2023 has come to an end and we look back at what we did last year.

After the pandemic we were ready to start travelling again. Initially the plan was to go to Madeira, a place that has been on the bucket list for a while. But when airplane tickets reached nearly $1100 per person, we decided that it wasn’t worth it. Other priorities also caused this to be the least active travel year we’ve had, excluding the pandemic. But we have tried to bring the travel experiences to us, rather than travelling far away. More about that further down, but first, a bit about the trips we have been able to undertake.

Germany in April

In April Jørn went on a business tripp to Germany, more specifically to a small place called Emden near the Dutch border. This allowed for an evening excursion to Greetsiel, a really nice small village with canals and traditional buildings.

Poland in August

In August it was Tora’s turn to go on a business trip and spent an extended weekend in Gdansk.

Local trips

Even though we didn’t make a lot of trips abroad in 2023, we have managed to do a bit of sightseeing in our own country.

Via ferrata in Jøssingfjord

Jøssingfjord is an area we’ve visited several times, among others to spend the night in a road tunnel in hammocks, and to see Helleren, some very unique houses underneath a rock shelter. When we visited the last time, we noticed a sign pointing towards a via ferrata, which is something we’ve never tried before. Therefore we decided to return for a new experience.

But what is really a via ferrata? It is a climbing route where you are connected to a wire, and sometimes challenging parts of the route is aided by metal steps in the mountain. It’s kind of like beginner friendly rock climbing with great views.

We really liked climbing along the route and the views over Jøssingfjord is really great. It’s hard to show in the photos how far down it really is.

Ghosts and history in Sauda

At the end of April we travelled to Sauda. While there was plenty to see, staying at a haunted hotel definitively makes for the best headline. Actually, some old mines and a stunning looking hydroelectric power plant was what initially got us planning a trip to Sauda. The decommissioned power plant is one of very few examples of Art Deco architecture in Norway. It’s such a shame people aren’t building like this anymore, the industrial buildings of today are so much more boring.

In addition to the power plant, there were many great natural experiences in Sauda. We stopped at Brudesløret, a waterfall that looks kind of like a veil, and the mighty waterfall of Svandalsfossen. Up at the mines we saw Allmannajuvet, a sort of deep canyon where water has carved out the mountain for millennia. From here there is a pipeline going down to the Art Deco power plant with an incredible arch that can be walked along.

But let’s talk about the ghost! We checked in at Sauda Fjordhotell, a hotel that truly stands out. It was build in 1914 as “a recreational centre for affluent people”. The current owners have restored the hotel in the original style and it is quite an experience to stay there. According to the stories, one person never checked out of the hotel, and this ghost, known as the “Colonel”, met his fate in room 315 and now haunts the place. We didn’t see or hear anything special when we were there, but a photo of room 315 was of course a must!

To the top of Langfoss

Langfoss is one of the longest waterfalls in Norway, with a vertical drop of 612 meters. The waterfall has been named the most beautiful in the world by World Waterfall Database, and among the top 10 most beautiful waterfalls by CNN. The waterfall stops just by the road at Etne and is therefore visited by many people driving by. However, most people continue driving after having seen it from the bottom, but it is actually possible to hike all the way to the top, which we of course had to do.

It is usually an OK hike, but due to some illness that we thought we had shaken off, the hike turned out to be a lot harder than planned. Anyway, we managed to get to the top and got to see the waterfall from a point of view most people miss. It is a trip we definitively recommend, there are also plenty of trees to set up hammocks if you want to spend the night.

Fossjuvet

A relatively well-hidden secret is Fossjuvet, another deep canyon within a nature preserve in Rogaland. In Norwegian, the name means “waterfall canyon” and as it suggests, there’s a waterfall going into the canyon. The hike takes a few hours each way and is well worth it.

We went there in September while the weather was still OK, and since it was late in the season we got the place all to ourselves.

Travelling in our own home

Last year we wrote that we had bought a house, and that much of our time went into this. In 2023 it was no different, but we want to highlight that the joy for travel hasn’t dwindled, we have just had to prioritise a bit different for some time. And therefore we try to integrate the travel memories into our home rather than travelling to the experiences themselves. You see, we didn’t buy an ordinary house, but a stone-clad house from 1958, made by a stone mason (who allegedly spent a decade finishing it) in a style you’d expect to see closer to the Mediterranean than Norway.

On the inside there are many unique rooms, but some need refurbishment. Therefore we have tried to decorate these rooms with memories from our trips. When we bought the house the previous owner had started on a wine cellar, and we are now nearing its completion. Among other things, we have made wine barrel scorched with photos and text from our own trips.

In other rooms we are working on putting it back to more of an authentic early 1900’s style. Here we’ll also add details from previous trips, so that we can appreciate the memories of previous trips every day.

Earlier trips

In 2016-2017 we travelled around the world, and spent a month in Africa. This year we wrote about some of our experiences from Namibia in a guest post at Awayzing Travel (in Norwegian).

See also 2022 Travel Year, 2021 Travel Year, 2020 Travel Year, 2019 Travel Year, 2018 Travel Year and 2017 Travel Year.

2023 in numbers

Finally we have gathered some statistics related to our trips in 2023:

• 2 countries visited (in addition to Norway), but no new countries.
• 12 flights have been undertaken.
• More than 4200 km driven.
• 9 hours spent in the air.
• 4038 km in the air.
• More than 1200 photos taken.
• Countless good memories!

Next year

Two trips are sort of planned for next year. In May we are going to Rome, because Tora is going to sing in a choir! It will be a nice trip with the family, and Rome is a place we have visited several times and keep wanting to go back to.

Christmas 2024 will probably be spent in the United States of America! A family member is going to study over there, and rather than coming home for Christmas, we’ll all head over there. The plan for what to see (and if we can get leave from work) is yet to be made, but we cross our fingers for an exciting experience with a Christmas celebration in proper American style.

How has your travel year been? Leave a comment below.😊