Blogs from Trøndelag, Norway, Europe

Nukuin huonosti. Heräsin klo 5. Kun en saanut unta, menin aamiaiselle klo 6.30. Kävin unessa klo 7 ja klo 8.30 välillä ja menin vielä uudestaan aamiaiselle, jolloin otin myös kahvia. Sade oli alkanut. Vietiin tavarat autoon. Jukka poikkesi Tiimaria muistuttavassa kaupassa, ja yhdessä käytiin viinakaupassa. Mentiin vielä katsomaan suurta kirkkoa. Jukka ajoi koko matkan, reittinä Frösön, Äre. Taukopaikkana oli Storlien ennen rajaa. Viehättävä puukahvila, mutta siellä ei ollut vessaa. Pääsin käymään vessassa viereisessä talossa paikan pitäjän kotona. Norjan puolella pysähdyttiin tankkaamaan. Trondheimissa ajettiin keskustahotelliin, jonka vieressä oli parkkitalo. Auto sinne. Trondheimissa oli niin lämmintä, että vaihdoin sortsit. Löydettiin riittävän kansanomainen olutterassi, ja puhuttiin sekaisin englantia ja skandinaavisia kieliä. Solsidanin kalliit ravintolat ohitimme. Käytiin keb... read more

Viewpoint Snohetta A 50 km au Sud d’Oppdal et 30 km au Nord de Dombas, on accède au point de vue à pied par une piste de plus ou moins 2 km. Comme JJ n’avait pas trop envie de monter là-haut… je lui ai demandé de s’occuper dans Pollux au parking afin que je puisse faire cette montée qui promettait une belle arrivée tout là-haut… Me voici donc partie vers non seulement un bijou d’architecture conçu par un cabinet réputé auquel on doit aussi l’Opéra d’Oslo, la Biliotheca Alexandrina en Egypte, une partie du Mémorial du World Trade Center à New York et Lascaux 4. On avoue ne pas trop savoir comment le qualifier : s’agit-il d’une œuvre d’art ou d’une œuvre architecturale ? d’une réalisation de la nature ? nous dit le Routard… Personnellement je ... read more

As we needed to leave the hotel at 7:30 this morning, I was up at 6:15 to get ready and have breakfast. We had a short walk to the station, as we are staying in it! Our train was due to depart at 8:04 and we were there in plenty of time. Once on board and bags were stowed, we could settle in to enjoy the journey. Our trip to Trondheim would take six and a half hours so there was lots of time to chill. The scenery along the way was simply stunning - we travelled alongside the biggest lake in Norway for quite a while and then at other times there would be fast flowing rivers alongside the train and mountains either side. The train had wifi on board and I enjoyed catching up ... read more

I stood by the final marker in front of Nidarosdomen four days ago. This wasn't the last walk, but it did mark the end of a journey over a month and about 560 km that is the northernmost Christian pilgrimage route in the world. On Friday, I attended the Pilgrim service, where they announce that 58 pilgrims had arrived the previous day, including one Australian. Two more Australians, Jason and Annette from Goulburn had arrived that day and were acknowledged the following day at the last pilgrim service before the St Olav vigil on Olsok eve. There were nearly 160 pilgrims arrive with them. Trondheim celebrates Olsok- St Olav's feast day with a range of events that to an Australian are far more openly religious than would happen at home. Olsok eve starts with a pilgrim ... read more

I'm not sure what I expected from today's walk. I knew it was only about 10 km to get to Stiklestad, and that the road passed the fields where Olav's army rested on the night before they went into battle at Stiklestad. More recently, a massive earth slip one night killed over 100 people in their sleep, a national disaster for Norway. What I wasn't expecting was the smoke haze drifting across the mountains from the bushfires in Sweden. I had read the news reports about the concerns about fire danger in the areas where I was going to walk, and it was regularly mentioned along the way that it was unseasonably hot. So it should not have been a surprise, but it was a little disturbing to realize this was coming from places close to ... read more