To the family:
I'm going to write a blog with more details, but thought family might be interested. (E has already received info, via the daily emails I'm sending the Gang of Four, and pix are available on Facebook. L, I'm including a few here for you, since you don't do Facebook.)
So I got up bright and early, tutored for 50 minutes, and then drove for 2 hours to reach Hedalen Stavkirk (in Valdres) by 10 am. I wandered around, taking pictures and listening to the organist and bell ringer practising for the 11 am service. Sigrid Haugen, local retired librarian (no relation) met me. We attended Easter service, which was both the same and different from services I'm used to. There was some added ritual before communion. They did not sing any of the hymns I knew, but the offertory was a medieval Christmas hymn that I know and love, and the words were in Swedish so very few members of the congregation sang along. It was interesting to note that many of the hymns gave the option of Nynorsk or Bokmol (the local dialect? I didn't quite understand Sigrid about that point), and one even had Sami words. Sigrid kept looking at me sideways as I sang along: I think she was surprised that I knew the songs. Well, I didn't but I can sightread! And fake other languages. And the gents behind me had powerful voices.
After service she drove me up to the
Klemmetsrud farm. She had determined that our family was located in the
southern farm, but the foundations of the houses were buried under
snow. I took pix of the existing farm houses, except for the middle one
which featured a bear-like dog with a huge bark. It appears the
current economy is lumbering, but our ancestors had cattle. I've bought
some traditional Valdres cheese, but that's a craft industry, not
something that is a really going concern. The real industry is
tourism. Around 700 people live in the area, and many of the houses are
just vacation homes. Sigrid says they are thinking of closing schools,
due to lack of population, but the closest other schools are at least
an hour away. As it stands, high-schoolers have to choose to live in
another town (Bagn, Lillehammer, or Gjovik.)I'm going to write a blog with more details, but thought family might be interested. (E has already received info, via the daily emails I'm sending the Gang of Four, and pix are available on Facebook. L, I'm including a few here for you, since you don't do Facebook.)
So I got up bright and early, tutored for 50 minutes, and then drove for 2 hours to reach Hedalen Stavkirk (in Valdres) by 10 am. I wandered around, taking pictures and listening to the organist and bell ringer practising for the 11 am service. Sigrid Haugen, local retired librarian (no relation) met me. We attended Easter service, which was both the same and different from services I'm used to. There was some added ritual before communion. They did not sing any of the hymns I knew, but the offertory was a medieval Christmas hymn that I know and love, and the words were in Swedish so very few members of the congregation sang along. It was interesting to note that many of the hymns gave the option of Nynorsk or Bokmol (the local dialect? I didn't quite understand Sigrid about that point), and one even had Sami words. Sigrid kept looking at me sideways as I sang along: I think she was surprised that I knew the songs. Well, I didn't but I can sightread! And fake other languages. And the gents behind me had powerful voices.
The view from the Klemmetsrud farms is stunning, across a valley to forested mountains. It felt very odd to stand looking at the view and think that this is where Grandma was born. A similar view met me when we drove another 10 km to Sigrid's home, where I met her husband. We ate snacks (bread, sliced meats and brunost and cloud berry jam, finishing with Hardanger lefse.) We mainly discussed travels, but we did talk about the area. There's a 4-volume set of books about people and places in Sor Aurdal (the Commune which contains Hedalen) and she had already translated the relevant information for Anne Bonewell and Michael Wong (the family genealogists who put me on to Sigrid.) There was Grandma's name, in print! It's in the list of the children of Jon Johnsen and Inger Joplassen, all of whom emigrated (apparently it's unusual for the entire family to leave, but I believe that our family just rented, so there was no property for the elder farm to stay for.) Joplassen is another small community. I'd passed the turnoff on my drive over.
I can't imagine what it was like to move from the valleys and fjords and lakes and mountains of Valdres and end up on the flat Minnesota plains.
Then home on a different road (the first part of the circle had ended in a heart-stopping ascent which I was anxious to avoid). The last bit involved an icy driveway, the only place where driving was an issue. As they say, most accidents happen close to home. Fortunately, I hit nothing, just slid around a bit.
