Springtime in central Norway

Springtime in central Norway - sublime!
View of Tingvoll Fjord from the mountain behind my cousin's house 

Greetings from an unusually dry and hot summer in England.

Life has been fairly hectic of late, with the usual work commitments combined with trips up to the new house in Ledbury every couple of weeks to ferry bits of furniture and other belongings, keep the garden maintained and undertake decorating work.

However things will soon be changing. Kevin taught his final lesson on Friday and is now officially retired, having been given a lovely send-off by Frensham Heights. 

I finished up at the department store last Saturday, and I'm really going to miss my retail sales job. Nobody is more surprised than I to find that working in women's fashion is fun and stimulating! Helping people find clothes that make them feel confident and look good is really rewarding. Often our customers needed an outfit for a special event - Ascot, Wimbledon, a business dinner, a wedding, a funeral. Some of them were overweight, or had figures a little out of proportion, or they simply had managed to get to their fifties or sixties without having any clue about what looked good on them. You could see the terror in their eyes as they set about a seemingly impossible task. Convincing these women to try on things they'd never previously have considered, and seeing them bloom like a flower when they realised they could look well-dressed, was really a joy. Of course your external appearance shouldn't matter so much, but we live in a world where it does, and honestly... I believe most of us enjoy looking our best.

Anyway, all of the above are the reasons why I am only just getting around to writing this post about our trip to Norway back in May.

The spring thaw in central Norway - many months of snow and ice melting, creating 
thousands of waterfalls down the mountainsides

Unlike here in Blighty, where we have suffered through six months of warmer than normal weather with hardly any rain, up until our trip in late May much of Norway had been suffering a particularly wet and cold spring. In fact, two days before our arrival the region where my cousin lives was still having snow showers! However, we seemed to bring the weather with us and there followed a week of mostly sunshine and daily maximum temperatures between 14-21ºC.

It was wonderful to be back in Marion and Erik's beautiful home after a gap of several years. The reason for our visit at this particular time was to join in a family celebration. The day after our arrival there was to be a fully catered party in the village hall at lunchtime, followed by an afternoon of coffee, cake and cognac back at Marion and Erik's house just a couple of minutes' stroll away. 

Beautiful artwork in my cousin's home

Sadly, things were not off to a great start upon our arrival in Molde which is the closest regional airport to the house, about an hour's drive away. It's a tiny airport and we were the second last flight of the day, arriving at about 21:00.

Seasoned travellers will recognise that mental game of hope and despair as one stands by the luggage carousel waiting... and waiting... noting miserably fewer items on the belt with each revolution. 

Nope. 

Kevin's bag clearly had not made it onto our connecting flight from Oslo. We attempted to report this to the sole official looking person at the service desk, but she was a representative of the company that owns many of Norway's airports, not an employee of Norwegian (Norway's budget airline). There followed several days of internet searching and frustrating phone calls as Erik and I, oscillating between Norwegian and English, mirrored that luggage carousel - ie going around and around in circles and receiving conflicting information about how to retrieve Kevin's luggage. 

Thank goodness I'd insisted Kevin wear his smart sports jacket and best denim jeans on the plane* so for the big party on Saturday his attire could loosely have been described as 'smart casual' with the emphasis being firmly on the casual end of the scale. His jacket was worn over a good quality plain t-shirt, paired with his  jeans and... his smartest trainers!

* I am constantly appalled at the way people dress for international flights these days. Like they just woke up, realised they'd run out of milk and raced down to the local shop, hoping to see as few people as possible. I'm not talking about long haul flights, which of course require a greater level of personal comfort. I am talking short flights of 1-3 hours to various European destinations. People have absolutely no pride in their appearance these days. You don't have to be 'dressed up' but please make a small effort - you know, like you're actually going out in public. 

Kevin's luggage was eventually delivered to our door by courier on Sunday, the day after the family event. The lunchtime party itself was lovely; wonderful food beautifully displayed, a number of heartfelt speeches (the Norwegians do love a speech) and much humour in watching the 4-5 small children in attendance making the most of the bouncy castle that Erik had purchased to keep them amused. The remainder of the afternoon was whiled away with groups of people in various spots around Marion and Erik's spacious home, all of us stuffing ourselves with delicacies from the dessert buffet, washed down with coffee - always excellent in Norway - and dainty glasses of cognac.

Tables dressed for the big family party in the community hall in my cousin's village
(that stuff on the floor in front of the stage is a bouncy castle, prior to inflating)

The koldtbord (Norwegian equivalent of the more familiar Swedish word smörgåsbord)
- oh boy, it was a spread!

