Roadways and Turistveger

Sunny and the promise of warmer weather today. The return of geese heard overhead – spring must surely be coming. My thoughts turn to upcoming travel. I too am ready to hit the road, and fly north. A possible trip to Norway in August for a family event has me dreaming about new and old roads to take. And over 100 rest-stops to explore.

The tourist route network in Norway keeps popping up on my detours. Some stretches I have traveled in the past, en route to visiting family and exploring the area where my father grew up, the area that he left at 16 to travel the seas of the world, and where his remains now lie buried alongside my grandparents. Others I long to travel, to see more of the country that is my homeland, the country that still claims my heart, though I can no longer call it home.

Road travel evokes memories of being squeezed into the back seat of a tiny Fiat, visits to my grandparents, and roadside picnics with coffee and smørrebrød. Happy occasions for the most part, the magic and reality of the open road still lures me in. And the roads in Norway have magnificent views and did so – even before the tourist routes got labeled, and claimed for roadside art and design. The nature was always the draw, and thankfully new rest areas and designated roadways continue to feature and highlight the natural beauty of Norway. And now they also feature very cool rest stops with paths, steps and viewing platforms that capture the sea, mountain and upland pasture landscapes of Norway from a very spectacular point of view.

Here is a cool ebook about the project. National Tourist Routes in Norway Ebook. Read it – then go see for yourself.