Hiking with Esther From Østerbø to Vassbygdi

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I made it...I made it...la la la laaaaa! So feeling a little dirty from a long long long flight....I am greeted by the beautiful smile of my norwegian comrade...Esther.....I was immediately filled with the wonderful clean smell of Pine that permeated the OSLO airport and all the ho ha from the last 24hours evaporated. I made it here and NOTHING is going to stop me from enjoying every cotton picking second!

Had a shower...slept in the land where the sun does not go down....and woke to get ready to go for our 6 hour ride to Osterbo.

We drove through the hills and fjords which soon turned to mountains. The landscape was absolutely awesome....I asked Esther if Norwegians appreciate the wonderful backdrop that is their home....and as I guess we all do when we are surrounded by beauty all the time...she said .they take it for granted. Well I certainly was not and it was amazing.

We had a nice salmon lunch in a small town and then went off the track to look at a very old church that dates back to 1200 something. It is termed a Stavkyrkje.....and holds much history and is coveted and honoured by norwegians as it is steeped in the viking beginnings. Besides the awesome architecture.....we lucked out.....AGAIN...and got a guided tour by Marianne...who went through all the symbolism of the church...sang us a ditty from atop the altar...esther rocked out on the very old organ that plays like brand new...she locked me up to a iron collar used for women that had bastard children....and showed me the tiny coffins that were escavated from the bottom of the church floor boards......she made me guess what it was....I guess a tiny coffin....she slapped me on the back and said YOU ARE RIGHT...it was for the aborted children....man alive that is crazy stuff.

Eventually we arrived in Østerbø after we passed many great picture taking spots and slept the night with the sound of one of a billion waterfalls I was to see the next day, falling in the background. Amazing. The air is amazing....and even the sheep SHIITE smells better. Nightie night....we have a 6 hour hike from 850m......down to....well way lower. CAN't wait!

Oh and I forgot to mention....I FOUND A MOOSE! Once a Canadian Always a canadian

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Photos

The Church
Incredible...high on a hill so everyone around can see it from whereever they are!

Marianne Sings
Voice of an angel

Chained bastard
Cant believe people did this kind of thing.....but....have we really evolved that much?

Esther Rocks the Church
What out Elton John Esther Verburg is Coming!

Canadian finds a moose
Leave it to me to find the moose....

Taking snaps of the Beauty
AWESOME...many photos in the make