Susanne and I first visited Norway in late November 2004. Not surprisingly, it was cold and snowy, especially inland, and away from the fjords. But any discomfort was far outweighed by the cozy ambience of our base, Oslo, and by Norway’s friendly people, interesting history, and almost unbelievably beautiful landscape.

Indeed, Norway is one of the most spectacular places a photographer (or anyone else) could ever hope to visit. And our 2007 Norwegian adventure, around the stunning Artic island chain known as Lofoten, only reinforced my initial impressions.

But be prepared. Norway can be expensive. The devalued dollar and unfavorable exchange rates in 2004 and 2007 certainly increased our costs. But $115 for a basic Tex-Mex dinner (in Oslo) is pricey under any circumstances, even if it does come with the bonus novelty of dining on (pretty good!) Mexican food in Scandinavia. And tragically, a pint of beer was about $10. On the bright side, this helped to limit the hangovers.

Despite the high prices, I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Norway, especially the wild far north. It’s a real adventure, and chances are, you’ve never been anything like it. By purchasing some meals at a supermarket instead of a restaurant, even budget-conscious travelers like us can have a wonderful experience in this stunning natural playground. Norway is clean, modern, and safe. And if you don’t want to drive, trains and ferries make it easy to get around. English is widely spoken, and the locals are educated and friendly.

Plus, aside from the few cities (Oslo, the capital and largest city, has about 580,000 people), Norway is practically empty. Here, you can explore immense tracts of extreme, uninhabited and breathtaking terrain, and still enjoy a good (if pricey) pint at the end of the day. It’s a special place. We’ve always left wanting to see much more.

Note about the photos: I have not included any images from our initial visit in 2004. There are a number of excellent images in that collection, but it is simply too time-consuming to scan all the old film. Obviously, this means we’ll have to return to southern and central Norway so I can re-photograph the areas we saw on that first trip.