For Arne Berg, his trip to Norway wasn’t to take some fancy pictures on Instagram. It was a journey to connect to his familial roots. From August 28 to September 7, Berg traveled to the town of Førde (pronounced forty) and to Jølster (pronounced yolster) Lake. He stayed with one cousin in Førde and one cousin in Jølster.
Berg gave a presentation on his trip at the Rotary Club but also spoke one-on-one with the Journal. His grandparents on his father’s side grew up on Jølster Lake and Berg said he wanted to see where his “grandparents grew up as kids, experience the lake, and fishing on the lake.” He wasn’t traveling to unfamiliar territory going to Norway. This was his third time traveling to the Scandinavian country, but his first traveling to Jølster and Førde. The first time he traveled to the city’s capital Oslo and to the popular ski resort area Lillehammer.
Showing pictures from his trip, the picturesque mountains were one of the amazing sights that stood out for Berg. “The mountains look so vertical compared to our Rockies. Our Rockies are big open valleys with high peaks. You go from the water to the mountain top and it’s very steep,” he said.
Even though this was out in the country, what caught Berg’s eye was the way old and new technology were both utilized.
“I like the contrast between the old and the new. You have centuries of history here on one side and state-of-the-art buildings, electric cars, hydro plants on the other,” he said. “I’m looking at the very old and the very new at the same time. I am appreciating both.”
If you ever plan a trip to the scenic country of Norway, Arne Berg would be happy to tell you more in detail about his journey