IM and her friend G had spent the day in a little open hut on the property. He had dug out a path to it. They were grilling hamburgers and potatoes on the little BBQ Weber-style grill and had built a roaring fire in the hut's fireplace. I had gone into her apartment to check the electric meter for H, and IM invited me to join them. G is 30 years older than she, and had thus not been taught English as part of his school curriculum. But we had a lovely evening until the sun went down and one of the rocks in the fireplace exploded. We took that as a sign that it was time to go inside. E, it was like the most elegant snow picnic ever! Pix attached.
Info sent to P:
I found out what those bundles of wheat (or whatever they are) were: it's a Christmas habit to put out food for the birds. Julenek is the term. The Easter tradition is to go up to the seters or other gathering place in the mountains and go cross country skiing. It's a typical Norwegian thing to own a cabin in the mountains. It's also a typical Norwegian thing to escape to the Canary islands. ;)
I also learned that, if the roads are not posted with speed limits, it's 80. Good to know!
April 2/3
I never got out of my jammies yesterday! I tutored for several hours and corresponded with family about Hedalen. I'll need to drive around Valdres and the Hallingdal (two neighboring valleys) to cover all the places my ancestors lived. I also researched the Hauges, since no one seems to remember, and found info on FindAGrave that leads me to Jevnaker, in Hadeland at the southern end of Randfjord. I've driven past en route to Oslo, it's about an hour away So, it's close! I'll wander by, I think.
After I get out of my jammies.
  |
| Once I get out of my jammies. After my breakfast, It is time to make my bed. Leo forestalls me. |
  |
| It’s time for writing, But Lily thinks otherwise. It’s a great schedule! |
   | |
| It's snowing again?! She tries to sharpen her claws. The snow is too soft. |
This is the view that greeted me when I put on my glasses.
3 inches dropped overnight. Still snowing steadily, small pellets. Fortunately IM and I drove into Gjovik and I stocked up, even getting some rolls made with cardamom. So instead of toast this is my breakfast:
 |
| IM was shopping for a young friend |
Wrote to LS and replied to EB's long letter.
  |
| April snow showers: The lake hides, the birds quaver. Is this really Spring? |
While bewildered birds twitter.
I’ll stay by the fire.
I spent most of yesterday tutoring. Or rather,
logged in and waiting to tutor There were a lot of extra hours that
suddenly appeared on the schedule, but not many students. One thanked
me for being up so early: it was 5 am her time. 11 am mine, of course.
The storm lasted all day, so I only went outside to bring
in more wood. Today, however, it's very sunny and I haven't lit the
fire at all. We calls it passive solar energy in NM. ;)I received the "job offer" letter from Ghost Ranch: 9 months with room and board in lieu of pay, and the possibility of benefits (which I probably won't pay for, except maybe the health insurance.) Apparently they can no longer hire long-term volunteers, so they are treating it like a job. But since there is no money changing hands, it's a little complicated for me to comprehend the tax consequences.
April 7
Apparently there’s a famous Norwegian candle shop called Løiten Lys.
IM was browsing there with her friend G and he bought me an
Easter gift. Not sure why. A little cutesy for my taste (the online
catalog shows some amazing candles), but it was a sweet gesture.
Street scenes
To L: I had a hurried visit to the National Gallery of Norway in Oslo: got there at 4:30 and it closed at 5. It was free, tho. Saw the Munch room of course, but the real revelation was the landscape and Norwegian topic paintings. I’m including a few. Leo is weighting down my arm, so I’m typing with the left thumb.
My Airbnb room was a closet, in a 1-bedroom apt near the opera house (amazing architecture, modeled after an iceberg).
The host was a
gracious IT youth. When the new Library and Munch museum are done, it
will be an even better location. But, a 15-minute walk from Oslo
Sentrum past the opera house along the harbor was a nice plus.
Caught the 5 pm train back: IM will be picking me up at 7, thus saving me parking hassles. She’s so kind!
April 11/12
And that's the basic news of the day. I think I skipped a day reporting, sorry, but there's not much to say.
