It was a situation I would normally have relished: stuck in a comfortable mountain hut with a bar, restaurant and sauna. A blizzard raging outside. Warm on the inside. Board games and books available. This was Norway and the four of us knew not to overdo the beer and snacks. Yet, when the storm relented and we were free to leave, I got the bill. My heart only restarted when I thought about the extra expense of a cardiac arrest.
I suppose many visitors to Scandinavia go through a similar moment of financial panic. It usually happens, like mine, on the first trip. Think of it as a learning curve, like the one traced by Eddie the Eagle as he plummeted prematurely earthwards after a moment of graceful flight. It’s one of life’s supreme challenges: how does one make Scandinavia affordable? Perhaps it’s impossible, but at least we’ll give it our best shot.
