Day 2 in Norway

For our Norway trip, I did not bring my digital camera since the mobile phone camera nowadays has better quality but the problem is, I have limited storage so I am trying my best to blog about our family adventures in Norway as soon as I can so my phone won’t be full. And also, para naman hindi umabot ng years ulit bago ko maiblog itong trip namin like our Norway 2019, na hindi pa rin tapos. Hehehe! 

Anyway, it was our second day in Norway and we are still adjusting to our new schedule. It was still Winter Season when we arrived so it was a chilly month. If I was not stuck in the house for almost two years, I would rather stay inside and get cozy with a good book, movie, or tv series. But even though my body wanted to rest, my feet were itching to go out of the house. I’ve been looking forward to this trip because finally, I can feel that life is back to normal already since we don’t need to wear a face mask or face shield and I don’t have to think about social distancing anymore. 

Northern Lights 

We started our day early because my son needs to follow Philippines time for his online classes but we have no reason to complain. In fact, it was worth waking up early because I had a chance to see Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. I already blogged about this, you can read my “Glimpse of Northern Lights in Norway” post. 

Bruholmen 

After our breakfast, off we went to Bruholmen and we’ve been here numerous times already since this is just a few minutes away from my mom’s place. I’ve visited this place during winter, spring and summer; kulang na lang autumn season. Hehehe! But of course, there is always something new every time we visit, like there are tables and chairs at the grilling place already. 

Read: Bruholmen 

I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery - air, mountains, trees, people. I thought “This is what it is to be happy” - Sylvia Plath 

I used to take this place for granted but after experiencing the global pandemic, I’m happy to be back here. I’m thankful for the fresh air and amazing views. It feels good to be out again and I started to appreciate more the beauty of nature. 

Shopping at Ecco and Cubus 

Since we are confined inside our home for almost two years, buying clothes is not part of our priority but things changed when we got our vaccines already. When we started traveling, that is the only time I realized that my son has no decent clothes na pala. Nasayang lang yung mga damit niya at nagpaliitan agad ng hindi gaano nagamit. 

Actually, I had a hard time looking and buying clothes for him since pabago-bago ang lockdown restrictions sa atin so hindi pwede bata sa mall. And because konti lang ang choices, I only bought a few pieces of clothes so he has something to use for our Norway trip. 

Read: Online Shopping Experience at Uniqlo

Fast forward to our trip, we went to the mall for groceries and I need to buy new shoes for my son. Dinala ko pa yung winter shoes Sa Norway pero one day pa lang kami naglalakad, nasira na. Anyway, 5 years na rin naman yung shoes so baka gusto na magretire. Hehehe! I’m not really familiar with Europe brands so when I was looking for shoes, I don’t know what to buy. My mom suggested ECCO and according to her, it is a good brand. The shoes are already on sale but when I convert the amount to pesos, mahal pa rin. Hehehe! 

So I’ve made some research and from what I’ve read, ECCO is a family-owned shoe manufacturer and retailer founded in Bredebro, Denmark by Karl Toosbuy in 1963. It was in the year 1982 when the first retail store was opened and now they have different stores worldwide. Their shoes are known for comfort and durability so even if it is a little bit expensive, the shoes might last for 2 to 7 years. So far, wala naman reklamo anak ko sa shoes niya kahit ang layo ng mga nilalalakad namin so I guess totoong waterproof and comfotable yung shoes. 

Anyway, after buying his shoes, off went to the grocery and I immediately saw the SALE at Cubus. Shopping in Norway is out of my mind because Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world so every time we visit here, I make sure to buy our winter and spring clothes in the Philippines. I have no idea na may mura pala dito sa Norway. Actually, mas mura pa yung nabili ko na clothes dito kaysa sa nabili ko sa Philippines kahit sale ko din nabili. I’m glad na marami options dito for my teenage son. 

Cubus is under Varner which is a Norwegian company. It is one of the fashion retailers in Scandinavia that offers basic clothes but high quality using natural fibers to Nordic families. They offer a wide range of clothes and essential garments that you can use again and again at a very good price. They have stores in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Yung price niya hindi nalalayo sa H&M or Uniqlo, pero bongga kung magsale, parang 70% off yata nabili ko.

Shopping Tip: It is better to bring your own bag when you shop in Norway because you have to pay for the shopping bag whether it is plastic or paper. I don't know if it varies per size or per store because when I checked my receipts, the rate is NOK2 and NOK3 per shopping bag.