Norway: a favorite
I still remember the moment it all began. Leaving the crushing heat of Perpignan in the middle of June to venture into the mysterious lands of Norway. A Réunionnaise like me, born on a tropical rock, finding myself exploring the fjords, forests and tundra and maybe the northern lights if I pushed the journey to the Far North, who knows?
Do you remember?
Jean-Paul and I hit the road in this beautiful month of June with Roulotte… destination Hobøl, a small town 40 kilometers south of Oslo where Irène lives, a long-time friend of my partner, but also the starting point for our 50 days in the land of the midnight sun.
An architecture that tells a story...
As soon as I arrived, I was struck by the traditional architecture. These large wooden houses painted bright red – the famous Falu Rödfärg colour – seemed to come straight out of a painting.
Further on in our journey, I discovered blue or green dwellings, while those all in white were once reserved for the rich and bear witness to a social hierarchy that has now faded. But what fascinated me were the hytters. These small rustic cabins with green roofs sometimes supporting meager shrubs. For centuries, Norwegians have used turf packed on a bed of birch bark for their roofs, ideal for insulation in these cold and humid regions. These habitats blend perfectly into the surrounding nature, even in very remote areas. They embody ancestral know-how and above all an intimate connection with the land.
...very protected by the population
Today, 1/3 of homes have one, and the dream of most of the young people we met is to have their own. As soon as the opportunity arises, they do not hesitate to build their own or to dismantle one from scratch to put it elsewhere. For a foreigner, it is difficult to buy one as the price is so high, because they are rare on the real estate market. Thus, they most often remain in the family heritage.
The hytters are not large, one or two rooms at most, with rudimentary comfort. And yet, I wondered: do these cabins, so simple and authentic, not risk losing their soul in the face of modernity? Some Norwegians are now integrating sophisticated technologies such as remote heating or connected lighting. Is this an inevitable evolution or a betrayal of their roots?
The land of trolls, a land rich in tales and legends
Traditions and beliefs rock this Nordic people where tales and legends are inspired by the natural beauty of the country, its immensity. Mountains, where trolls turn into stone. Mysterious forests and mists where sleeping creatures hide, ready to wake up at the slightest human presence. Northern lights, true gateways for all these creatures to Valhalla, the kingdom of the gods.
At Oslo City Hall, magnificent frescoes in carved wood tell the story of these gods, fantastic beings. But do they still have a place in this civilization where new technologies seem to have taken over? Few information or directional signs on the roads. Indeed, today, the Grail seems to be found in the meanders of QR codes or GPS tracking to find one's way.
Friluftsliv: an inspiring but paradoxical way of life
In Norway, I discovered the concept of friluftsliv, a philosophy that advocates a life in communion with nature and trust in others.
Every weekend, Norwegians flee the cities to recharge their batteries in their hytta, to hike, hunt, fish or simply walk in the light rain. This peaceful relationship with the elements left a deep impression on me.
I was surprised when we came across a wooden pavilion near lakes. The fishing conditions are posted there, with the only instruction being to deposit a registration ticket and a few crowns in a tin box to obtain a temporary permit.
Similarly, all along the country roads, stalls offer berries, fruits and fresh juices where an unclosed box is placed for payment. We even happened to do some shopping in a mini-market and pay by card without the slightest human presence.
A social transparency that questions
Another fascinating – and destabilizing – aspect is the concern for social transparency in Norway. Here, everyone can consult the income and taxes of other citizens via the Internet. An unthinkable practice in France! This displayed equality is also reflected in the reduced wage gaps and a generous redistribution of wealth thanks to the rents from oil and gas exploitation.
This concern for fairness is also found in the Lutheran cemeteries near the small wooden churches, the tombstones where the steles are often very sober, almost uniform. We are far from Père-Lachaise or any burial place in France.
But I couldn't help but ask myself a question: doesn't this collective discipline risk stifling creativity, imagination, and critical thinking?
An ecological society… but not without contradictions
Norway is sometimes cited as an ecological model. Its impeccable landscapes, the cleanliness of the places (with the exception of my point of view of Oslo and Bergen), its spaces maintained by robot mowers, everything seems to testify to an absolute respect for the environment.
However, I felt a certain dissonance. Can we really talk about ecology when oil exploitation remains at the heart of its economy? When whaling is still practiced? When aquaculture farms produce farmed salmon raised with GMOs in a large number of fjords? And what about this obsession for the perfect control of nature, to the point of criticizing a royal gardener for having let a few wild weeds grow?
A worrying reality, the Americanization of society
A paradox jumped out at me: how can this people so close to nature be the second largest consumer of Coca-Cola in the world per capita, after the State of Chiapas in Mexico? In a country where everything seems to breathe ecology and authenticity, seeing hot dogs and hamburgers invade the plates left me perplexed. Doesn't this galloping Americanization risk diluting their cultural identity? With only five million inhabitants, could Norway lose its identity in the face of an ever more pressing globalization?
Lulled by all my reading, I could not imagine, during this trip, questioning myself so much about dietetics.
And me in all this?
This trip goes well beyond a tourist discovery; it pushed me to reflect on my own life choices. Between tradition, culture and modernity, between respect for nature and technological comfort, between protectionism, imperialism and globalization where is the balance?
Norway offered me much more than its grandiose landscapes: it confronted me with my own contradictions and those of the modern world.
This article will be the last of six episodes on Norway, current events are catching up with us. I now need to get my hands dirty to make our future VroomVroom!, the subject of my next article.
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NOTE: As soon as possible, Jean-Paul will put online a dynamic map, with reactive zones of our itinerary which will redirect to a gallery of photos, videos and panoramic views of the places concerned.
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