THROUGH THE LENS

Unreal postcards from Norden in the throes of summer.

LAST SUMMER, I DECIDED to make a sojourn to the Nordic region, namely Norway, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. These places are all the more fascinating because they feel remote and almost untouched. The landscapes are wondrous and beautifully primal, but also equipped with the right infrastructure to enable you to rent a car and explore them at your own pace.

I started the adventure in Oslo, hitting the city’s revamped art district, before heading west to take in the mountain terrain. The 28-kilometre hike to Trolltunga, one of Norway’s most spectacular rock formations set 1,100 metres above sea level, was one of the highlights. This particular peak juts horizontally out of the mountain, about 700 metres above the Lake Ringedalsvatnet. While 28 kilometres of hiking sounds quite a stretch, the aweinspiring views of the changing terrain were enough motivation for me to keep walking. Next on my itinerary were the rugged fjord landscapes, best experienced on a cruise. There is something majestic about traversing on these waterbodies surrounded by looming mountains.

I then headed further north to the Faroe Islands. The unique archipelago is home to dramatic landscapes, an interesting culinary scene that includes blubber on the menu, and more sheep than people. In fact, the stunning Saksun Lagoon, nestled in a natural amphitheatre of steep fells, cradles a tiny village that is home to just 14 people! When you’re on the Faroe Islands, you find something jaw-dropping around every bend.

Finally, I was off to the land of ice and fire. You just have to take a short drive in Iceland to witness a stark contrast in scenery. You can be driving through snow-capped mountain ranges, passing waterfalls, and take a turn into fields covered in gleaming volcanic lava or meadows of green moss. It’s sometimes hard to believe that all these landscapes exist on the same land. If that isn’t enough, the aurora borealis adds an otherworldly dimension to Iceland.

From left: These colourful, wooden houses are characteristic of Bryggen, a historic harbour district of Bergen and UNESCO World Heritage Site; a lone cabin sits by a lake in beautiful Norwegian countryside.

Clockwise from left: The Faroe Islands, a Danish territory, is an archipelago of 18 mysterious islands with beautiful valleys and cliffs; apparently, there are more sheep living on these islands than people; the tiny village of Gásadalur in the Faroe Islands sits at the edge of a tall cliff overlooking the sea. This majestic waterfall is located right on the edge of that cliff.