I must admit I was one tired creature after this short journey.  I was bed-bound for twelve hours but after viewing the breathtaking photographs on my laptop, boy, was I more determined to prep myself up when nature calls!  

That moment when you reach your goal - that's when the magic happens!

the view from Helgehornet

“Just living is not enough….one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”  Hans Christian Andersen.

The Way to Kjenndalsbreen

Getting to see a glacier or even just a part of it has always seemed like a far-fetched idea for someone from the tropics.  I’ve always thought one had to hike hundreds of miles of rugged mountain trails to get close to these enchanting natural formations.  All that ignorance was wiped out the moment I set foot in the land of glaciers, waterfalls and the midnight sun. 

Passing by charming Loen on the way to Kjenndalsbreen

Two summers ago, the hubby drove me to the village of Loen, Stryn to see the Kjenndal glacier or Kjenndalsbreen in Norwegian. The glacier is an arm of Europe’s biggest glacier, Jostedalsbreen located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane in Western Norway. One can drive or bike to the foot of the glacier. There is no problem hiking to the site as the path offers good space for those choosing to go on foot. The drive from the town of Loen to Kjenndallsbreen offers many of the most scenic views anyone can see in Norway. In the summer, the way to Kjenndalsbreen is lined with multi-colored wildflowers that make for artistic frames to the otherwise stark mountain views. As it is with our trips, I always have problems resisting the urge to take photographs of the panoramic background of fjords and mountains, even when inside a not-so-slow, zigzagging car! One day I just might take some serious photography lessons…

A piece of heaven on earth

We got to the foot of the glacier just before a busload of tourists arrived so we had good enough time to commune with nature by ourselves.  It was getting to be overcast and it was a challenge photographing the top of the glacier as it started to be covered with fog.  I did what I could, once more framing my photos with violets and buttercups sprouting from the icy rocks below. 

Driving home, we stopped by the Kjenndals “stova”  for coffee and our favorite apple strudel with ice cream or “eplekake med kule” in Norwegian.     You read it right, people get ice cream with their coffee and apple cakes here! The stopover was another great opportunity for pictures as the restaurant is located amidst greenery at the end of the fjord and surrounded by mountains.  The mirror-like fjords and mountain scenes never fail to catch my attention. 

Our short stop-over for coffee and cakes, Kjenndalstova

 

applecake served with ice cream

Once we got back to the village center of Loen we realized it was almost dinner time.  There are several hotels and cabins in the area as the municipality of Stryn is a prime tourist spot in Norway.  We checked out Hotel Loen’s specialty, fillet of sole, locally known as “sjøtunge filet” served with fettuccini in pesto sauce and were we pleasantly surprised!  The melt-in-your-mouth fish dish was certainly a delicious ending to our first glacier adventure!

Kjenndalsbreen seen from the main road

Norangsdalen, Norway's Most Beautiful Valley

Being a new resident of Norway, I had to attend formal Norwegian language classes together with other immigrants who, like me, have chosen to make Ørsta their new home.  English is spoken and understood in the country but is not recognized as an official means of communication.  The government of Norway provides free language instructions   as part of its immersion program for non-Norwegian speaking new residents.  I had to avail of this opportunity  as I was certain there was no way I could survive in my new community using my native Ilocano, Tagalog or English.  They say you can never teach an old dog new tricks; I say no dog is too old for new tricks!   At 50 something, I like to believe I survived norskkurs!  

Going on excursions is one of the perks of going to immersion classes.  These school outings aim to introduce immigrants to Norway’s way of life, experience its diverse culture, appreciate the magnificent surroundings and most importantly, help everyone integrate themselves and be useful members of the society.  

To reach Norangsdalen from Ørsta, one takes the ferry at Sæbo

The students of Norskopplæringa Ørsta opplæringssenter which I went to took a day trip to Øye, Norangdal in the summer of 2012.  To this day, the memory of this trip remains so vivid, the jaw-dropping vistas along the way, I am afraid, have been embedded in my mind permanently.  The weather was calm with just the right sunshine to create reflections of the towering mountains on the fjords and the wildflowers of summer springing out to line our paths. During the trip, I didn’t know which side to look at as the stunning panorama was like a fairytale setting of lush forests, deep blue waters and neat gingerbread-like houses at the foot of the hills.

Welcome to Øye, Norangsdalen!

We traversed through what is known as Norway’s most beautiful valley, Norangsdalen and took a short peek at its centerpiece, the Hotel Union.  It was built in 1891 and has since been a resort favored by the members of Europe’s royalty.  The hotel has a limited number of rooms, 27 to be exact, and no two rooms are decorated the same.   Stepping into the hotel’s wooden steps and floors was like going back in time.

Feels like home - the verandah as one enters the main door of Hotel Union in Øye

Stuff fairytales are made of

Our host, Oddny, who is also known as the school’s inspector, later welcomed us into her home in Øye, Norangsdalen to partake in a sumptuous lunch of Norwegian, Asian and African cuisine.   We could not refrain from taking snapshots after snapshots of our charming countryside surroundings.  Norangsdalen is definitely worthy of a repeat visit, hopefully soon!

Lunchbreak was spent at the home of our school director, Oddny

Simply idyllic!