I have a book of Viking sayings. They don’t all resonate with me. Certainly ‘minding my axe in battle’ has, thankfully, yet to come in handy. There is, however, a simplicity about some of the notions they encapsulate. Take this: ‘He is truly wise who’s travelled far and who knows the ways of the world. He who has travelled can tell what spirit governs the men he meets.’
My children are now all of a teenage persuasion and, were we living in the 17th or 18th century, I might be sending them off on a Grand Tour to cement their education. However, the world where France, Switzerland and Italy contained all that might improve the ethics and social skills of a young person has changed. Although those places are great to visit today, they wouldn’t be my first port of call. The modern world is complex. To teach a child true values, I think we need to get back to basics. We need to slow down and, for me, that means heading north.
Throughout the Viking sagas, there are stories of travel – often great distances and including many where women journeyed alone. The Norsemen travelled right across Europe and were most certainly the first Europeans to reach America where, curiously, they took one look, turned around and went home again.
Those from the supernatural world also liked to get about. The Norse mythological world consisted of gods, giants and dwarves, which sounds like a politically incorrect division of airline seating. They lived in nine different worlds parallel and geographically not dissimilar to the land of the humans. The giants, for example, lived in Jötunheimr, separated from humanity by high mountains or dense forests. It was from these different worlds that great sagas explaining the cycle of life and death emanated. If you want to improve a young person, that’s not a bad starting point.
First, head to the Norwegian port of Bergen. It lies on the southwest coast where De Syv Fjell mountains rise up out of the Norwegian Sea. It is a pretty place, where, for almost a thousand years, fish has been traded and people have eaten well as a result. Have a meal in sight of Bergen’s old quayside, Bryggen (a World Heritage site) and you will begin the first and critical part of your travels – learning to take your foot off the pedal and savour the moment.
Bergen is sheltered from the chill North Sea by the islands of Askøy, Holsnøy and Sotra. It is beautiful, but there are islands further north that call for your attention. To reach them, you can drive slowly up roads that meander past spectacular waterfalls and round sheer-faced fjords. The drawback? At all the celebrated stops, the rest of the world will have already arrived by bus. If you have time, you can take the Hurtigruten boat and spend a week steaming up the astonishing coast to the remote town of Kirkenes. Here you are practically on the Russian border, where winter pleasures include staying in a snow hotel.
For those of us for whom time is a constant enemy, there’s a quicker solution. Check out the Norwegian capital, Oslo, and then catch a small plane north to Bodø. It’s an unprepossessing fishing town. The end of the railway network. The northern point where the trains stop running and the wind whips about, reminding you that you are inside the Arctic Circle.
In Norse mythology, it was Thor’s brother, Meili, who was the god of travel. His name seems to mean ‘mile-stepper’, which probably means he looked after frequent-flyer clubs as well. Too often we step many miles these days but forget that the journey itself can be worthwhile. There are small planes available in Bodø, but wait for the ferry. Some places are meant to be approached only from the sea. The Lofoten archipelago consists of six principal islands, which stretch out in a sea littered with hundreds of unpopulated miniature cousins. Head to Moskenes in the south and you will pass within sight of Moskstraume – the original maelstrom of sailors’ nightmares. Look out across the waters and porpoises may break your bow, while sea eagles and puffins check your progress. For the traveller softened by luxury the Gulf Stream keeps the temperature kind.
The mountains are sharp and jagged as if drawn by a child and the vast seashore seems yours alone. Stay in a bright red rorbuer or fishing hut and, in the summer, let the never-setting sun help you forget about time. Here is the place to breathe air that no one has polluted. Here is the place for perspective. Let a fledgling adult sit among the natural grandeur and see quite how small one’s troubles really are.
Sandi Toksvig presents Radio 4’s Excess Baggage. Her latest book, The Gladys Society: A Personal American Journey (£16.99, Little, Brown) is out now.
British Airways flies to Oslo from London Heathrow. Book a flight on ba.com now.
Discover more grand tours in Birth of a nation, Kingdom of the gods, Magical history tourand Through Russia with love