There's
still oodles of snow on the ground, and the driveway is treacherous
with slush and ice, but the house is toasty warm now in the afternoon,
and the space heater does just fine warming up the rooms in the morning,
so I can stop using the fireplace. I was doing laundry, so I was down
to a sleeveless dress plus fleece jacket. It was so warm, I shucked the
jacket and then did some tai chi chih, facing the snowy hills and lake,
absorbing the sun. The breeze was only cool. I love spring.
April 12/13
To the Gang:
Anyway, it
felt good to be out in the sunshine. I was just wearing leggings, linen
shirt, sweater, walking shoes (not boots) and light socks, scarf and
hat. No gloves, no layers, no coat. There were birds, mainly magpies
and some chickadee-like little ones. I need to look it up. I saw some
tracks that were probably fox. The sky was a deep blue. Despite the
several feet of snow, it is clearly Spring. The days are as long as
summer in NM, I guess because of the latitude. Quite a switch from
January, when the days were an eye-blink.
I'm still trying to
get the gumption to take some day drives in the area. It's difficult,
when I am so comfortable just hanging around. And knowing I'm coming
back in a year takes the pressure off. I know L and Mom won't let me
be a lump. So, we'll see.
G and M, I'm reading about 4 wildfires in NM? Some from a prescribed burn by Grants? How's the air quality?
To L, who wrote about PDX weather:
Yes, even though I've been happy here, the monochrome landscape is getting to me. It was gloomy grey rain the whole time I was in Oslo, and snowed in the Oppland. Yesterday I walked around the lake (on snow-pack for the western side). The air was cool, not biting, and the sky a lovely blue, but snow is still several feet deep in the fields and on the roofs and undergrowth. Back at the road near my home, I saw a rocky outcrop for the first time and thought, oh THAT's what's underneath all that white.
To AB, Klemmetsrud cousin, about travel tips for her upcoming visit:
2.
Oslo has many hills, but it's a very walkable city. If you spend time
there, you might want to get a Ruter card for buses and subways. The
Oslo Pass will get you to 4 of the folk museums at a reduced rate. The
Kon-Tiki, Fram, and Maritime museums are right next to each other, and a
ferry goes from their to the city center. The Viking Ship museum is on
the same peninsula. Definitely go walk on the Opera House roof (and if
possible attend something A high spot for me.) I stayed at an Airbnb.
It's cheaper, and usually has kitchen privileges, and you get to stay
in a home.
3. Again, regarding the car, they are very serious
about drinking and speeding. Zero tolerance for ANY alcohol in the
blood, and bus drivers have to use a breathalyzer before they can start
up the engine. Speeding is usually ticketed via camera, and you
usually get a warning. And tolls are paid via chip in the car. Not
sure how that works for rentals.
4. S was extremely
gracious. I was unable to see the grave sites or the foundations of the
old farm, or visit the earlier places where the family lived before
they bought the Klemmetsrud farms: Joplassen is up by Bagne (Great
Grandmother's home) and John's family came from Haugsrud at Skrukelia in
the Bagne valley.
You have probably already sussed out the places you want to see: I did not! Here's what S told me:Skrukkelia was a place under Haugsrud (Hougsrud) in Begnadalen. On the east side of river Begna, a few kilometers on E 16 south of the cross where you started the hills towards Hedalen when you arrived. Jon Jonsen Haugsrudeie was born there in 1796. The place was abandoned about 1900 and I don’t think there are any houses left. I am sure the other Skrukkelia names in Norway has nothing to do with your family.\ Jonsrud is in Hedalen, close to the school and Bautahaugen museum. The same Jon and family lived there from 1821. The place is most likely named from him (Jon’s place). Jon and wife Gudbjørg and 2 daughters emigrated to America in 1856. The oldest son Jon, born 1817 (later called Store-Jon (Big-Jon)) and wife Inga lived at Klemmetsrud. Their son again is Jon Jonsen Klemmetsrud born 1862. I attach a copy from the Bygdebok that shows this: Klemmetsrud, page 317. And a copy of The Jonsrud pageOthes names of ancestral places as Joplassen (in Leirskogen), Garthus and more are all in Sør-Aurdal. So you had needed more time here!
