Number 9 - Another Beautiful Day in Bōmlo

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Blog 9 - Friday July 5
From Beach to Bluff
or A Swim in the Sea and A March Up the Mountain
A day of swimming, cycling and hiking!

I woke up this morning prepared to do what we were going to do yesterday but nobody was willing. I was determined this morning would be different so I showed up in the main room of the house in my swimsuit and said OK it’s time to go. Much to my amazement after some cajoling the others got dressed and we headed to the spot I had found on our bikes. I found this spot on our first day here when I had taken a ride to the end of our road and it seemed the perfect spot for a dip in the North Sea. Isabelle was to be our designated videographer. I wasn’t sure any of them would actually do it but I was determined. There was much screaming and laughing but it was great fun even though the water was definitely very cold. After our first dip we decided it wasn’t sufficient and headed back in as you can see in the video to be posted after this. Once our plunge had been completed we hopped back on our bikes and headed home for breakfast and another bike ride.

Having completed our North Sea polar bear plunge and a hearty breakfast we headed off on our bikes to meet Aud Karin and her husband, Reidar (a different Reidar than has been discussed in prior posts) at the trailhead of the only mountain on the island. We had basic directions that I had loaded into my GPS so we headed merrily down the road on our bicycles. What we thought would be a one hour ride took two. We didn’t have so many wrong turns as we did discussions about whether we had gone the wrong way or taken the wrong turn. With a little irritation but much laughter we made it to our destination.

What we thought would be a stroll in the woods was pretty serious hiking and rock scrambling. It was a tough climb for me as my knees have never been good and are now less than wonderful from a fall two years ago but with much encouragement and patience from our hosts I made it to the top. It was definitely worth the effort as the views from the top were spectacular. I am pretty sure that Reidar is part mountain goat. Although he walked up, and later down, with me patiently and slowly; at times I would see him stride away almost effortlessly on uneven rocky and often steep ground. He even wandered off across the peak at one point to gather some relics for my grandson. I was quite touched by the effort when he presented them to me at the bottom.

We all took a rest at the top and enjoyed the treats we had brought along. We had Geitost and crackers and lefse and Aud Karin had coffee and chocolate! It was quite the feast.

I do believe that Isabelle and Peggy ran down the mountain side when we headed back down. Meanwhile Reidar, Aud Karin, and Lois walked down the mountain side slowly with me. The climb up was difficult for me but I knew the climb down would be much harder… And it was. My knees just make it very difficult but again my hosts were gracious and wonderful and encouraging! Lois walked down with Reidar most of the way and learned all about the local flowers and interesting rock formation. We even saw the only poisonous snake of Norway. I had made the mistake of asking Reidar about snakes in Norway on the way up. He had told me there was really only a few types and only one poisonous snake. He said they were not aggressive and their poison was similar to that of a wasp unless you were sensitive to it. So of course one had to show up for us! It was a tiny thing and did not even offer to strike when harassed. When I asked why they wanted to take so many pictures of it they laughed and said to show others they had seen it of course! ?

When we reached the bottom it was discovered that there were indeed dinner plans for the evening as I had thought. It was decided that Lois would go and meet family members for dinner and the three of us would ride back home and rest. Lois rode ahead of the us for the trip home so she could make it to dinner at Maj Anita and Henry’s. This was quite a treat for her as the parents of all her amazing cousins were there too, along with Aud Karin and both Reidars and another cousin. As for us we rode home via the grocery store. We purchased items for an easy dinner that night and breakfast. I had decided that my gift to the Nesse Family ? tomorrow at their big family celebration would be to take my family’s traditional German potato salad. Since I had to buy a large bag of potatoes we decided to have baked potatoes for dinner and then bought some shrimp to sauté along with it. Isabelle’s really wanted a salad so we got items for salad as well. In addition we purchased some beer! (It was needed lol.) We loaded all our groceries into the paneer that I had brought with me and put some items in each of their bags as well and headed back to our home. Of course just us we got to the big bridge before the house it began to rain.

It had been quite a day and needless to say we were a bit tired. We 3 sat down to relax with a beer before beginning dinner. About the time we sat down to a dinner of salad and baked potatoes and sautéed shrimp Lois arrived home. We all chuckled and told her that we were sorry but we did not have enough to share and she chuckled in return and said she was fine. She had enjoyed a wonderful meal with her family and had had many a great visit. It was a lovely evening and a great way to end a perfectly amazing day. We all retired a bit early for us. I laid down to read and the next thing I knew it was 4 AM and my light was still on and my book lay closed beside me.

Each day here is a precious gift and as amazing as the day before. We are truly blessed!

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