Hi everyone
I am writing again on Monday evening after a really
wonderful day out. We woke up to sunshine yet again,
even though the temperature was only 1 centigrade
first thing - this improved throughout the day to
around 11. After a nice breakfast we dressed up warmly
because the weather can change quite rapidly in the
mountains. Jon was telling me that tourists have even
died because they ignored the many warning signs,
going mountain climbing in shorts and T-shirts - in
the mountains warm sunny weather can turn into storms
and even snow in an instant.
Jon had planned a route which would take us up the
mountain with us returning in another direction. He
made slight adjustments to that plan this morning when
we realised there was frost outdoors, choosing a route
which would have more sunshine than shadow.
I really loved the beautiful countryside we drove
through all day, winding our way up through valleys
into first hills and then the mountains, passing
rustic farms, animals peacefully grazing, all under a
bright blue sky and the sun bathing everywhere in a
lovely golden glow. We made one stop in a last village
where there were shop, supermarket and garage and
bought chocolate. From there the scenery became ever
more spectacular as we wound out way up the mountain.
No words can describe the incredible beauty - mountain
lakes and the hills above them covered in trees in a
multitude of autumn colours, the tall pines in the
background, all reflected in the deep waters below.
Later we stopped and parked beside the lake and
enjoyed the picnic food that Reidun had prepared for
us along with coffee. We then walked across a little
bridge, Jon telling me that the lake was full of
rainbow trout and me imagining how delicious they must
taste if caught and then cooked in the open air! On
the other side was a little church where a service is
held about once a month and the area beyond it was a
battleground where 7 Norwegians and 26 Germans lost
their lives two weeks before the end of the war. Jon's
father was a resistance worker training in ammunitions
in that place, the British planes coming over the
nearby mountain and dropping the necessary ammunitions
and supplies. The Germans heard about it and tried to
come stealthily to the camp, setting a log cabin
alight thinking it was full of Norwegians but luckily
it was not! There was a memorial to the lost
Norwegians and Jon said those resistance workers come
every year in honour of their dead comrades It was
such a peaceful spot, complete with a big pond which
is already covered in ice. We were throwing small
stones onto it to see how strong the ice was and it
took quite a heavy one to go through the ice.
After this we continued higher and higher into the
mountains until finally we crossed the top, like a
mini altiplano, with stunted bushes and bent trees. At
each side of the narrow winding road, at intervals,
are red sticks - this is all that keeps drivers on the
road when there is deep snow as otherwise they would
not know where the road was. Going down the winding
mountain roads the other side, Jon said this was the
coldest place in the whole of Norway in the winter,
and could be the warmest in the height of summer. We
passed many a mountain cabin where people retreat to
for their summer holidays, travelling through moose
country as well. Last year a couple of German tourists
were attacked by moose, probably because they got too
close to them when they had their young. There are
even bears in these mountains but they usually keep
well away from people. During the day we covered alot
of miles and glorious countryside and the warm sunny
weather lasted all day. I was so grateful to Jon for
driving all those hours so that I could see the
Norwegian countryside and mountains. Back home we went
to the supermarket and Reidun bought the ingredients
to make a delicious pasta dish for tea tonight and I
bought two kinds of fish and mixed seafood to make a
Malaysian curry and Thai spicy chicken soup tomorrow.
With our meal tonight I made some chicha morada, which
I forgot about yesterday, and everyone thoroughly
enjoyed it.
Yesterday was lovely too. I made the Adobe de Chancho
and accompanied it with rice, roast potatoes and
broccoli, and it was just ready when Libo’s Peruvian
friend Wilbert and his wife Marta arrived. We had such
a lovely evening with them and the Peruvian food went
down really well not just with Wilbert but with
everyone else as well – I was so pleased! It was
lovely to chat to Wilbert who is from Arequipa, and
his lovely Norwegian wife as well – she went to Peru
just like me, because of her intense love of Andean
music and met Wilbert there and they have been married
and living in Norway the past 4 years. When they left
at the end of the evening I exchanged email addresses
with them in order to keep in touch. Then Linda and I
had three games of scrabble whilst the others watched
the progress of the Chinese space shuttle on the
internet.
It is quite sad to think that tomorrow is my last
whole day here – on Wednesday morning we will need to
leave for the airport around 7.15 in the morning as it
is 45 minutes drive from Drammen to Oslo Torp airport,
and my plane leaves at 9.50. On arrival at Stansted I
have allowed loads of time to get to Victoria station,
in case of delays – my bus leaves at 3 pm so I will
probably end up having a Spanish tapas lunch in the
tapas bar and restaurant near the coach station. This
therefore is probably my last message until I return
home. I will then write up this adventure more fully
and pop it onto my website with many of the photos.
Bye for now and best wishes from Angela
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