5. I'm assuming you've already bought plane tickets?
British Airways has THE BEST Business class, IMHO, but Norwegian Air's
Economy Plus is not bad. As a tall and large woman, I have come to
appreciate the amenities.
6. I have a travel coffee press. Everything is VERY expensive here, so home brewed coffee is nice. I'm coming back in a year with my Mom, so any tips YOU have will be much appreciated! All the best, K
April 13/14
After
all the emailing, I took a walk to the store to reward myself with
chocolate and replenish the coffee and cheese supply. I've been cutting
back on the sugars and processed foods, partly because I'm a little
concerned about gut microbes and diabetes issues, but mainly because it
just isn't sounding good to me.
Anyway, it was very warm
walking out: I was sweating under the sweater. Must be the reason for
that name. But coming home an icy blast had me wishing I'd brought the
hat.
The cats pretty much had me pinned down, alternately and
togther, for most of the day. I think they sense a change in the air.
Later, K
They slowly become
The picture of contentment.
I can't reach my cup.
I wish I could send the video I posted to FB:
there was a lovely bird concert after sunset, and I want someone to
identify the birds for me!
She dropped it by yesterday. And that’s my news from yesterday, too.
Except: I finally completed my taxes! I missed 1040.com’s discounts, but the $2 donation to Healing Waters International still happened. And you can’t beat the Live Chat assistance.
And $1K in my bank will be nice.
And $1K in my bank will be nice.
 |
| Påskehare |
I look up and see
A calm salmon glowing sky.
It grows still brighter.
April 8
You know it’s Spring
When there’s a mouse in the house,
Under the bookcase.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to retrieve it before I leave for Oslo.
When there’s a mouse in the house,
Under the bookcase.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to retrieve it before I leave for Oslo.
  | |||
| Tag teaming, and happy ending |
 |
| They jog in the rain, Reminding me of Portland, Except for the snow. |
Train ride
To L: I had a hurried visit to the National Gallery of Norway in Oslo: got there at 4:30 and it closed at 5. It was free, tho. Saw the Munch room of course, but the real revelation was the landscape and Norwegian topic paintings. I’m including a few. Leo is weighting down my arm, so I’m typing with the left thumb.
 |
| Johan Christian Dahl 1788-1857, Dresden by Moonlight 1838 |
 |
| Detail from a Russian icon |
  | ||
| Eilieff Petersen, 1852-1928 detail Christian II signing the death Warrant off Torben Oxe 1875-6 |
 |
| Eugene Jansson 1862-1915 Storm, Evening 1898 |
 |
| Jul celebration. I still see these huts in the countryside |
  |
| Adolph Tidemand1814-76) og Hans Gude (1825-103 Bridal Procession on the Hardanger Fjord |
    |
| Edvard Munch |
 |
| Thomas Fearnley 1802-42. Bridge of Hauge outside Arendal |
 |
| Nikolai Astrup 1880-1928 Jonsokbaol 1912 og 1926 (Bonfire celebrating Midsummer Night |
Chamber
music. Passionate and glorious. Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a theme
by Talllis (an old favorite), a vigorous and surprising Beethoven’s 5th,
and a cerebral clarinet concerto that I’m still deciding about. The
Klezmeresque encore was a delight, tho, and the soloist amazing.
Walk on the roof, after the concert
April 9
After the concert,
Dark figures climb the iceberg,
Casting huge shadows.
      |
| The opera house, Architectural iceberg, Endlessly angled. |
I caught the 11:31 train to Oslo yesterday. Was in time for a free
final half hour at the National Gallery. Yes, I saw The Scream, but the
real revelation was Nordic landscapes. I got to the opera house in time
to wolf down a nice Caesar salad and Chardonnay, then 2 hours of rich
and glorious chamber music.
I wept at the passionate Vaughan Williams
and delighted in the vigorous Beethoven’s 5th. The clarinet concerto
was modern and cerebral, with music also produced through gestures: not
sure how that was done. My neighbor, a charming young Swedish gent,
said there were cameras involved.
I spent today with Thor and Roald, reliving Arctic and archaeological marine adventures. I was only a little claustrophobic during my tour of the Fram. Will have to visit the Viking ship and Nobel center another time.
