Norwegian Mini Potato Lefse

I left Norway a few days ago and I missed it so much, that I made a Norwegian breakfast which is potato lefse. It’s like pancakes, but based on cooked potatoes. It reminds me of polish potato pancakes, the difference is that we don’t cook the potatoes, but fry it raw (link). I also made other Norwegian breakfasts, like open sandwiches with cream cheese or scrambled eggs and salmon and a bit of greens, but as simple as it is, I’ll post it next time.

Lefse should be rolled, but as I have been living in the van for the past two months, I have a very limited kitchen equipment. I simply made smaller versions, which I flatten in my hand. It tastes amazing, so I assume it worked well. Apparently the best way to eat it is with a bit of a butter and a cinnamon sugar. I still had some fruits in a fridge, so I broke this rule. Once again, it tastes really good with peaches, so why not.

I am working on a Norway guide and it will come later, but for now I just have to share, that this is one of the most stunning countries I’ve ever been to. I don’t even know how to start describing it. When we went to Lofoten I said “ok, we’re done over here, there can’t possibly be anything more beautiful in this country”. Lofoten looks like someone took huge mountains like the Alps and placed them in a water. All the tiny houses made it so special. Within the next days Tomasz left and it was me and Mia. Do you know how it is when you travel with someone for a couple of weeks and then this person leaves? You become a bit sad. I’ve decided to skip north of Norway (North Cape) and head to Finland. I drove about 150km and I started to have this strange feeling that I’m missing on something. I listen to my feelings so I turned back (I also have no schedule, so I can change my mind a lot). I went to the North Cape and it happened. I saw hills covered with a green grass, reindeers everywhere and I stood there and I started to cry out of happiness. It happens to me when I see something that makes me truly happy. When I was on the beginning of my travel in Scandinavia I stopped in Olivia’s boathouse and her mom asked me what was the most beautiful place I’ve seen. My answer was “No idea, hard to choose”. But now I’d say Norway. My travel over here was so unique and beautiful. Once I opened a door at 6 am to drink my coffee outside and I saw group of reindeers sleeping just in front of my door. The fiords were breathtaking and it made me feel how great and big world is and how small we are. But more of this in a guide.

For now a bit more of my present life. I get so many messages asking how it is to travel in a camper van with 2 year old. I wrote about it many times, but I will again. It is easy. Really easy. It may be because Mia is so easy, but most probably more thanks to my understanding, that travelling with her means being with her. During my first “on the road adventure” with Mia in New Zealand I learned a lot and during this trip I am wiser. Here are few of my observations:

– I need my sleep. Which means that I cannot stay up late while Mia is sleeping to work more, because I will be tired the next day, which means I won’t have energy and my level of tolerance will be much lower – this means trouble.

– when I plan activities I plan according to what is possible and what not really. Going for a 2h trekking with Mia is not possible as she will get bored. I can try to carry her all the way up, but she simply won’t be interested. So instead, I go to places I can reach by car (far too many) and we play a lot over there.

– I do pay attention to Mia. When she starts to misbehave while I’m driving, it means that she’s tired of it. This is when I look for the first parking and play with her like crazy. We run, jump, dance, chase each other, sometimes we colour her books. When she’s satisfied, we can drive some more.

– there’s Mia time each day and it’s a long time. She needs to run, play, laugh and be a centre of my world. I love this time and it takes a lot of our time. But this is the main reason of this travel – to hang out with my kid.

– I work mostly when she sleeps. I go to bed early, usually with Mia but I get up early as well – 5-6am and I work. I have about 4-5h and then she wakes. Sometimes I need some more time to finish something and cartoons are very helpful. But whenever she comes to me and says “mom, lets go”, I go.

There were so many situations that made me super happy. Sitting on the stairs of my car, looking at a sunrise with a cup of coffee, explaining Mia what the reindeer is while watching them eat. I could cry out of happiness. But there are difficult moments as well. In the end, I am the only parent there and the only adult. And believe me or not, I am not a Supermom and I do get tired. So when Mia asks me for a piece of chocolate, then she changes her mind and wants cocoa, then she changes into a jam sandwich and then she asks for a sausage (after I make it all), I get annoyed. She also gets tired and she can be super annoyed. It is a training for nerves at times. But what helps me is to remember, that she’s not a tiny mean creature and she’s not trying to make me crazy. She needs something and she does not know how to communicate it.

After two months on the road I can say that being on the road with Mia is somehow easier than being at home. There are interesting new views and situations all the time. She’s outside most of the time and she loves it. Even when it rains I put her yellow waterproof overall on her and she runs like crazy (unfortunately I do run with her and I don’t own one).

I remember when a few days ago we were in the forest and she said “lets go domku” which in her mix of languages means “lets go home”. I got sad and thought that the trip is over because I will not travel with her when she doesn’t like it anymore. When we returned to the van, she got all happy and said “auto domku!”.She meant the car. So it looks like we still have 2 more months of travel 🙂

The recipe comes from kitchn