I was exposed to Covid ten days before I was supposed to leave for a trip to Scandinavia. When I came down with a cold and fever, I was worried I would have to miss the trip. Fortunately, good health returned, so that didn’t happen.
I needed to wake up at 2:15 AM to make my early morning flight. I worried I wouldn’t hear the alarm I set. But that didn’t happen. I heard it! (And the backup alarm and the backup to the backup.)
Oh my. I planned to make a running list of all the things that I worried about on my trip that didn’t happen. But after writing the first two entries…
I could hear my daughters imploring me to look into anti-anxiety meds.
I could see my friend, Devyn, smacking his head and saying, “You worry too much!”
I could hear my friend Vera – who is right up there with Helen Reddy in the “I Am Woman Hear Me Roar” category — saying, “Lorie, Lorie, Lorie.”
And so, I have decided to embrace my inner Vera instead. She is the one who wrote the affirmation for me that worked so well. It said, “I will be completely well in time for the trip.” So in that spirt, let me just put this out to the universe: All my luggage will make it to all my destinations with no problems whatsoever. Are you listening to me, Universe?
*****
It is now two weeks later and I have returned from my trip. Not only did the luggage affirmation work for me, but it also sheltered the three-dozen people in my tour group. Yay! With proper walking shoes and the correct number of clothing layers to match the weather, we were able to enjoy all the sights. Here are some now:
In Copenhagen Denmark, we got a before-hours tour of the Royal Reception rooms of Christiansborg Palace and learned the news that shocked the nation! Their Queen Margrethe II, age 83, abdicated her throne in January, allowing her son to rule. Hooray for seniors who know when to retire!
In Gothenburg, Sweden we visited their old town, Haga. One can climb up 200 steps to the Skansen Krona viewpoint, which we did. Yay for seniors who are fit!
In Oslo, Norway, we had a before-hours tour of the Opera House. Such a cool place! Opened in 2008, one can easily walk from the building’s main entrance — up a gently sloping pathway — to the roof (!!!) for a panoramic view of the city. This view includes the new Munch Museum which is a work of art itself. Yay for visionary architects who inspire the creativity in me!
In Lillehammer, Norway we visited the ski slope from the 1994 Olympics and those who wanted could walk down from the top, some 936 steps, the equivalent of 70ish flights of stairs. Please notice we walked down and not up. Yay for seniors who know how to be daring without being ridiculous!
On to Sogndal, Norway for a cruise of the Sognefjord, the longest and deepest of all the Norwegian fiords. And then in the same day, the Flam Railroad where we ascended 3000 feet in twelve miles into the high glacial region of Norway. Yay for all the new vistas afforded by travel!
And finally, Bergen, Norway, our last stop. We toured the Bryggen quarter that dates back to the Middle Ages and which is a UNESCO world heritage site. And we took the funicular up 1000 feet into the Floyen Mountains for a panoramic view of the area. I couldn’t get enough of all the waterways within Scandinavia. Yay for all that’s old and all that’s new and all that God created and that man created too!
*****
Though all of these sites amazed me in their own way, one topic explored by our tour guide, Köpi, truly intrigued me. It deals with the consumption of sugar in Scandinavia. Evidently, the governments in Denmark and Norway pay for health care. Since eating a lot of sugar leads to health problems, there is a sugar tax. However, Sweden does not have such a tax, thus candy and soft drinks are a lot cheaper there causing scads of Danes and Norwegians to cross the border to indulge their sweet tooth!
I’m not usually in favor of the government’s intervention into my life, but I might enjoy such help with sugar consumption! Or maybe this little reminder from a coffee shop in Oslo would be enough. Their sugar packet said, “You’re sweet enough. Think twice.”
And I’ll close there, with the word sweet when it means “pleasing in general or delightful.” For that’s what this trip was. Palaces, castles, and museums. Fiords, canals, and waterfalls. Mountains, and so many tunnels through mountains. All of it was a delight. I don’t have to think twice as I put this thought out into the universe: I’m ready to travel more!