Everything is displayed so beautifully at a Scandinavian event.
Even some humble bread is arranged in an antique butter box painted in the
rosemaling folk art style

Part of the dessert selection back at the house.
Yes, 'part of' - there was more! (see below)

This celebration cake was delicious!

More fabulous home-made treats - part of the dessert buffet at Marion and Erik's house

Over the course of our week in Tingvoll we took a couple of day trips within an hour or two of the house.

On a gorgeous, sunny day we drove about 40 minutes to the municipality of Sunndal, where you will find Vinnufossen, Europe's highest waterfall at 845 metres, and the seventh highest in the world. A few years ago there was a decision taken to install stone steps meandering up the mountain near the waterfall, and this work is being undertaken by Sherpas from Nepal, whose expertise in such things is unsurpassed. The project is not expected to be completed for another couple of years (the mountain is covered in snow and ice for more than half the year, so it's slow going!) but for now you can take the section already finished, which takes 30-40 minutes to climb about 300 metres. The views, even from that lower point, are sublime and we gleefully refilled our water bottles from the perfectly safe to drink, crystal clear and freezing cold water of Vinnufossen.

The region of Sunndal is surrounded by spectacular mountains peaks on all sides

Honesty stand near the start of the Vinnufossen trail.
Such things are common all over Norway - everything from eggs to fruit to jams and seedlings
left for people to take, leaving payment via electronic means or a secure cash box

 

Yours truly taking a rest from the clamber up Vinnufossen
(I have blurred the photos of Erik and Marion for privacy)

Kevin and I enjoying the spectacular views of the mountain range opposite,
taken from the Vinnufossen steps

Towards the end of our week in Norway we had a quick trip up to Marion and Erik's hytte (cabin) in the mountains of Oppdal, one of Norway's premier skiing regions. Every time we visit this place the relaxation is instantaneous; geographically it is spectacular, and the cabin is so delightfully rustic yet completely comfortable. Over the past couple of decades many fine meals prepared by Marion have been consumed in this traditional holiday cabin, with the wood stove blazing away and the snow falling softly outside (spring, winter obviously) or in summer with the long nordic day weaving its own magic.

Sunrise in Oppdal, Norway - late May 2025

Spring in Oppdal - great carpets of wood anemone everywhere!

Wood anemone (detail)

View from the deck of Marion and Erik's cabin in Oppdal

Views on my early morning walk in Oppddal
- the Trollheim mountain range and Gjevilvatnet (a large lake)

The town of Oppdal has this wonderful sculpture of a skier

One of the larger cabins in the Oppdal area

Before heading back to Marion and Erik's house near Tingvoll we visited the UNESCO World Heritage town of Røros. The last time we visited it was mid-winter and -10ºC, so it was nice to see Røros under different conditions. This picturesque little town has a long history in mining, with copper having been discovered in 1644, making it one of the most important mining towns in Norway. The timber buildings in Røros have been remarkably preserved, with most dating from the 1700s and 1800s. 

It was blissfully quiet mid-week in May and we found a really cute lunch venue that had been designed around a 1950s diner. After stuffing our faces at Freddy's we spent a couple of hours wandering around to admire the historic buildings, many of which are painted in vibrant colours. I had been hoping to come across an antiques or vintage shop whilst in Norway, and in Røros I thought my luck was in when I saw an attractive range of wares outside one of the buildings. Regrettably, this was merely an example of the trusting place that Norway is - the shop was actually closed! But the proprietors had helpfully left a representative selection of goods outside to let potential customers know what treasures awaited them on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays when the store would be open. This is not uncommon in Norway; at supermarkets and gift boutiques across the country you will often find honesty stalls, where customers are invited to take whatever they need, leaving payment either via electronic transfer or in a secure cash box.

These days Røros is a very popular tourist town and there are many high quality boutiques offering pottery, textiles, clothing and gourmet food items.  

Eafossen, a small waterfall near Holtålen, not far from Røros

Røros Church, a distinctive whitewashed stone building constructed in 1784 

Beautiful timber buildings line the streets of the UNESCO World Heritage town of Røros

This monument commemorates the discovery of copper in the early 1600s by Hans Aasen, a local farmer who shot a reindeer buck.
The rest of the herd, in its panic, kicked up the earth and Aasen's eye was caught by an unusual stone - which turned out to contain copper  

Lysstråle, one of many cafés in Røros 

Vibrant green building on Bergmannsgata in Røros

Freddy's, a fantastic 1950s diner in Røros

I couldn't resist a selfie with Elvis at Freddy's Diner

Rustic building with turf roof in Røros

Røros is full of charming timber houses...

