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

Late Summer Days in Norway

Blue skies, rugged mountains, waterfalls, a gazillion trees and the most incredibly clear glacial water
on a summer’s day in Møre and Romsdal county

Greetings, all.

This post is written at lightning speed, at the tail-end of my first week back at work after two weeks off, and being knee-deep in my application for Indefinite Leave To Remain in the UK.

I have submitted my online application, passed the Life In the UK Test, coughed up approximately £3,300 in fees so far, and my interview is booked for 16 September. Now I am just gathering the last of my SEVEN BILLION bits of paper to prove my relationship with Kevin, my nationality, my residency here over the past five years, my employment status, salary... and so on.

Well, back to the main topic - we've recently returned from eight days in Norway. Please imagine you're a six-year-old, who values the pictures rather than the words. This will be fairly brief.

Marion and Erik live in a beautiful part of Norway - all around are mountains, fjords,
green hills and gorgeous timber houses

 This was our first summer trip to Norway for six years - we usually visit at Christmas time these days.

For much of the time the weather was pleasingly mild - alternating sunshine with showers, temperatures in the high teens to early twenties. 

Regular readers of this blog know what the above words signify; read on! Details of the dreaded you-know-what will be forthcoming...

Kevin about to commence his first day of riding - the Tour de Dovre, starting and finishing in Hjerkinn, traversing the Dovre National Park, via Dombås

Perhaps a tad unwisely, I agreed to Kevin bringing one of his bikes on this trip, as he has long wanted to cycle some of Norway's most famous and scenic roads.

So after two nights at my cousin Marion's house in Gyl (about 50km from the nearest large-ish town - by Norwegian standards - of Kristiansund), we packed up the car with four adults, a bike, luggage and enough groceries to see us through the apocalypse... and started heading towards Marion and Erik's cabin in Oppdal, a couple of hours' drive away.

Along the way we deposited Kevin to start his 125km cycle, and met up with him again some six hours later in the same spot, the three non-cyclists having spent the day touring the wider area.

Nobel Prize winning author Knut Hamsun was born in this tiny hut in the village of Lom
in central Norway, in between what are now the national parks of Jostedalsbreen and Jotunheimen

En route to pick up Kevin at the end of his first day of riding, Marion and I persuaded Erik
to take a detour up a mountain to a teensy-weensy antiques store that also served coffee and waffles

Marion managed to grab a bargain at this adorable antiques store, perched high on a mountain.
She bought some Hadeland vintage crystal wine glasses that were discontinued in the 1970s

This incredible timber church in Vågåmo has somehow avoided burning down since 1150.
It's just a few minutes' drive from Knut Hamsun's birthplace

The incredibly ornate, painted interior of Vågå Stave Church, which dates from the 12th century

Ancient timber headstones, carved and hand painted in the Norwegian 'rosemåling' style

These dear little painted cherubs have grace these pews for many hundreds of years

Side view of Vågå church, which has been standing for more than 900 years

The River Folla in Grimsdalen - part of Kevin's Tour de Dovre
[photo by Kevin Joy]

Glorious, fragrant lichen (reindeer food) for as far as the eye can see
[photo by Kevin Joy]

We spent three nights in the cabin, taking it easy the day after Kevin's first big ride. Entertainment was in the form of strolls around the area to ooh and aah over the gorgeous cabins and larger holiday homes, the mountain views, and visits from the local population of sheep. The approach of these cuties - lots of mums with adolescent twins in tow - could be heard from long off, as the mothers are always adorned with a bell so that the farmer can locate them, if need be, and it also reminds people to take care driving in the area.

I had a spirited discussion with Erik about the cruelty of spending your entire life with that noise in your ears. These sheep quite literally cannot make a move without the bell sounding. As a sufferer of tinnitus for some years, I can empathise. A romantic noise, yes - all very Sound of Music... but probably not for the poor sheep.

Erik feeding the sheep on the verandah of the cabin

One morning we took a long walk along one side of the local lake, Gjevilvatnet. This was a jaunt that took some hours longer than anticipated because of our frequent stops to gorge on, and pick, numerous kilos of wild blueberries. Foraging is one of the pleasures of a summer or autumn trip to Norway - back at the house we also collected redcurrants and blackberries, whilst a few days after we left Norway I got a message from Marion to say the chanterelle mushrooms were finally out, and she had been stocking up.

My blueberry-stained hand, after picking at least half a kilo of the little beauties.
Stupidly, I forgot to take a picture of our haul...

Kevin's next ride took him along the world famous Aursjøvegen - a spectacular, 55km winding mountain road from Sunndalsøra to Eresfjord, complete with hairpin bends and tunnels through mountains.

It was a warm day but any discomfort was more than counterbalanced by the blue skies and clear views, as you will see from the photos below.

