10-07-2022

For our summer holiday this year, my family and I travelled around the middle of Norway. My mum Vanessa has spent the last few years during her free time researching all sides of our family history, at the same time as she has been finishing her book about my sister Sharidyn.

As part of mum's research for her book, we decided to travel around different parts of the middle of Norway where my grand-dad Brynjulf's (or Bryan as he was known in English) parents, and his grandparents were from (my great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents). What many people don't know is that my great-grandfather Odin's (my grandmother Elsa's father) family connects with my granddad Brynjulf's family. We would never have known the connection if it hadn't have been for mum's research into my dad's family.

The photos below are from our holiday, visiting our family and some of my mum's closest friends whom she has known the longest in Norway, as well as the different places and of course all the different museums we visited. Norway is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, a very expensive country to visit but without a doubt, beautiful!

On the first leg of our trip, we drove up through the middle of Norway, stopping off at Lillehammer for lunch, Dombås for an ice-cream break and Oppdal to stretch our legs before we drove the last hour or so to Sunndalsøra where my grand-dad Brynjulf and his family are from. 

Continuing on the first leg of our trip, we stayed at Bjølstad camping site which is situated by the sea. Bjølstad camping is owned and operated by a couple who has had the camping site in their family for approximately 70 years. We didn't arrive at the campsite until 10.30 in the evening, and honestly we all thought that we had driven to the middle of nowhere, which we had.

Once we had unpacked and set up our tent, we walked down to the pier. It was almost midnight and we were blown away by the magnificent view of the fjord. 

Molde was our main base while we were tripping around the northern region of Møre and Romsdal. Molde is a must-visit city in Norway. Known as The city of Roses and , the view of the mountains across the fjord is absolutely breath-taking. 

Probably the only downside to down-town Molde, is the crazy seagulls that swoop down to steal food from the tables or even from your hands, if your walking and eating at the same time.

03-07-2022

The Atlantic Ocean Road is one of Norway's iconic scenic roads. The view driving over the road is spectacular.

04-07-2022

On the second leg of our journey on our way to the island of Hitra, where my great-grandmother Dagny's family is from, we stopped off to stretch our legs in Straumsnes. Straumsnes is a former muncipality in the region of Møre og Romsdal. As of 2016, Straumsnes is one of two sub-areas of Tingvoll municipality.

Straumsnes is a rural farming community where my mum's grandfather and my great-grandfather, Ottar Svebach (born Strømsvåg) family is from. We visited Straumsnes church and cemetary when my great-great-grandparents, Jørgen and Johanna Strømsvåg and the rest of our ancestors are buried.

04-07-2022

From Straumsnes, we drove to Løkken Verk. Løkken Verk is a small rural village that was built around the mining operations that were started there in 1654. Løkken Verk was a mining village for more than 330 years.