...and lots of little alleys inviting exploration

The vintage store that was actually closed on the day we visited Røros. 
Yet such is the way of things in Norway that they happily left ALL THIS STUFF
on display outside... for when the shop would open in a couple of days' time!

So there you have it, a very enjoyable - albeit brief - trip back to Norway. We managed to pack in quite a bit during the course of just one week and the entire region was one long vista of blossoming trees, melting snow and thousands of waterfalls.

Springtime in Norway is pretty hard to beat

New growth on trees in the woodland behind Marion and Erik's house

Wow. Glamour in a public seating area of Oslo's international airport 

At present Kevin is in the Italian Alps with friends, cycling a route through the Dolomites and down to Lake Garda. When he returns next week we'll be in the final couple of weeks of our time at Frensham, this beautiful place where we've lived for the past seven years. It is with very mixed feelings that I approach that milestone, but we are excited to be starting a new life in Herefordshire. 

Until next time,

- Maree  xo

The joys of a mask-free trip to Norway: Part 1

View of Tingvoll Fjord from the mountain behind Marion & Erik's house
[photo by Kevin Joy]

Hello again after a lengthy absence, in part caused by both Kevin and I finally succumbing to Covid after more than two years, during which - by some miracle (we live in a school, remember!) - we had managed to avoid it. However, the timing could not have been more perfect; if we were going to get the virus, then getting it about a month before we were due to travel abroad for the first time since December 2019 was the best scenario. We were therefore able to stride confidently forward through crowded Heathrow, in the security of having been triple-vaccinated and possessing antibodies from our recent positive status.

Perhaps it was the length of time since we were abroad, or perhaps it was that Norway is such a beautiful place it doesn't matter how many times you've travelled there - you just want to take photos. So the story of this ten-day holiday compels me to split it into two parts. 

Part 1 will focus on the time we spent at my cousin's house and cabin, and surrounding areas.

But firstly, let's get the subject of Covid out of the way.

The most astonishing thing about this trip to Norway was that we entered another world. A world devoid of pandemic paranoia. A world that bore a striking resemblance to the one that existed prior to the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in late 2019. 

Now, my regular readers will know that throughout Covid I have proudly flown the flag of compliance with lockdowns and regulations, happily and proactively worn a face mask even when it wasn't required by law, and promoted vaccination and regular home testing with rapid antigen kits. However, after more than two years of living a very limited existence - what with the UK's appalling case numbers and death rate - bloody hell, it's been pretty defeating.

So to arrive in Norway and see *literally nobody* wearing face masks was a shock. The only indications that Covid even existed were the pump bottles of anti-bacterial gel available everywhere, the occasional sign encouraging people to keep a modest distance from each other and a Covid testing booth at both the airport and Oslo's central railway station. 

Whilst staying with Marion and Erik we had very limited circulation with others and spent most of our time in the fresh air so Covid was very far from our minds. However, by the time we travelled by train from Oppdal to Oslo we were so relaxed we didn't even give face masks a second thought. This was partly due to the statistics:

Covid deaths per million (as at mid April 2022):

• UK: 2,521
• Norway: 498
• Australia: 256

I'm not sure we would have been so cavalier, had we not had Covid ourselves just prior to our trip, and therefore in conjunction with being triple-vaccinated, were probably as protected against the virus as we are ever going to be. But let me tell you - arriving in Norway and being able to just 'be normal' again was incredibly liberating. 

The day after we returned to the UK the death toll was a staggering 651 in a 24-hour period (refer graphic above). I wanted to race to the airport and head straight back to Norway. 

Anyway... let's move on from that steaming pile of poo.

On offer at Oslo's international terminal:
a range of men's toiletries that plays on the meanings of 'bad' in both Norwegian and English.
The word means bath in Norwegian 😄

Yes, with our connecting flight cancelled (read on below), we were considering drowning
our travel sorrows in Norwegian gin. We resisted the urge.

Renowned Norwegian singer Aurora has her own brand of organic, vegan chocolate!

Our first trip abroad in well over two years was not off to the best start when we arrived in Oslo at about 21:30 to a message that our connecting flight to Kristiansund had been cancelled and SAS had re-booked us on a flight early the following morning.  An urgent message to our hosts ensured they did not have a wasted journey to Kristiansund Airport (they live about 45 minutes' drive away), and after clearing immigration and collecting our luggage we made our way to the SAS service desk with some trepidation. We had been travelling since about 11:30 that morning, and we were tired.