View from Aurstaupet (a very famous viewpoint), with the tiny hamlets of Eikesdal and Finnset below
[selfie by Kevin Joy]

Langvatnet ('the long water'), on the way up to Aurstapet
[photo by Kevin Joy]

View from the top of the Aursjøvegen
[photo by Kevin Joy]

Holbuvatnet
[photo by Kevin Joy]

Would you stand out on the edge of that platform rock?!
No, neither would we.
Aurstaupet, on the Aursjøvegen
[photo by Kevin Joy]

Kevin was well satisfied with his couple of days of riding, and if you'd like to see the routes he took, together with some more photos, follow these links:

   For the Tour de Dovre

   For the Aursjøvegen


The trip home in the car took us along a familiar route, through small hamlets like Kongsvoll in the Dovre National Park, and then along both sides of the Tingvollfjord back to Marion and Erik's house in Gyl.

The wild Driva River (also known as Svåne River) near Kongsvoll

Tingvollfjord, early evening

The quaint Kongsvoll railway station (opened 1921), right on the River Driva, in Trøndelag

Evening drawing in, on the Tingvollfjord

And so we returned to the house for our last couple of nights, and with us arrived the heatwave.

Yes, folks, I know you'd be disappointed to read one of these posts that didn't include reference to the phenomenon that is TMC*, and who am I to let you down?
* The Maree Curse

Marion & Erik's little stabbur in Gyl.
A stabbur is a traditional building on stilts, used for storing food

Puss'n - Marion & Erik have been adopted by a local feral cat.
She visits numerous times a day for slices of cheese, fresh wild salmon and other tidbits

Late Summer / early Autumn bounty - just a few of the literally THOUSANDS of plums in Marion and Erik's garden

Whilst the high 20s temperatures weren't particularly to my liking, everybody else seemed to enjoy them and there's nothing like a spot of unseasonably warm late summer weather to bring out the Scandinavian penchant for leisurely meals.

The photo below is very poor quality, taken as it was from a fair distance. We had strolled up past this barn on our second last evening, and I my attention was caught by several elements.

Firstly, the red carpet leading the way into the building. 'Hmmm... I've walked past this barn many times' (it's just up the hill from Marion and Erik's property), 'but I've never seen a red carpet before.'

Secondly, the sound of tinkling glasses, smooth jazz in the background, and people laughing and talking.

Lastly - as we passed the ramp - a vision of such cool elegance that it fairly took my breath away. 

'Those damned stylish Scandinavians!' I muttered to Kevin when we were safely out of sight (and hearing) of the revellers. Inside the barn I had spied a long table adorned with candelabra, dishes groaning with food, and bottles of wine and akavit... around which table sat beautiful people, dressed in gorgeous linen clothes in varying neutral tones of white, ivory and flax.

Remember, this is not some hip capital city. Gyl is a tiny village an hour's drive from the nearest sizeable town. It has a couple of farms, a community sauna, and perhaps thirty houses. There isn't even a shop.

What a glorious sight to have stumbled across.

Style Central.
What I like to refer to now as 'the secret party barn' - complete with red carpet marking the entry for guests

On our last full day in Norway we took a trip to the Atlanterhavsveien (Atlantic Ocean Road), which is only about 45 minutes' drive from the house. This is a renowned road that was opened in the late 80s - approximately 8km of magnificent, first class highway that includes causeways, viaducts and bridges. 

The route connects numerous islands and skerries, and - this being Norway - every tourist facilities area along the way has wheelchair access, including long sections of accessible ramp leading down to fishing points. Just because you're disabled doesn't mean you can't participate in one of Norway's most popular pastimes.

The delightful swoop and curve of one of the bridges on the Atlanterhavsveien

Screen-shot from my phone

Another view of one of the bridges

The photos above are OK, but if you want to get a proper sense of the drama of this road, just Google 'Atlantic Highway Norway' and take a look at some of the aerial shots. This link will give you a taste.

Our final evening really did test my weather tolerance levels. It's certainly unusual for it still to be 29ºC at 8pm in late August. Luckily we had already determined to dine out that evening, in nearby Tingvoll, at the only commercial eating establishment for some miles around. In typical rural Norwegian fashion, there was no menu - each day there is a cold buffet or you can choose to have one of two hot dishes. There's no drinks menu - a blackboard offers drinks with the generic descriptions of red or white wine, Prosecco, beer and cider. 

Thankfully they don't do things on the cheap in Norway and my mystery glass of red was in fact a very good malbec, which was more than satisfactory. 

We and half of the town (it seemed) took advantage of the long sunny evening. Every single person in attendance was known to Marion and Erik, and we even ran into Erik's niece, whom Kevin and I have met several times before. She's a bright, bubbly young teacher with whom we've had many stimulating conversations, at Christmas family gatherings.

Somebody hand me the damned Oscar for Lead Performance in a Dramatic Role!
I look cool, calm and collected - I'm actually melting in 29ºC heat
- drinks and dinner on the terrace at the Tingvoll Fjordhotell

Boatshed on the shore at Tingvoll

Sunset over Tingvoll Fjord

It was a relief to get away from all the Brexit madness for a week or so. In Norway, as everywhere else, there is incredulity at the incompetence of so many people over such a long period of time. 

We of course returned to an ever-worsening situation, with the Tories losing their majority, ministers resigning and swapping sides left, right and centre, and general chaos ensuing.

*my word*  WHERE WILL IT ALL END?! 

The southern end of Tingvollfjord, near Øksendal

Cabins and wildflowers in Oppdal

Until next time,
- Maree xo