I spent today with Thor and Roald, reliving Arctic and archaeological marine adventures. I was only a little claustrophobic during my tour of the Fram. Will have to visit the Viking ship and Nobel center another time.
My Airbnb room was a closet, in a 1-bedroom apt near the opera house (amazing architecture, modeled after an iceberg).
 |
| view from the balcony |
The host was a
gracious IT youth. When the new Library and Munch museum are done, it
will be an even better location. But, a 15-minute walk from Oslo
Sentrum past the opera house along the harbor was a nice plus.  |
| iceberg sculpture in the harbor |
 |
| on the way home |
Kon-tiki. It was amazing to stand next to the raft and imagine 6 men living on it for 101 days.
 |
| Ra II |
3 hours is not enough, but it’s all I had time for at the Fram Museum.
Electric lights!
Last stroll on the roof.
 |
He stands on the edge
I carefully approach him,
And our gazes lock.
|
 |
During a last stroll
Atop the rain-slick iceberg,
Idle glances lock.
|
April 10
My muscles have been sore all day: too much walking and standing
and reading display information, too much schlepping of a heavy bag in
the preceding 24 hours. So I've been reading and knitting again. It's
warm enough to sit outside in the sun, and the cats joined me for a bit.
That is all good. But, it's depressing that I could be wiped out from
such a simple outing. And I'm also feeling a little lonely and a little
aimless. I have less than 2 weeks left, and I'm not sure what I'll be
doing. Part of it depends on the weather, but part of it depends on my
own resolve.
The loneliness isn't surprising, even
though I've been spending some time with Ina. But I think it's the
loneliness of not being with people who mean something to me, and
knowing that I've chosen that life for at least 2 more years. Also, I
just finished listening to a beautifully written book, Song of Achilles.
Told from his soul-mate Patroclus' point of view, it is a wonderful
coming of age story, rich with details that seem accurate. I wanted the
story to end happily, even though I knew it could not. I wept at the
ending, and am still thinking about it: about doomed young brilliant
lives. Is it enough to have lived intensely, to have found a soul-mate?
And, after writing about famous people and visiting the Kon Tiki and
Fram museums, I think about the human cost of endeavor. Someone is
always left behind, and rewards are usually not in proportion to what is
given up.
In a word, I am sad today.
But,
tomorrow I'll do some tutoring and writing and walking, and that will
all be good. I've attached pix of the cats, who are very clingy today:
they don't like being abandoned overnight.
I'm going to miss them.
So, when I went to Oslo I locked up the house and
pocketed the house and car keys. When I got back, they were gone. I
had to break in through IM's apartment: the door at the top of the
stairs was bolted shut to keep the cats from pushing through, but I
unscrewed the plate on IM's side and maneuvered the lock mechanism. I
thought I might have left the keys in the airbnb room, but V syas
no. So, they probably fell out of a hole in my pocket. Dammit. I spent
yesterday composing letters to museums and transportation lost and
founds and confessing to my hosts. It's possible that the
neighbors have a spare house key, and there is a spare car key, but I'll
be spending today getting replacements, I guess, and the electronics in
the car key will not come cheap.
Oh well.
Hard to type with a cat spread across my chest. Fortunately, it's the smaller one (Lily).
 |
Stretched along my arm,
His languid furred weight pins me.
I cannot type now |
To the Gang:
Happily, the neighbors had a key to the house, so I don't
need to get a locksmith to change the locks and get me a new key. I
just need to make copies of the keys I have, now.
