One genie and three wishes? I’ve always chosen to travel
south—Thailand…Greece…Italy…Morocco… (after ending world hunger and providing the
world with peace, love, happiness, and kale, of course). These were places that got to experience the
joys of sunshine; countries whose citizens were well nourished with Vitamin D. Those
who know me, and know me well, are very well aware of how much I dislike (and
possibly even fear) the cold—so much so, in fact, that you would swear that I
was allergic to it. My dad, having spent a solid few years in Norway, has
always described his time there as dark and dank—literally. “We had little to
no sunlight in the winters”, he’d whisper to us, grimly, as we were drifting
off to sleep. The horror. He may as well have been holding a flashlight to his
face to illuminate his little chinny-chin-chin.
So, what brings me to Norway? Well, let’s just say the only ever real
justifiable motivation behind succumbing to peer pressure—family and cheap
plane tickets. At the, both consistent and also persistent, request of my dad,
I booked a reasonable flight from LAX to Oslo to visit his side of the family,
packing the puffiest jackets I owned (more realistically, purchased hours
before my flight as per usual), and my sunniest outlook and attitude, because,
let’s face it—I’d need it in the snow.
4 movies, a few uncomfortable snoozes, more than a few
trickles of drool, and a quick layover in the land-of-Laduree, later, I’d made
it.
Now, when I think Norway, Tønsberg isn’t exactly the city
that comes to mind. With that being
said, however, I should also disclose that I rarely, if ever, “think Norway”.
If it wasn’t for the lovely relatives I have that happen to reside in this
winter wonderland, the country would definitely fly far below my radar of
things to see and places to go.
For everyone who is as silly as I was, but choose to no longer be, it’s time to wizen
up. Luckily, I’m here to help. Enter
Tønsberg, Norway’s oldest town. If you’re major-city-focused, this could be one
to skip as it isn’t exactly a tourist destination. Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim—that’s all you. If you, however, do find yourself swinging
by, definitely give Tønsberg at least an hour of your precious time because
it’s worth it, and baby, you’re worth it.
Here, you’ll find Verdens Ende-- translated quite literally to World's End, or The End of the Earth. This little scenic hot spot--or more accurately--cold spot, is composed of various islets and rocks, and provides absolutely breathtaking and panoramic views of nearby fishing facilities.
Expect a good hour to two hours of walking in absolute silence as you struggle to take in the absolutely breathtaking scenery. You're ruining it for all the other countries here, Norway.
And of course, there would be a charming little old school lighthouse (that was erected in 1932) sitting atop the hill... Absolutely picture perfect.
Still struggling to catch my breath,
Kimmy
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