When Dan and I first arrived in Trondheim a few weeks ago, it was cold. Like, really cold. Like, the end of July and 50 degrees out. Not only that, but it rained every single day. It was a little alarming, but I grew to accept that this new home of mine would simply always be cold and rainy. At least in the winter there would be snow! And no sunlight ever…
But then a few days ago something peculiar happened. I woke up to a sunny day, and instead of those dark clouds eventually rolling in, they stayed away. And then the next day it didn’t rain either. And then on Saturday it was 80 degrees outside. What? Apparently Trondheim does do summer!
For a girl who claims she prefers snowy winter days to sunny summer ones, I’ve spent a lot of my adult life living in places with perpetual summer. One of the things that most bothered me about those sunny climates, besides all the sunburns, was that I stopped appreciating the sun. In fact, I would often find myself praying for just a few clouds to come out. Maybe even some rain?
Norwegians, on the other hand, definitely appreciate the sun. Just a few rays of sunshine is enough to transform Trondheim into the pages of a beachwear catalog. And while I was tempted to tell the cashier at the supermarket that wearing a bikini top inside wasn’t going to help her with her tan, I admired her commitment to the season.
Eager to take part, on Saturday Dan and I made our way through the sunbathing bodies covering Trondheim’s streets, pushing our way through the students lining up to dive off of Trondheim’s bridges, to catch the tram up to Lian Lake.
Lian is just a twenty-minute tram ride from Trondheim’s city center, but I immediately felt like I had been whisked away on holiday to the southern coast of Norway. With people reading in the sun, children splashing around in the water, and hamburgers sizzling on grills, Lian felt like true summer. Sure the water was icy cold, but that didn’t stop us!
Okay, I didn’t make in past my ankles, but it didn’t stop Dan!
That’s his head poking out of the water, in case you couldn’t tell ^^
And just to make sure we were being Norwegian enough in our celebration of summer, we met up with some friends for some grilling in the park that night, along with every other resident of Trondheim.
Do you live somewhere cold enough to obsess over tiny glimpses of summer, or are you totally over the heat?
Rachel says
Haha, I totally obsess with sunny days, my god there have been few of those this year! I went two days in a row without socks last week, two whole days, it was amazing!
Lian looks lovely ❤
Silvia says
Haha wow! My flip flops broke when I got to Norway and I haven’t bothered replacing them – I’ve been wearing the same black boots everyday, haha.
Ola says
I like sunny days but I can’t hope with too much heat 🙂
Silvia says
I always think I want summer to be nice and hot, but then when it is I’m miserable!
Rebecca says
This place looks absolutely beautiful! Seems ideal having this beautiful countryside and the city life in such close proximity. Best of both worlds!
Silvia says
It really is, I was so happy when we found this lake!
Van (@snowintromso) says
No sunlight ever in wintertime? Haha, don’t be so dramatic! It’s Trondheim, not Svalbard 😀 Trondheim looks beautiful in the summer though!
Silvia says
Haha it’s better for me to brace myself for cloudy winter days with no sunlight, so then I can be pleasantly surprised! Sort of like how I had really assumed it would rain everyday here, ha.
Emily says
I’m sort of the opposite of you at the moment… I’ve been living in that perpetual summer for the past two years and now that we’re on the East Coast I’m overjoyed when it just starts pouring down rain! Although I can already tell that those ultra cloudy days are going to really get to me in no time.
Silvia says
Right? The grass is always greener…
Justine says
Um, are you writing this just to make me jealous? It’s like a million degrees in Phnom Penh. I would pretty much do anything for 80 degrees…or 50. It’s so hot here 🙁 But I do love it here, so I guess it’s okay!
Silvia says
Bahh I do not miss the heat of Southeast Asia!
Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki says
The weather in July sounds like our August weather here, it is cold! But when the sun comes out so does the entire population of Iceland! They call it sun guilt where you just can’t stay inside if the sun is out cause who knows when you will see it again.
Silvia says
I love that there’s a name for it! I definitely feel bad being inside when it’s sunny here.
