Sjåk-ingly good fun

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Here's the thing, I had written an especially amusing blog about my recent trip to Norway. Unfortunately, the servers went down, I lost my scribblings, and I'm unable to muster the effort to start from scratch. This being the case, you'll have to settle for a number of photos, an intinerary, and this link detailing a recent visit by Morten Harket to some kind of wind farm:

Important Morten News

20th July - Arrive in Oslo. Meet friends. Have expensive beer. See junkie injecting heroin. Visit museums. Visit park. Drink whisky.
21st July - Drive to Sjåk. Nice scenery. Stop in Lillehammer to try out the bob-sleigh. Have roadside picnic. Buy elk sausage (and jumbo novelty ruler). Meet another friend. Drink beer.
22nd July - Watery fun in Sjåk. Go canyoning in the morning (cold water, spectacularly good fun). Rafting in the afternoon (get wet again). Jump into large wave several times. Drink beer.
23rd July - Get up early and walk up a 900 foot knife edge ridge in the rain. Almost die several times. Drink beer. Play charades.
24th July - Potholing in the morning (dirty good fun). See vulture. Go wakeboarding in the river in the evening (fail to be at all successful in catching the wave). Drink beer with the locals.
25th July - 8 hour drive back to Bergen with a sore head. Eat at Burger King. Admire the astonishingly expensive caviar, salmon and wolf pelts. Have a look at the old town. Head to the airport.

So that's it for now. I never realised how much fun Norway could be. Next big trip is to Nepal (again) and Tibet in October.

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Photos

After the bob in Lillehammer.
Wobbly legs.

At the top of the waterfall.
Getting ready to get wet.

Man in anguish.
(Next to famous painting). Munch obviously disliked Mondays as much as I do.

On top of Besseggen Ridge.
Great views.

Green water one side, blue the other.
Just out of shot: an eldery Britsh couple frozen with fear to the top of the ridge.

Satisfying grilling by the riverside.
Discussing the many cutural chasms between Norway and Britain ('You mean you don't have dried onions on your wieners in Britain???').

Pensive Viking.
Wearing the compulsory national dress (designed by Morten), and contemplating having another Arse (a brand of beer, possibly misspelled).

Having whisky in Oslo.
Traditional Norwegian pre-party (with amusing novelty shot glasses from London).

Getting ready for Grøting.
Camilla with emergency Tuborg (beer).

Arild and Benedicte.
Only one Viking hat was available in Sjåk, so we had to take turns wearing it.

Probably the most expensive lager in the world.
Overlooking the Oslo fjørd. The same price as a small house in Yorkshire.

Our rafting / juving / groting guide.
Bene about to subject us to yet more physical activity.

Sliding down a waterfall.
Elbows in!

Viking sirens.
The pad in Sjåk. Complaints from the neighbours ensued.

Harry, the nodding dog.
Named after the Norwegian slang for 'Chav'. Interestingly, chavs in Norway also wear shell suits and have caravans.

The national dish.
Toppings chosen by Morten. Apparently, new flavours receive national press coverage.

Two random Norwegians I bumped into in Bergen.
These humble shopkeepers made a living selling fox pelts and cured fish to Germans.

Deep underground.
(Photo taken by passing troll).

Comments

[s seaman]

trip to Norway
I loved looking at your pictures as I lived in Norway for 6 years.I have been to the summit of a lot of their high peaks and beseggen is one of them. My family and I made the 9 hour trek with our family dog. She loved it but was the most tired I have ever seen her. She is a Norwegian flat coated retriever. Born and Bred in Stavanger. Looking at the pictures made me homesick for that beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.