Vikings, Trolls and Fjords, oh my!
Saturday, June 28, 2025
Eidfjord, Norway
A truly bucolic village, quiet and picturesque despite cloudy drizzle — it’s like that a lot here!
Norwegian reputation for health, happiness, and longevity isn’t just fjord-deep.
• Self-deprecating humor is a national pastime. Making fun of oneself is seen as charming and relatable, not embarrassing.
• “Uff da” is a classic Norwegian expression used for everything from mild annoyance to utter disbelief. It’s basically the Scandinavian “oh no.”
• Brown cheese (brunost) is a national treasure. It’s sweet, caramel-like, and often confuses tourists who expect something savory.
• Tunnels galore: Norway has over 1,000 road tunnels, including the world’s longest road tunnel—the Lærdal Tunnel, which stretches over 24.5 km. And we saw our first round-about within a tunnel! Weird!
• “Koselig” (pronounced koosh-lee) is the Norwegian version of cozy, but it’s more than that—it’s a whole vibe. Think candles, wool socks, and sauna! More to come on the sauna topic!
• The “friluftsliv” lifestyle—a love for outdoor living—keeps Norwegians active year-round. Hiking, skiing, and even cold-water swimming are common pastimes.
• The Nordic diet emphasizes fish (especially omega-3-rich salmon), root vegetables, berries, and whole grains. It’s like the Mediterranean diet’s snow-loving cousin. We have seen very few obese people (except on the ship) and no panhandling. People living in tents are not homeless, they’re on holiday!
Trolls are prolific in souvenir shops. Here’s the distinguishing troll tribes:
• Mountain trolls: Towering, slow-witted, and often hostile. They’re said to turn to stone if caught in sunlight—hence all those oddly shaped rock formations.
• Forest trolls: Smaller, sneakier, and more mischievous. They might steal your goats or confuse your compass.
• Bridge trolls: Famously grumpy and toll-demanding, like the one in The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Trolls were believed to be nature spirits or ancient beings, not inherently evil but definitely not to be trifled with. They’re often outwitted by clever humans—especially the folk hero Askeladden, who defeats them with brains over brawn.
The Vikings weren’t just raiders—they were seafarers, poets, and explorers. From the late 8th to early 11th century, Norsemen from what is now Norway, Sweden, and Denmark sailed across Europe and beyond.
• Norse mythology was central to Viking life. Gods like Odin and Thor weren’t just worshipped—they were woven into everyday stories and values.
• Trolls appear in Viking sagas, often as adversaries to gods or heroes. They were sometimes called jotnar (giants), blurring the line between myth and monster.
• Thor, the thunder god, was said to battle trolls and giants regularly. His hammer, Mjölnir, was the ultimate troll-smasher.
For all you marine junkies out there, here’s the stats: Journey is one of four Azamara ships, all basically identical and the same vintage. This 30.277 ton, 593 ft. vessel is registered in Malta and entered service in 2000. The capacity is 694 guests on nine decks and there is 400 crew members. Total nautical miles traveled will be 3413.49 and can cruise at 20 MPH or 18.5 knots.Despite an impressive jets vacuum system, we still encountered a few toilet malfunction — apparently the curse of the clogged pipes followed us here from our Condo building in Denver!
We had not heard of Azamara before we embarked in 2024 on a six-month World Cruise and were surprised at how many loyal repeat cruisers we met. Many have gone on more than 10 cruises, and we’ve learned why. This is not a carnival type atmosphere — no casinos or water slides. The entertainment is shall we say not Broadway caliber, but the service and itineraries are Azamara’s claim to fame. Azamara is like a floating Holiday-Inn Express with better breakfasts, whereas Silver Seas is more like the Four Seasons.