I walked
around the lake yesterday, so that's another goal scratched off the
list. It started as my 2-mile round trip walk to the store, but I
decided to go the extra half mile past the store to the end of the lake
to see how much had melted. Once there, I discovered the groomed ski
trail was packed down by a snowmobile (I'm assuming), and I could walk
on it without snow shoes. So I did. It took about 2 hours, all told,
maybe a little more. Probably it was a 4 mile walk in all. I can't call
it a hike: the only hills were on the road to and from the lake, and
it was wide level terrain on the west side of the lake. In summer it's
probably a dirt road. It was a little rougher than walking on paved
roads, though, because I sank a bit in the snow pack. Not quite breaking
a trail, but not quite NOT breaking a trail. ;)To L, who wrote about PDX weather:
Yes, even though I've been happy here, the monochrome landscape is getting to me. It was gloomy grey rain the whole time I was in Oslo, and snowed in the Oppland. Yesterday I walked around the lake (on snow-pack for the western side). The air was cool, not biting, and the sky a lovely blue, but snow is still several feet deep in the fields and on the roofs and undergrowth. Back at the road near my home, I saw a rocky outcrop for the first time and thought, oh THAT's what's underneath all that white.
To AB, Klemmetsrud cousin, about travel tips for her upcoming visit:
Sorry it took me awhile to get back
to you. I don't have any real travel tips, because I'm house-sitting,
so everything is set for me. Also, my experience is colored by the
unusually heavy snows and their effect on roads (and my nerve.) That
being said:
1. if you rent a car, the speed limit is 80 kph,
unless otherwise posted. There are many long tunnels (2-8 km) going
through the mountains. The longest in the world is at Laerdal, at the
end of Sogne fjord: just over 23 km. (We did not take it). You have probably already sussed out the places you want to see: I did not! Here's what S told me:Skrukkelia was a place under Haugsrud (Hougsrud) in Begnadalen. On the east side of river Begna, a few kilometers on E 16 south of the cross where you started the hills towards Hedalen when you arrived. Jon Jonsen Haugsrudeie was born there in 1796. The place was abandoned about 1900 and I don’t think there are any houses left. I am sure the other Skrukkelia names in Norway has nothing to do with your family.\ Jonsrud is in Hedalen, close to the school and Bautahaugen museum. The same Jon and family lived there from 1821. The place is most likely named from him (Jon’s place). Jon and wife Gudbjørg and 2 daughters emigrated to America in 1856. The oldest son Jon, born 1817 (later called Store-Jon (Big-Jon)) and wife Inga lived at Klemmetsrud. Their son again is Jon Jonsen Klemmetsrud born 1862. I attach a copy from the Bygdebok that shows this: Klemmetsrud, page 317. And a copy of The Jonsrud pageOthes names of ancestral places as Joplassen (in Leirskogen), Garthus and more are all in Sør-Aurdal. So you had needed more time here!
Yesterday was busy, but what did I do? I wrote
to the local auto place and locksmith. Then to another auto place.
Then to another. Still have not lined up key replacement, but I'll get
there.
Then I wrote to Asbjorg and Per Gunnar, trying to
arrange a visit. Then again, then again, then again. Then to Jillian
(the next house-sitter.) And again, and again. Herding cats, indeed,
but I finally have the Nordfjord visit organized for my last 3 days.
Now we just hope there is no freak snow storm to keep me from going.
Turns out H's mother is from the area, but closer to the sea.
April 14/15
It's amazing how much happier I feel today. Yesterday I went to
Lillehammer with IM and G: just a stroll around Maihaugen (a
living history museum) and a BBQ at Olympic Park. But it took most of
the day, getting there, wandering around, and then getting back. And
this morning I feel quite content to be spending the day with books and
writing and tutoring, instead of feeling vague depression and cabin
fever. I guess any routine, however pleasant, is the better for a shake
up. And spending time with others is also good.
G has no
English and I have no Norwegian, so poor IM must function as
translator. It gets funny when she mixes up and speaks to G in
English.
She must be exhausted today.
There is one cloud to my
content, however. My friend Stephen Llewellyn, who took me to the
English National Opera last year, fell and broke his neck. He's alive,
but obviously in a serious condition. His fiance posted the news on FB,
and I just read about it. Reportedly, he is in good spirits and
wiggling his toes, but Jesus. He's had enough health crap, with various
cancer episodes.
Life is not for sissies.
take care of yourselves, my dear ones.
Trauma, personal;
Fear, global. Joy, both places.
Social media.
Thinking of absent friends, and hoping joy remains dominant. (Recover soon, Stephen Llewellyn)
April 16Fear, global. Joy, both places.
Social media.
