Western Norway: Roadway To Heaven
Outlook Traveller|December 2015

Nitin Chaudhary takes a long and winding road through Western Norway, and drinks in its scenic - if perilously distracting - sights.

Nitin Chaudhary
Western Norway: Roadway To Heaven

“To understand a city, learn its streets. To decrypt a nation, read its roads.” So I was once advised.

Somewhere between Flam and Geiranger, in western Norway, I chased a furtive road. It bent at improbable angles to hide behind the mountains, and reappeared in a truncated form, half eaten by the clouds that had descended unannounced, regaining form again only to slope down and dissolve into a the local tourists prefer the lærdal tunnel, which passes through three mountain halls patiently waiting fjord. A ferry would connect me to the asphalt hanging loose at the other end, from where the pursuit began all over again. The pattern had repeated itself many times over the 2,000km or so that I had spanned in Norway so far.

I stepped out for a breather. The valley was quiet except for the slow thump of the marine engine. The sun was hidden behind the mountains, its absence rendering a touch of gloominess to the ambience. Noticing me standing alone on the top deck in quiet reflection, Reidar approached me. He spoke English haltingly, but with enough clarity to facilitate a conversation. I had noticed him earlier driving a Tesla Model S behind me, and had waved out.

“So why am I noticing Teslas all over Norway?” I asked as we sipped coffee to palliate the chill of the wind.

“Well, Tesla’s second-largest market in the entire world is this tiny country,” Reidar explained with a certain seriousness. “We value cars that are environment friendly, and if you buy an electric car, the annual registration fee is waived, as are tolls, and you get access to less-congested traffic lanes.”

この記事は Outlook Traveller の December 2015 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Outlook Traveller の December 2015 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

OUTLOOK TRAVELLERのその他の記事すべて表示
Chutneys For Every Season
Outlook Traveller

Chutneys For Every Season

GROWING UP IN JHARKHAND, I've always been enchanted by the state's culinary landscape. Here, the local cuisine never fails to surprise with its depth and variety.

time-read
3 分  |
August - September 2024
BADGE OF HONOUR
Outlook Traveller

BADGE OF HONOUR

IN THE DYNAMIC LANDSCAPE of tourism, where greenwashing often taints sustainability, certifications can help distinguish between genuine efforts and marketing gimmicks. Green certification systems encourage businesses to enhance their environmental credentials.

time-read
1 min  |
August - September 2024
WHEELS OF TIME
Outlook Traveller

WHEELS OF TIME

IN 1947, TRAINS CARRYING REFUGEES ACROSS THE BORDER WERE SYMBOLIC OF THE TUMULT OF THE PARTITION.

time-read
4 分  |
August - September 2024
RAILS OF THE Raj
Outlook Traveller

RAILS OF THE Raj

FROM ITS CONCEPTION TO ITS ROLE IN THE NATION'S HISTORY, THE BRITISH INDIAN RAILWAYS IS A PHENOMENON MARKED AS MUCH BY MARVEL AS AVARICE

time-read
3 分  |
August - September 2024
THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD
Outlook Traveller

THE RHYTHM OF BOLLYWOOD

FROM THE RAILROAD THRILLER MISS FRONTIER MAIL 1936) TO SHAH RUKH KHAN DANCING ON A TRAIN IN DIL SE' 1998), TRAINS HAVE GIVEN UNFORGETTABLE SONG SEQUENCES TO MANY HINDI FILMS

time-read
4 分  |
August - September 2024
MEMORY'S OASIS
Outlook Traveller

MEMORY'S OASIS

REMEMBRANCES OF GROWING UP IN SEALDAH RAILWAY OFFICERS COLONY IN KOLKATA

time-read
4 分  |
August - September 2024
A FAREWELL × TO FLAVOURS
Outlook Traveller

A FAREWELL × TO FLAVOURS

FROM CUTLETS AND RAILWAY MUTTON CURRY IN DINING CARS TO THE UNREMARKABLE FARE AVAILABLE TODAY, THE JOURNEY OF FOOD ON THE INDIAN RAILWAY IS FASCINATING

time-read
3 分  |
August - September 2024
HERITAGE ON THE TRACKS
Outlook Traveller

HERITAGE ON THE TRACKS

THE ICONIC DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY, FONDLY CALLED THE TOY TRAIN,' HAS HELD ITS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE STATUS SINCE 1999

time-read
4 分  |
August - September 2024
HIDDEN LIVES
Outlook Traveller

HIDDEN LIVES

SPANNING 65,000 KILOMETRES THROUGH DENSELY POPULATED INDIA, THE RAILWAYS ARE A BACKDROP TO COUNTLESS STORIES. 'THE UNRESERVED' BY FILMMAKER SAMARTH MAHAJAN CAPTURES A FEW

time-read
4 分  |
August - September 2024
JOURNEYS WITHIN AND WITHOUT
Outlook Traveller

JOURNEYS WITHIN AND WITHOUT

FOR IMTIAZ ALI, TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE TRANSFORMATIVE, OFFERING GLIMPSES OF INDIA'S DIVERSE SOCIETY AND ITS MANY CULTURES AND RELIGIONS

time-read
5 分  |
August - September 2024