Saturday and Sunday, August 1–2, 2026

Saturday began in the best possible way with another wonderful family breakfast.

The table was once again filled with food, coffee and the people we love. We talked and laughed. Enjoying a slow start to the day, we felt a little sadness hanging over us. My girls were heading back home to Tønsberg that afternoon.

Still, we had time for one more adventure together before they left.

Maya Angelou once said:
“We don’t know how or why love occurs. Truthfully, we don’t know that even gravity isn’t a kind of love.”

Perhaps that is why these ordinary family mornings feel so special. Love seems to pull everyone toward the same table, keeping us there long after breakfast should have ended.

A Morning Hike to Steiroheia

Before driving to the airport, we fit in a hike to Steiroheia. The mountain rises just behind my parents’ house.

The trails through Sortlandsmarka and up toward Steiroheia are among Sortland’s most popular and frequently used outdoor areas. For my parents, however, this beautiful landscape is practically their backyard.

We brought my parents’ dog with us. She is only one and a half years old, and taking her on the hike turned the peaceful mountain walk into something closer to organised chaos.

She had to smell absolutely everything.

Every plant, stone, muddy patch and mysterious mark on the trail required a thorough investigation. She also tried to eat whatever she discovered along the way, whether it was edible or not. Instead of pulling us eagerly uphill, she often needed so much encouragement that it almost felt as though we were dragging her up the mountain.

She clearly had her own ideas about how a hike should be done.

Despite the canine chaos, it was a beautiful walk. The weather was lovely, and the higher we climbed, the more the view opened around us. Sortland, the water and the surrounding mountains stretched out beneath the bright northern sky.

It was the perfect way to spend our final hours together before the girls had to leave.

The Drive to Evenes

That afternoon, we packed the car and began the long drive to Evenes.

The sun was shining, and Northern Norway showed itself from its very best side. The landscape seemed to glow around us, with mountains rising beside the road and sunlight dancing across the water.

We had allowed plenty of time for the journey, which meant we could stop for dinner before continuing to the airport.

We ate at Tjeldsundkroa, located beside Tjeldsundbrua and only about 18 kilometres from Harstad/Narvik Airport, Evenes. The restaurant describes itself as a natural stopping place for travellers, and it certainly was the perfect location for our final meal together before the flight.

There was something bittersweet about sitting there.

We were enjoying good food and still laughing together, but the airport was waiting just a short drive away. The weekend had passed far too quickly, as good weekends always seem to do.

Soon, it was time to say goodbye and send my girls home to Tønsberg.

No matter how old your children become, saying goodbye never becomes completely easy.

Sunshine on the Road Home

After leaving the girls at Evenes, the two of us began the drive back to Sortland.

The journey passed surprisingly quickly. The weather remained beautiful, and we enjoyed the scenery just as much on the way home as we had earlier in the day.

There is something calming about driving through Northern Norway in sunshine. Every turn in the road seems to reveal another mountain, fjord or view that makes you want to stop the car.

By the time we arrived back at my parents’ house, there was still enough energy left for a little practical work.

We gave their entrance area a fresh coat of wood stain. It felt good to help with something useful, especially after my parents had welcomed us so warmly and made our visit so comfortable.

The evening ended around the table with another round of card games.

After hiking, driving, saying goodbye, driving again and staining the entrance, sitting down with a deck of cards felt like exactly the right ending to the day.

Sunday at the Hurtigruten Museum

Sunday began, naturally, with breakfast.

Afterward, we took my parents with us to the Hurtigruten Museum in Stokmarknes.

I had heard good things about the museum, but it was even more impressive than expected. It is built around the complete former coastal ship MS Finnmarken from 1956, which now stands on dry land inside a spectacular modern protective building. Visitors can step aboard and explore areas including the bridge, radio room, chart room, cargo spaces, post room and historic lounges.

Walking around such a large ship while knowing that it was no longer floating felt rather strange at first.

The museum does an excellent job of bringing the history of Hurtigruten to life. It is not simply a collection of photographs and objects behind glass. You can actually enter the ship, walk through its rooms and imagine the passengers and crew travelling along the Norwegian coast.

The preserved interiors provide a glimpse into another era of coastal travel, when Hurtigruten was not only a passenger service but also an essential connection between isolated communities.

It is genuinely worth visiting, even for someone who does not consider themselves especially interested in ships.

Fun Fact

Fun fact: The Hurtigruten Museum describes MS Finnmarken as the world’s only complete Hurtigruten ship displayed as a museum exhibit.

The entire ship has effectively become part of the building, almost like an enormous ship inside a glass bottle.

Sea Trout for Dinner

After returning from Stokmarknes, we prepared a fantastic dinner made with sea trout.

After a morning spent exploring maritime history, eating fresh fish felt wonderfully appropriate.

The meal was absolutely delicious, and once again, we found ourselves gathered around the table enjoying good food and one another’s company.

There had been many experiences during the weekend, but some of my favourite moments were still the simplest ones: sitting around a family table, sharing a meal and having time to talk.

A First Taste of Kleppmelk

Later, we drove to Forfjord.

There, my boyfriend tasted kleppmelk for the very first time.

Kleppmelk is a traditional Norwegian dish made by dropping spoonfuls of dough into hot milk and allowing the small dumplings -known as klepper -to cook in it. The dough is typically made with egg, milk and flour, sometimes with a little sugar and cardamom. The dish has also been known by names such as bollemelk, klotmjølk and kromvelling, and it was traditionally served as a dessert or evening meal.

It is one of those traditional dishes that can be difficult to explain properly to someone who has never tasted it.

“Dumplings cooked in milk” may not sound especially exciting, but kleppmelk is warm, filling and deeply connected to memories of home for many people in Northern Norway.

Watching someone taste a familiar childhood dish for the first time is always entertaining. Food carries so much history, and sharing it is like offering someone a small piece of your own upbringing.

Another Evening Around the Table

After our visit to Forfjord, we returned to my parents’ house for another evening of games.

The days here have been full, but the evenings have had their own gentle rhythm: cards on the table, familiar voices in the room and the beautiful northern landscape waiting quietly outside the windows.

Now, I am sitting here looking at the view from my parents’ house.

The mountains are still there. The light lingers over the landscape, and everything feels peaceful.

We have only one full day left.

I imagine tomorrow will include a trip into town and perhaps some gardening. There are always jobs to be done, and I would like to help my parents as much as possible before we leave.

Our visit is slowly coming to an end, but the memories are already piling up: long breakfasts, mountain paths, a wonderfully chaotic young dog, sunny drives, airport goodbyes, practical work, card games, maritime history, sea trout and a first taste of kleppmelk.

These may seem like small things on their own.

Together, they are what family life is made of.

Motto from Nordè

The richest weekends are filled not with perfect plans, but with mountain paths, family tables and the small ways we care for one another.

Tonje