I should begin by saying that to call Norway beautiful is an understatement on the magnitude of referring to Angelina Jole as “kind of attractive”. This place is crazy beautiful. If you like vistas of verdant forests and unspoiled tranquil inlets with villages and towns huddled on the water’s edge this is the place for you.

Our Exchange

People are always curious where we end up when we do these exchanges. We are very lucky to find ourselves in a lovely traditional Nordic country home.

We are situated on Radoy, a relatively small island just north of Bergen in the county of Vestlandet.

The Neighborhood

Walking distance of the house.

On The Road

The whole region consists of a plethora of small and medium sized islands. As the crow flys, nothing seems that far away, but unlike the birds, we are bound to the earth. Driving around means relying on a hugely circuitous network of very narrow country lanes, an assortment of bridges, both large and small, and a system of ferries that range from big ocean going vessels to tiny tow barges. The whole area reminds me of a joke we would hear as kids about an old farmer from Maine explaining to a lost tourist, “you just can’t get there from here.”. To hurry is futile. It’s all very exciting as the teeny weenie lanes wind up, down and around, past incredibly picturesque farms and homes perched on impossibly steep hillsides and tucked into snug little coves and harbors.

Rich or poor, it’s nice to have your own little island!