Hiking shoes. The unmistakable smell of hiking shoes. Shoes in which is walked for weeks through wind and rain, over saggy forest tracks, grinding gravel paths and scorching hot asphalt. As we come in, a number of them are set out in the hallway and because it had rained that day, they're all connected to a shoe dryer. Yes, a shoe dryer! For those who never set foot in Scandinavia: they have wonderful devices to dry your shoes. And additional function to get rid of the strong smell, is not present unfortunately. But at least we know we're in a pilgrim hostel!
In the photo our cycling shoes. The hiking boots were now walking again.
Thursday we arrived in Trondheim! And so ended a wonderful Kystpilegrimsleia, the coastal pilgrim route. In style we arrived by boat. Yes in style, because the pilgrim route we did, was meant for those who pilgrimage over the sea in the first place. But we discovered that the route is also great to do by bicycle! Because there was a lot of rain forecasted, we did the last part from the island Smøla by ferry. For three hours we sailed in the rain and as we set foot on land in Trondheim, the sun broke through, and as we were standing in front of the Cathedral at the 0 km milestone, the sun showed itself again for a moment.
We remained in Trondheim only for a short time, because we had a train to catch, but until then, we had a fun schedule in town. We were welcomed by Mattias, Guro and Sissel at the office of the national pilgrim centre. On the photo is Mattias, with him I have had a lot of contact about the cycling routes in recent years. Then we received from Kristina and Betty, the reception committee, an 'Olavsbrevet', an Olavs letter. It is the second time for Remy and the fifth time for me that we arrive in Trondheim as pilgrims, but it is always very special. The last item on our schedule was something Remy wanted to do for a long time, going up by Sykkel heis a lift for cyclists! In the centre of Trondheim is a very steep road and there, people placed a lift for cyclists. Last time Remy was here, the lift was broken, but now it works. Apparently it's not well suited for heavy packed cyclists, because halfway up, Remy wasn't able to hold it any more.
Do you know the high bridge over the Atlantic ocean? A road than connects a number of small islands and often photographed from above. You probably saw the photos, as it is part of the things used to promote Norway. You'll see the 'bridge road' either with a sunset, in a great storm with high waves. In reality it isn't very spectacular. It is just a boring asphalt road over which hordes of camper vans drive over and between each set of bridges a large car park at which tourists can spend money in a souvenir shop. I say this in hindsight, because when we first saw the bridge, it looked like an impressive ski ramp with an impossible steep slope. In the end it wasn't that hard and was easy to cycle over.
I still managed to make a tourist-less picture, even though it required some patience on my part:
On the island of Smøla, where we were warmly welcomed by Ragnhild Godard from the Smøla pilgrim centre. This is the fourth and last pilgrim center of the Coastal Pilgrim Route Kystpilgrimsleia. Ragnhild treated us to Svele, a warm airy thick cake-like pancake. Over a cup of coffee we discussed the cycling route, pilgrimage and everything the island of Smøla has to offer.
We decided to stay for an extra day on Smøla and stayed at Eco Camp Norway, a Pilgrim hostel on the island. It is a remarkably nice accommodation where everything is aimed at doing business ecologically. We also visited the spot on Smøla where Norway is called by name in rune script for the first time, and therefore is called the birthplace of Norway. The stone on the photo is a replica of the stone that is put at that place instead.
Now we're at Joar and Magni of Nørgar Voll, in Rennebu, one of my favourite pilgrim hostels along the Olav's way. Yesterday we went into the mountains with them and visited their sætre, a farm building by origin that is in the family for generations. From there we had a view on Svarthøtta, the highest mountain of Trollheimen. This afternoon we'll go to Oslo by train, to cycle over the Kristians route southwards.
Meanwhile, all the hiking shoes disappeared from the hallway. The door is open and the sun is shining inside. It now has other unmistakable smells of things that I associate with Norway and pilgrim routes: a wooden cabin and the smell of grass and flowers.
Pelgrimsherberg Nørgar Voll