Of course we needn't have worried - this was Norway, land of efficiencies where all buses, trains, trams, ferries and flights run exactly to their timetables 99 per cent of the time. No queue at the SAS service desk, where we were immediately handed a voucher for the shuttle bus to take us to our overnight accommodation, about 10 minutes from the airport. Upon arrival at the hotel (modern, gorgeous, spotlessly clean) we were promptly checked in and invited to have a late supper. The hotel had been informed there were a number of people like us whose flight had been cancelled, so they had refreshed the buffet and we partook of as much food as we wished from a selection of eight hot dishes (including three vegetarian), a selection of salads, cheeses and smoked fish, bread, plus three desserts. All this at 23:00. Not for the final time during this trip (and every other trip to Norway), I exclaimed to Kevin, 'This country is so civilised.'

Are you now hearing the theme tune to the TV series Get Smart inside your head?
Heading to our pristine hotel room for a few hours' kip

We only managed five hours' sleep as we had to leave for the airport by 05:30 the following morning, but the bed was one of the most comfortable I've ever slept in, there were no hitches with our flight and by 09:00 we were hugging my cousin Marion and her husband Erik at Kristiansund Airport. By 10:00 we were at the house, in the hamlet of Gyl, just outside Tingvoll in the county of Møre og Romsdal.

The entrance to the old wing of the house, which dates from 1841

Endless snowcapped mountains over the Tingvoll Fjord, at sunset

A long walk in the fresh snow was one of our first priorities on arrival

The stream behind the house

Norway often gets a lot of snow in spring, but Easter falls very late this year and it's rare for it to snow quite so much well into April. I like to think the weather gods were smiling on me particularly, because regular readers will know how much I love winter and despise summer. During the first six days we were to have a combination of crisp, sunny days and lengthy periods of snowfall, with temperatures usually hovering a few degrees either side of zero. *bliss*

This won't come as a surprise to those who know me personally, but one of the things I was most excited about for this visit was getting to meet the 'wild' cats who had just started to adopt Marion and Erik around the time we were last in Norway, in August 2019. I was not to be disappointed. Big Puss and Little Puss (as Kevin and I nicknamed them) made frequent appearances on the deck outside the dining room, patiently waiting for tidbits as the snow fell - see video below. 

Mealtimes were very entertaining as the cats performed various feats of gymnastics to attract Erik's attention. However Marion and Erik have been careful not to indulge the cats too much; they are periodically away at their cabin in Oppdal and at their house in far north Norway in summer, and these fluffy creatures need to be able to fend for themselves.

Big Puss performing amazing feats in exchange for treats

Patiently waiting... Little Puss on the left, Big Puss on the right

What a beautifully relaxing time we had for the next few days, going for long walks in the forest behind the house and around the village and visiting favourite haunts such as the magnificent Tingvoll Church. Built in Romanesque style, it dates from somewhere between 1150-1200 and is one of the few remaining stone churches in Norway. Tingvoll Church also played its part in Norway's development as an independent nation, being one of 300 churches across the country that acted as a polling station for the Norwegian Constituent Assembly in 1814, a group which wrote the country's Constitution.

Beautiful Tingvoll Church, dating from sometime in the 12th century

The splendid 'ribs' of the roof structure at Tingvoll Church

Sunlight casts pretty coloured shapes through the stained glass windows
of Tingvoll Church (and those walls are 1.8 metres thick, by the way!)

The elaborately decorated altar piece at Tingvoll Church

A frigate, probably dating to the 18th century, is suspended from the church ceiling
of Tingvoll Church

End-of-pew decoration at Tingvoll Church

Whilst staying at Marion and Erik's house we took a day trip to the island of Smøla, about two hours away by car, including a couple of short trips by car ferry between islands. 

The island is a hub for deep sea fishing and - fun fact - grows a significant proportion of Norway's carrots! It also has one of the largest wind farms in Europe. It's a beautiful place dotted with charming fishing villages and is rich in viking history. Just a couple of years ago archaeologists uncovered traces of a ship from the Viking Age which is deemed of international significance. Additionally, it was the site of a standing stone dating from 1034, the oldest artefact confirming Norway's Viking Age conversion to Christianity. The stone was removed to a museum in Trondheim in 1913 but a replica has been installed where the original stood for 900 years.

Smøla has a flourishing white-tailed eagle population, and we saw several in the short time we were driving around the island.

