Tor,
Thanks for the good info, especially about autumn colors in September. Here in California there is no native colorful autumn foliage, so I hadn't even considered that possibility. Exact departure date is dictated by external forces, but I still ponder the choice between less rain and more color.
Just one more question for you Scandinavians: which is your preferred marque of Aquavit?
Skoal,
I'm hoping to take a week in September as well to pop over the hills to Norway, thanks for all the tips!
Hello CXC
((Best aquavit (is latin for "water of life".....) : Löytens linieaquavit ("linie" = crossed the equator: have been transported by ship for some monts from norway to australia & back, washing about in oak-barrels previously used for port-wine to gain it's special smoothness - still pretty strong taste, but not as strong as the danisk karveaquavit of Aalborg jubileum). For the evening: Gilde non plus ultra (no, it's not a new color-slide film - but the most exclusive of the norwegian aquavits...))
For the trip: there is produced a relatively rarge chunk of some useful & some not so useful tourist-info in english about the typical tourist spots to visit. Info on accomodation & maps etc. is quite useful. Start here: http://www.visitnorway.com/templates/NTRarticle.aspx?id=28715
So long!
Norwegian aquavit is, well, not bad...
I once bought a packet of Nowegian whisky. Yes a packet - designed to be added to pure grain spirit to produce a true Scotch, indistinguishable from the real thing, and much cheaper. For a smooth taste it recommended filtering through a coffee filter. For a really smooth taste - as good as a malt - use two coffee filters.
The beer is worse.
The two areas I know well are Telemark and Lofoten, but having driven the length of the country a couple of times I can honestly say that you will find interesting landscape and small-town photographs everywhere. The big spectacular views are in all the guides if you want to go trophy hunting, but the entire country is gorgeous in a classical landscape sort of way.
I've never seen too much urban decay, except for whaling stations and they are mostly further north than you want to go. Oslo is a lovely city, with a lot of interesting early C20th architecture. Then there are the Stave Churches ('How do you stop them rotting?', 'We paint them'.) and somewhere out on the West Fjordland is a simply magical town, rebuilt after the fire completely in Art Neuveau style and mostly untouched since. Of course, I've forgotten the name.
As I and others have said, September is a great time, albeit sometimes wet. Personally I love taking rainy landscapes, but some people can't see the fun. The youth hostels are a great place to stay if you get sticker shock in the hotels. The tourist offices are fantastically helpful if you need local info. Do NOT drive a car if you have had any alchohol at all. Steer clear of the brown cheese.
CXC, google out met.no in English and you will get all the data you want to know about weather - scientifically.
Try O.P. Anderson. Mellow and with a nice aftertaste.
Akevitt is best avoided, IMO. Bring a bottle of good malt instead - I'm partial to Laphroigh! Along the west coast we tend not to bother with the "inland stuff" when Scotland is a short boat trip away
Remember that not even the Kriegsmarine managed to stop smuggling between Scotland and Norway!
If you are un the northern part of the country you have to visit Lofoten as allready mentioned. But also Senja (island) and the Lyngen area is worth a visit. The area around Tromsø also attracts a lot of landscape photographers.
As Tor said, bring your own film. Here in the northern o Norway it is impossible to purchase large format film in shops. 120-film is also rare to see. I order my film from USA and Japan.
Eirik Berger
Vikran, Norway
Best regards,
Eirik Berger
TIA: What to photograph in NORWAY? Everything. Just remember, you will see a landscape and you will think to yourself this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Wait, 10 minutes down the road you will be thinking the same thing and throughought you will be repeating yourself endlessly. Norway is endless beauty. Go, don't wait.
As for film, you will face repeated X-ray scanning of your film and in Europe security people are not as accomodating as in the US so your film will get many many scans. I'd order the film from somewhere in Oslo to your starting point to avoid carrying it with you if you can not fly directly to Norway and then have your film processed there before coming home, or at least have it mailed back to you. Surely the local LF friends will tell you how to do that.
Bon Voyage
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