Allison says
Amazing pictures – Trondheim looks gorgeous this time of year! I totally get what you mean with the weather, I grew up in North Carolina where it was always unbearably hot in the summer. Yet, whenever I go anywhere that’s less than 75 degrees in the Summer, I think it’s freezing!
Silvia says
It’s crazy how your body adjusts to different temperatures! Before living in Japan and Thailand I rarely got cold, and now I shiver when it’s 70 degrees out. Hopefully I’ll adapt to Norway soon!
Sarah says
I’m from the UK so I can definitely relate to making the most of the (very) minimal sunshine. The pictures are beautiful and I just want to dive into that lake (even if it is freezing).
Silvia says
It was freezing, but oh so tempting!
Emma says
Some beautiful pics, I managed a flying visit to Trondheim when visiting family a few years ago it was lovely and nice and cool. Like you I am not a summer girl.
Love the commitment to summer days that they have there though, always good to be grateful for little things! haha at grilling in the park, our family do that out in Norway a lot too. I can’t complain as I love that when I visit.
x
Silvia says
Grilling in the park is just the perfect summer activity 🙂
jennifer says
I truly hate the sun. I had to put on 100 SPF to walk to my train station (four blocks from my front door) this weekend and I still got tan. How does this even happen? Sigh. Maybe I would hate it less if my views when the sun were out, matched yours. Instead all we get here (in NYC) is the stench of urine.
Silvia says
I thought my skin was sensitive to the sun but wow! It sounds like you belong in a cloudy country, ha.
Mary B says
This is exactly how Portlanders react to sunshine! Suddenly there are a million backyard barbecues to attend, and everyone is walking around the park in their bathing suit, or swimming in freezing cold rivers. Those three months of sun make the rainy winters worth it. People are so much friendlier when the sun is out 🙂
Silvia says
It’s so funny how everyone seems to be in such a good mood when it’s sunny out! Though it makes me a little nervous for the winter…
Vanessa @ The Travelling Colognian says
That looks like a perfect scandinavian summer day, Silvia. We had several very hot days in late June and July where we often had between 85 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit, but since the last weekend dropped drastically. I like and can stand the heat quite well, exactly one year ago today I was in Dubai where it was 113 degrees and more in the daytime and still cozy 102 at night. In the evening I even had dinner outside, but I had to specifically ask for that and I was the only one at that restaurant. The facial expression of the waitress was priceless when I asked for a nice table outside, absolutely hilarious!
http://travellingcolognian.com/2015/08/17/one-day-in-kanchanaburi/
Silvia says
I’m not surprised they didn’t expect you to want to eat outside in that crazy heat!
Melanie Fontaine says
This certainly corresponds with the Norway I know! 😉 Because it was always just so darn rainy in Bergen, every sunny day felt especially beautiful and you just couldn’t help, but go outside! I did, however, also develop an appreciation for rainy weather – when we had rain and grey clouds for the first time in weeks in my part of Germany last week, I definitely noticed how much happier I was with the clouds! Weird, I know! 😉 But I blame Norway! 🙂 You already make me miss this country!
Silvia says
I hope that means I’m going to develop a love for rainy and cold weather… otherwise I think I’m in trouble, ha.
Camille says
I had the same experience in Bergen in June! I happened to be there on a sunny day and everyone seemed a bit over-excited, like it was their first time seeing the sun in years!
Silvia says
Whoa, sun in Bergen? It probably was the first time in years! haha
Maria's Adventure says
Trondheim is such a lovely place during summer (or at least the few days we have OK weather)!
Silvia says
It is! I wasn’t sure if I loved Trondheim at first, but then the sun came out and I was so happy 🙂
Danika says
Hello, I’ve just found your blog and am all over it now. I love your posts and pictures. We went to Norway last year and I just simply fell in love with it. Right now we live in Tokyo but I’m dreaming of moving there someday, hopefully not so far in the future. Your post about moving to Norway was very insightful and supportive of this dream! Thanks!
In a totally different note, I was wondering if you can share about your gadgets for taking your beautiful, beautiful photos? I love them (especially the color hue and tone) Am following your IG too. :))
Looking so much forward to reading more about your life in Norway!