Michi Photostory

The cost of foods and drinks in other countries is way too expensive if we will compare it to the Philippines. You really need to allot a budget if you are traveling, especially if you will always eat in a restaurant.


For our summer vacation this year, we are lucky that we stay at my mom’s place so we don’t have a problem with our food and drinks. Eating out is not on our agenda because we can just buy and cook the food we like. 


Food tripping in Ørland Kommune is not a usual thing because they only have a few restaurants here. The majority of the people cook or bake their own food at home. But yesterday, we had our chance to try one of the restaurants in Brekstad. I was supposed to cook sinigang for our lunch but thanks to my aunt. She called my mom yesterday and she said, she will treat us to lunch. Yey! So off we went to Melissa.


Melissa is one of the restaurants in Brekstad Norway, they serve Italian food so we don’t have a problem in choosing foods. Browsing the menu is not a dilemma too because my mom can translate it. Lol 


We all know that food serving in other countries is huge so if we (2 adults + 1 kid) are traveling, as much as possible, we only buy two meals and share-share na lang. But here in Norway, I always order from the kid’s menu. Hehehe! Sa height kong ito, lagi ako napagkakamalan na kid sa train, boat and restaurant. I also ordered from the kid's menu when we ate at Peder Hiort Marthus.

Read: Peder Hiort Marthus Restaurant

Beef with Bernaise Sauce, Chips and Salad

Fishing in Norway is part of their lifestyle because most people live near the sea, fjord, lakes, or rivers. I am fortunate to experience fishing during my first visit so it is on my bucket list to have fishing adventures in Norway with my family.


I mentioned in one of my posts that my son wanted to experience fishing and we were lucky to experience that when we went to Macampao Beach and Leisure Farm. But fishing in Norway is a different experience because we are going to ride the yacht.


I thought that having sunny weather is already a good time to fish but I was wrong. There are a lot of things to consider when fishing, the weather should not be windy and the temperature should not be too cold. We will not enjoy fishing if we are freezing outside the boat and how can we catch a fish if we cannot stay long outside.

From day one, I was praying for good weather so my husband can experience fishing before he goes back to the Philippines. So on day 5, I was glad when my mom told me that our itinerary for that day is “fishing”. Yehey!

Watch the video here.

Even though it is already Spring season in Norway, the weather feels like winter, so we need to wear thick clothes like the overall dress, 3 to 4 layers of clothing, a scarf, and gloves.

I was excited to ride my stepdad’s yacht because it would be my first time. During our first visit, they only had a small boat with no roof, but this time, level up na. For safety, we need to wear life vests or floaters.

We only have two fishing rods, so we took turns. I was lucky again because I was the first one who catch a fish. Fish in Norway is big, hindi yan katulad nung bangus na nahuli namin sa Macampao. Hehehe! You can catch cod, trout, salmon, halibut, mackerel, and many more. If you catch small fish, you need to return it back to the sea.

Though there are so many fish in the sea, pana-panahon din yan, so after two hours, we’re fortunate to catch 3 codfish. Other people spent 3 hours but did not catch any fish. We stopped fishing because we were hungry already.


On the boat, you need to clean the fish and throw the gills and intestines back into the sea. While cleaning the fish, birds will go near the boat because they will eat the gills and intestines. It was nice to see the seagulls.



On our way home, my stepdad taught my husband to drive the boat, so he was in charge of going back to the port. But of course, he could not do the parking yet, so my stepdad parked the boat. I had the same experience before, but it was only a small boat, moving right and left lang ang ginagawa ko. Hehehe!

Trollskogen

On our fourth day, we went to Trollskogen or Troll Forest which is located near the Lerberen mountain. You can see the Futura Barnehage or Future Kindergarten on your way to Trollskogen. 


Preschool kids here in Norway enjoy school because they also believe in learning through play. Kids can stay almost whole day in school without getting bored because they have so many indoor and outdoor activities. Opening hour is 7:00 to 4:30PM 


When my sister was in preschool, she goes to Barnehage so my mom can work. So when we went to Norway, we did not take care of her because she goes to school and my mom will pick her up after her work. There is no reason for you to be a full-time mom for so long because you can arrange your schedule. 



Kids are lucky to have a big playground near the school. Trollskogen has a small pond, bonfire, small shelter, and Tarzan forest. There are climbing ropes and climbing frames where kids can play.


It was Holy Thursday so there is no school when we went here. The temperature is below zero degrees so you will notice that the pond turned into ice. My son enjoyed throwing stones so he can crack the ice. 

Watch the video here. 

Lerberen Folkehelsepark 

As I mentioned, Trollskogen is near Lerberen mountain so we also went here. Lerberen is considered a Public Health Park so they are still planning to expand the area for the benefit of the public. The place is free so it is a popular hiking area for people who want to get fit and improve their health. 



If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that I don’t have an active lifestyle. Iisipin ko pa lang mag-exercise, napapagod na ko so when we went here at Lerberen Folkehelsepark, ramdam ko yung pagod sa pag-akyat. 

Nagtungkod

My husband and son found a stick and they use it as a staff. My son does not have an active lifestyle too so on our way to the top, he was complaining already. We just kept on telling him na malapit na. hehehe! 

Austrått is located in Opphaug Norway which is just a few minutes' drive from Brekstad. It is a nice place to visit because you can see the old manor, fort, grove, and beach. The best part is, it is free.

Bruholmen Friluftsomrade is located in Brekstad Norway, it is considered a recreational area where you can do different activities like walking, running, biking, kiting, and any activities that you will enjoy. 

This is the top view, photo source

It is a relaxing place because you can see farms, fjord, pine trees, and islet. If the weather is nice, some families have a picnic here. During low tide, you can pick crabs or shells. You can also swim during the summer months (June to August) but I haven’t tried that since the water is still too cold for me.



Just looking at the Trondheimsfjord view is already comforting, you can see different ferry boats sailing in the area. You can also do bird watching, it is nice to see different birds flying around. No need to go to the zoo because you can see birds and animals for free.  




My mom is lucky that this is just a few minutes walk away from her home. I can see part of this view from our room. The place is FREE too. On our third day, even though the temperature was below zero degrees, we still went out to walk, as you can see roads are slippery because some parts have ice. My son enjoyed stepping on the icy spots, just to crack the ice. 

Watch the video here. 


Day 13

Even though the weather is not nice, my mom still walks here and that’s what we did on Day 13. It was cold, windy, and rainy but she convinced us to walk outside. Living in a four-season country, you have to force yourself to walk even if the weather is cold or else, manghihina ka sa bahay. 

Day 20

When we first visited Norway, we experienced picking mussels at the shore and we cooked those mussels after. It was a nice experience so I told my mom that I wanted Ethan to experience it. But she said, til Easter lang daw nagpick ng mussels but we were in Røros that time. 



But after eating at Melissa, we went to Bruholmen to check if we can see mussels and crab but unfortunately, we did not see anything. Well, better luck next time.

Day 31, 32 and 33