One of the multiple car ferry trips we were obliged to take in order to reach the island of Smøla, not far from Kristiansund

Another ancient stone church - in Edøy in the municipality of Smøla.
It dates from around 1190

Kevin and Yours Truly in front of Edøy Church, with dramatic snowcapped
mountains behind

Norway has a reputation for striking architecture in unusual places.
I spotted this tiny cabin as we were driving around

Colourful fishing huts and boats in abundance on Smøla

Charming fishing villages are dotted all over Smøla

Some of the mountains surrounding the island of Smøla

After four nights at the house, Marion and Erik drove us up to their cabin in Oppdal so that we could get to meet the newest members of the family, their daughter-in-law and first grandchild who has just celebrated her first birthday.

We took the scenic route, spending much of the day meandering through a beautiful wintry landscape, with the snow becoming more abundant as we climbed altitude into the mountains. A very welcome pitstop was made at one of several towns in Norway whose names consist of a single letter - the last letter in the Norwegian alphabet, Å (pronounced phonetically 'aw'). The most famous of these is in the Lofoten Islands above the Arctic Circle, but we were very happy to stop momentarily in the lesser-known, more southerly version, in the county of Trøndelag.

Quaint coffee house in the town of Å in Trøndelag

How pretty are these cups? ♥️
No matter where you go in Norway, the filter coffee is vastly superior to that you'll
get anywhere else. We think it's the water.

It was a tad chilly when we arrived at the cabin mid-afternoon: minus 6ºC and snowing, but with the wind chill making it feel like minus 10ºC. Marion and Erik quickly set about getting the fire blazing and heating up food, so Kevin and I girded our loins and headed out for a bit of exercise. It was invigorating, to say the least! We tried to walk up to the top of the road but despite Norway's amazingly efficient and regular snow-ploughing, about two-thirds of the way up the snow became too deep and we abandoned that plan. Some time later we saw the plough making what was probably its second or third circuit but it was too late in the day for another attempt.

So, just a teensy-weensy bit of snow up at the cabin in Oppdal

Icicles decorating the side of the cabin in Oppdal
[photo by Kevin Joy]

In front of the cabin, driveway recently ploughed
Ignore my facial expression - not a grimace, I'm loving it...
[photo by Kevin Joy]

...as you can see from this pic of the two of us. This is me in my natural element ❄️

The next morning we were up bright and early to catch the train to Oslo, where we'd be spending a few days before flying home. It had snowed through the night and we were slightly reluctant to leave both that environment and of course Marion and Erik, however the metropolis beckoned.

For some reason, when I booked our tickets months ago I uncharacteristically decided to splurge and purchase First Class tickets for the train journey from Oppdal to Oslo. I think I was probably worrying about the volume of people who'd be travelling around Norway in the week prior to Easter which is a hugely important holiday in Norway - second only to Christmas. I didn't want to be sharing a crowded carriage with rambunctious students heading home for their spring holidays. Yes, I have reached the age where such things are intolerable.

Well, what can I say - I am now ruined for economy train travel! We had so much space, incredibly comfortable seats, ability to charge our phones / laptops, and free coffee, tea, bottled water and chocolates (yes, you read that correctly - free chocolates!) for the entire journey. The free refreshments made the additional ticket cost worth every penny, as in horrifyingly expensive Norway you pay about GPB 4 for a takeaway cup of filter coffee. We got our money's worth on this train journey!

And best of all, there were only about 20 passengers sharing the toilet facilities. 

Aside from the creature comforts, the five-hour journey was a delight, with stunning scenery when we weren't shimmying along tunnels through massive mountains, and of course we arrived in Oslo exactly at the scheduled time.

Icicles at Oppdal train station

Norway's regional railway stations are historic and beautiful
[photo by Kevin Joy]

Not the greatest photo through a sleet-spattered train window,
but for about two hours it was an endless vista of frozen waterfalls and lakes, and 
snowy mountains

The self-satisfied grins of two people making the most of the
FREE COFFEE AND CHOCOLATES on the train from Oppdal to Oslo

Another of Norway's beautiful railway stations, through a sleet-drizzled train window.
This one is Konigsvoll, not far from Oppdal

A bit less snow and the landscape becoming more agricultural after
leaving the higher mountains of central Norway and heading south to Oslo

So, there you have it - a fabulous first half to our long-awaited return to Norway.

Part 2 (Oslo) will be published shortly... but for now we bid farewell to Tingvoll and Oppdal.

Views across the Tingvoll Fjord, en route to Oppdal

Until next time,

- Maree  xo