Thinking of absent friends, and hoping joy remains dominant. (Recover soon, Stephen Llewellyn)
Yesterday, after my 3 hours of tutoring, I knitted and listened to To the Bright Edge of the World. Loosely based on Lt. Henry T. Allen's exploration in Alaska, it's rather like Heart of Darkness meets Edmund Shackleton and Merriweather Lewis.
Now I'm getting ready for another excursion with IM and G. :)
April 16/17
To family:
To family:
Yesterday I went to see the Hadeland
Glassverks, and it turned out they are in Jevnaker, which is cited as
Great grandfather Jens Hauge's birthplace. Of course, Jevnaker is also
the name of the Commune. It's at the southern end of Randsfjorden, the
longest inland fjord in Norway and the fourth largest, so the drive was
quite pretty. At one point we passed a ferry: the fjord is so long
that people want to cut off the circuit to get from one side to the
other, and it's too wide for a bridge. According to Ina, it only runs
during the day, so if you go to a party, you have to spend the night.
At another point, we went past a log picker, and at another past a power plant: the water comes in a pipe down the hill. It was a pretty brick building, but I didn't get a picture of it. Energy and timber are the two main industries, I think. Cattle used to be, and people spent the summers in the seters in the mountains, but now that's an artisanal industry.
I have no idea where, in this large area, our
progenitor lived. The economy has changed since then. The farms were
fallow for years after the black death, and the Klemmetsrud ancestors
appear when the farms were purchased back from the crown in the 1700s, I
think. Maybe 1600s. So Hauges probably followed the same pattern,
although Jevnaker was also a rather important port. Gardermoen Airport
is just around 10 km away, but I think I took a different route on the
bus to Gjovik. But it's all Oppland. I'm attaching some pix.At another point, we went past a log picker, and at another past a power plant: the water comes in a pipe down the hill. It was a pretty brick building, but I didn't get a picture of it. Energy and timber are the two main industries, I think. Cattle used to be, and people spent the summers in the seters in the mountains, but now that's an artisanal industry.
To the gang:
Today
I'm finishing up tutoring. Had a very frustrating session with a
student who wanted me to do her research for her and refused to use
library databases because they "took too long" and the tutors couldn't
search them for her. It's a writing session, not a research session.
sigh. This is how one gets poor ratings. Fortunately, I don't care if
my ratings suck.
Then, I need to do some cleaning to prep for tomorrow's hand-off. I have an incipient sore throat, which I'm not happy about.
I received a
lovely message from my hosts, about how much they appreciate my good
work and how it's obvious the cats love me. IM has apparently also sent
them nice messages about me as a neighbor. We are looking forward to
meeting each other next May, when I come back. So, using up all the wood
and losing the key is not a problem. ;)
Today I pick up the next housesitters.
I
wish I could get a picture of my current situation. Lily is draped
across my capacious chest: I'm typing around her. Leo is curled up on
the couch back at my shoulder, one leg stretched across my arm, and head
against me. I guess they've forgiven me for getting out the nasty
vacuum cleaner.
Yesterday we went to Hadeland Glassverks. As per usual,
many of the places were closed. My main sadness was missing out on the
gallery/museum. But, we were allowed to sneak into the glass blowing
area and watch. There's a little theatre of hard folding chairs in
riser rows, half circled for viewing, but there was no demonstration.
We just walked among the chairs, checking out operations. Gunnar asked
some questions of one of the workers, and he came over and showed us a
few things. The glass that is colored cannot be remelted and used again
but is instead crushed and used in building roads (I'm sure I
misunderstood something there.) Clear glass is reused. The temp is
between 500 and 1500 degrees (C? probably) and if the glass temp goes
below 500, work cannot be done on it.
I love watching
glass blowers at work. There's a sort of meditative patience and rhythm
to it, almost like the glass is dictating the pace.
Shrouded in the mist
Alone in a chill stillness.
The bright fire crackles.
April 17/18Alone in a chill stillness.
The bright fire crackles.
Yesterday was foggy until almost noon, and then it
brightened up. I spent most of the day cleaning: not that the place
was a pig sty, but I wanted to do some extra cleaning before the next
sitters arrive. And I had to do laundry. Finally I could use the great
outdoors for drying! (There's no dryer.)
