Bergen to Copenhagen

travel day. after breakfast with Ingfrid I said goodbye to Emily and Miss Lily and their beautiful home. Ingfrid gave me a card, and I left one for her on my bedside table. she drove me to the airport, and I made it to Copenhagen without my passport being checked at all. journalled at the departure gate, slept on the plane.

after checking in to my hostel I went for a wander, but it’s freezing here - so I’ll have to think of new ways to spend my evenings. I’ll miss my night walks.

I know nothing about this city, so I’ll do some research tonight and find something to do tomorrow. maybe there’s some art for me to see. lucky to be warm in my room tonight. <<

Ingfrid

a day with Ingfrid. late morning breakfast together with toast and cheeses, calling mum and dad to say hello. Ingfrid drove us into town where we visited the gingerbread town before wandering the lanes by the docks, windowshopping our way through art stores with walls full of gorgeous prints and paintings. cinnamon scrolls for a snack - just like the ones Ingfrid would make for us back in Tasmania when we were kids.

we returned home as the sun was setting and prepared an early dinner, which we enjoyed with Emily. Ingfrid lit us a fire. when Tomas arrived, Ingrid leant me her jacket and the three of us ventured into the cold for a walk. the air was icey, but we soldiered on around the lake, picking up cream from the shops for our hot chocolates.

I laughed a lot with Ingfrid today. as well as a role model and guardian of sorts, she has become a dear friend to me, and I will really miss spending time with her. the example she sets of total humility and generosity challenges me deeply, and I hope that I can be more like her as I move into wherever this next chapter of my life is heading.

leaving tomorrow for Denmark in the afternoon. sad to go, but grateful to have had the chance to be one of the Fonns again. <<

Bergen etc.

took a trip with Emily into the city today. we spent a couple of hours at the natural history museum before meeting Tomas (her boyfriend) and buying groceries for dinner. back home we cooked for Maria and Adrian, and had a fun time revisiting photo albums Ingfrid had made during their time living in Tasmania.

Ingfrid came home late after spending the evening with her father. we chatted about our families among other things. she listens intently and I feel as though she really cares about me. I treasure her company.

on Sunday afternoon I’ll be leaving Bergen for Copenhagen. the time here has really flown, and it’s odd to think how long it might be until I can see Ingfrid again. having so many people to miss is a blessing and I need to remember this. <<

Miss Lily

lots of walking today. after calling Blake and organising a little more of my itinerary, I took myself for a walk around the neighbourhood. streams had frozen over in the cold, and the sun was already making its slow descent by 2:30. bussing into town, I met Maria. we shopped for groceries and walked up the hill to her flat, where we made tacos with her boyfriend Adrian. the view of the city was stunning, and it was funny to see Maria existing as an adult independent of her mother, cooking and showing me around her own home.

I walked home, admiring the lights of the city and stopping to buy some of my favourite Norwegian milk chocolate on the way. hot chocolates with Emily watching netflix nonsense on the couch. Miss Lily (the cat) purred by my side, snoring happily as we laughed. Ingfrid arrived home around 10, and we stayed up chatting and laughing until we realised it was well past when we should have been in bed.

I treasure my time here. it feels like home and I only wish it wasn’t so far from where I spend most of my time. so much for me to miss. <<

Fonn house

I arrived in Bergen to a welcome party of three: Ingfrid, Maria and Emily holding a sign bearing my name - Daniel Fonn. big hugs and excitement in the freezing cold (and it’s not even winter yet!) a warm welcome despite the chill, a joy to be reunited with my Norwegian family.

I slept in this morning, relishing a room to myself after nearly a month straight in hostel dorms. Emily and I spent the day together wandering through Bergen, updating each other on our lives and talking about what’s been on our minds. I dabbled in some of my favourite foods from last time, sharing a block of Norwegian milk chocolate with Emily and enjoying some brown cheese on toast for lunch.

for dinner we met Ingfrid and Maria in town at a Japanese place, where we tucked in to a buffet of sushi and other goodies. an absolute treat! back home Maria and I chatted about the latest in our lives, planning what she wanted to show me during my stay here and what I’d like to show her when she visits us over the summer.

I stayed up chatting to Ingfrid before bed. there is a humility to this person that cannot be rivalled, and I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude to my parents for bringing someone so kind and authentic into my life. Ingfrid opens her home and family to me, and her care for me makes me feel a little more grounded, as though it is okay for me to not know where it is I’m going.

I feel held and supported here, regardless of my lack of direction. it’s a privilege for me to witness such kindness. <<

London to Bergen

and so I leave this funny place. a lot of ghosts here, many of whom are happy memories. it’s been strange to be back: cathartic, surreal, confusing … it’s a privilege for me to revisit a place that has given so much to me. strange feelings. I leave England with the same uncertainty with which I arrived - unsure of where I’m going and who I am. excited to see the Fonn’s in Norway. <<

the good day

Joel and I decided last night that our last full day together would be the good day. I think a combination of our yucky hostel and missing our friends had worn our spirits down, and the idea of making at least one final day a happy one was a nice thing to hope for. after a run through the fog this morning, I met Joel for breakfast downstairs in the cramped kitchen. leaving the hostel, we caught the bus into the city, scoring the front row of the upper deck, with a perfect view of the road ahead - the start of a good day.

after video calling mum and spending some time with Sunny, we made our way along the Thames to the TATE modern, where we spent a couple of hours wandering. Joel enjoyed seeing some Picasso and Dali, and by the time we left the building speckles of blue were emerging through the grey skies. our trip to the closest TESCO express was a success - with both of our respective meal deal options instock despite being prime time for lunch. we enjoyed our feast by the water, accompanied by a lady feeding swans along the bank below, and a man making bubbles that danced on the wind in our direction.

the good day only got better in the afternoon - we met up with Alec and his partner Lucy for coffee near the borough markets, where we spoke and laughed for hours til the sun had well and truly disappeared. after our goodbyes, Joel and I ventured across the river in search of dinner, eventually treating ourselves to a warm meal (minestrone soup and a halloumi wrap)

in our park by the hostel we snacked on chocolate and chips from TESCO, visited once more by our friend the fox. a good day. we laughed about how we’d managed to pull it off. I’m going to miss Joel. being with him gives me permission to be a kid again, which means a lot to me.

the UK has once again been a wild ride of emotions for me. strange to be leaving again without ever knowing when I’ll be back. I remind myself how lucky I have been to have felt so much here. this place will always matter to me. <<