IM brought me some
of her BBQ and I went down to chat with her while I ate it. She's a
trained chef, but cannot physically do the work any more. With the
warmer weather, she is leaving the door open, and both of the cats have
been sneaking in and eating her cat's food. Hah!
I moved a little, reaching for my iPad, and then took some post-disturbance pix:
The picture of contentment.
I can't reach my cup.
April 18/19
I picked up the next housesitters from the airport yesterday. I drove
past Randfjorden and Jevnaker again,
but coming back we went through
Gjjovik for shopping. I had meant to mail Visa cards to my hosts first,
but when I got to Gjovik I realized that I had come with my knitting
but not my purse. So, I'd been driving without money or license. I had
to drive back the 30 minutes, and that meant I had no time to go back
to the post office. Then, when I took J and R to Gjovik, I was
so busy showing them where to get a SIM card and helping them with
groceries, I forgot AGAIN about the Visas. So, after tutoring today,
I'm going back to Gjovik. Sigh.
R was not impressed
with my driving, and after the shopping expedition I let him drive and
gave directions. He was actually not vocal about it, but I can read the
cues: I was merrily chugging along at 80 kph while answering J's
questions from the back seat and he quietly said, "you might want to be
in 4th."
After another similar comment I asked, "Is my driving making you
nervous?" and he said, "A little" and later said that he's probably a
little gun shy because of the white-knuckle driving he'd experienced in
Croatia, and the fatal accident they witnessed there. So, it was an
amicable exchange, and I'm happier not driving anyway, especially with
passengers, who always distract me from the task at hand.
I made them avgelemono soup and we drank
R's whiskey, and then they took their travel-weary bodies to bed.
They had been up since 3 am, and had a hassle at Frankfurt: R had a
small pocket knife that had made it through most customs because of the
short blade, but the Germans would not allow it through. He had to put
it in J's carryon and check that bag through. J got lost in
the airport, and SAS had to hold the plane for them.
Today
will be about showing them the ropes. They are a fun and capable
couple, and I'm enjoying the company. Tomorrow I take off for
Nordfjord. The cats are being a little standoffish with them, but that
will pass, especially after I'm out of the way. The process has already begun, though:
Hanging out with Lily
A beautiful terrifying 6-hour drive over the mountain passes through driving rain and dimly-lit tunnels, 4 km long.
Will write more later
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| Rondane from a distance |
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| Lalm |
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| Holmoyane |
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| Oppstryn |
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| Vedvik |
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| view from Krakenes Lighthouse |
April 21
After a night of rain and mist, today dawned chilly , with clouds hiding
the hilltops. Down by Bergen it snowed, so that “summer tires” were
not allowed in certain areas. Fortunately, the snow did not reach me. I
slept in, but was dressed by 9:30. I toured Vedvik with S, then drove to the ferry at Lote. Spent the afternoon with the Apalsets, talking and exploring. (A separate post will talk about family.)
Vedvik beach:
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| Lote, waiting for the Ferry |
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| View of fjord at Sandane, from Appalsett homestead |
Spent the night in Skei at a last-minute airbnb and then drove past Kaupanger, where I stopped to look at the stavkirk. There was a baptism scheduled, so I took a quick looksee and got out of the way. Then, the ferry to Laerdal and home the same route I took with P. Very different: still snowy, but the ice was breaking on the lakes, and the verges were clear. Stopped at Borgund again and was able to tour the church as well as the museum. A German gent was putting new tar on the roof.
Tomorrow I return to the States and my first year as a nomad is over! I hope you’ve enjoyed following my activities: it’s been great having you to share this with me!
Lily is sleeping on my stomach. I’m going to miss her terribly!
J made a fabulous smoked haddock chowder and invited IM to join us for the farewell dinner. It was excellent!
And that’s all!
April 23
On my way home, end of the first year of housesitting.
Damn Schengen Agreement
I show my passport;
I’ve overstayed my welcome
By 2 travel days.
They are kind to me.
I’m let off with a warning.
Do I dare return?
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| Portrait of a scofflaw |
