Kys og Kram og Kærlighed
det er jordens herlighed
(Danish text. Translation: Kiss and Hug and Love - that is the world's cordiality. This is my own translation, whoever can make something better of it: I'd love to hear it! I can't figure it out myself).
Sometimes Norway just seems like a village where everyone knows each other and where you can meet people you know just anywhere. On the street, in the woods, in the pilgrims' hostels or anywhere else. Or is it because pilgrimages always lead to the most unexpected and/or special encounters? In any case, I can add a few more to my list of 'unexpected and special encounters'.
Glenn en Lisa
Close to Stadsbygd, north of Trondheim, there are two key places that the cycle route does not directly pass. But they are within easy reach by ferry from Trondheim. I really wanted to go there because I wanted to visit all the key places and also see if it was attractive for cyclists to take the ferry up and down. Coincidentally, Glenn and Lisa had also settled there. This Belgian couple have been cycling around Europe for two years, and we have been in touch via social media all this time.
When we were in Spain a year and a half ago, we tried to meet each other, but it didn't work out. They regularly settle down somewhere for a longer period of time to do some work and during this period they were able to work on a farm near Stadsbygd for a while. And I was very welcome there! We had never met before, but we had a lot of contact, so it was like meeting old acquaintances. Lisa and I cycled to Reins Kloster (abbey), and both evenings we played games with two other guests who were also there. I had forgotten how much fun it is to play a game with several people!
On the way back to Trondheim I visited the key place Kystens Arv. And yes, both are definitely worth a trip from Trondheim.
And in a few months I hope to welcome Glenn and Lisa to our home!
Hans Morton
Hans Morton Løvrød is the director of Pilegrimsleden, the organisation that runs all the pilgrim routes to Trondheim (Pilgrimsleden literally means The Pilgrim Path). He also wrote the foreword for my cycling guide, but I have only met him a few times in recent years. After the nice weekend with Glenn and Lisa, I was back in Trondheim on Monday and Tuesday to meet Toralf Neraas on Monday and Mattias Jansson on Tuesday, both of whom work for Pilegrimsleden. On Tuesday morning I had some time and decided to see if Sissel and Guro would be there. They do the social media posts and I thought I'd say hello to them. I rang the doorbell at the office and to my surprise Hans Morton opened the door. It was a warm reunion. It turned out that the two ladies were not there, but it was nice to have a quick chat with Hans Morton. "Have you seen our pilgrim's bicycle?" he asked me. I looked at him in surprise. Pilgrim bike? "Come on, you have to see this!" And there it was, a beautiful cargo bike (non-electric) with the name and logo of the Pilegrimsleden on it.
It is intended as a means of transport in the city and to draw attention to Pilegrimleden. And no, not for pilgrimage...
Sykkellykke means Cycling happines
Anna
"No way, there is Gea!" I suddenly hear. I look up from my laptop and to my surprise I see Anna walking into the pilgrim centre in Trondheim. Anna Runesson is the pilgrim leader in Oslo and has walked the whole Gudbrandsdalsleden herself with her husband last month. I knew she was on her way, but I was very surprised that she arrived at her destination just as I had arrived. I had a few hours on Tuesday afternoon before the boat trip back to Smøla and did some work at Nidarosgård, the pilgrim centre in Trondheim. I will be in Oslo in a few days and hope to see her again.
Mona
After a few exciting days in and around Trondheim, I returned to Smøla, where my car was parked. Before I cycled to Trondheim, I had stayed at Eco Camp Norway for three days and now for one night. Eco Camp Norway is run by Mona, a sweet and very hospitable woman who makes you feel right at home. It is a hostel where everything revolves around sustainability, reuse and reducing human impact on the environment. In addition to the hostel, there is also a second-hand shop. I have never stayed in a hostel that was so clean and tidy. Even the big kitchen and bathroom! I slept alone in the big dorm, but there are also smaller rooms, each with its own theme. That's it for my promotional talk for Eco Camp, but Mona really deserves a big shout-out! If you are cycling (or walking!) on Smøla and have your tent with you, you can pitch your tent on a field next to the hostel.
Ragnhild
Yesterday I said goodbye to Smøla. And not only from Smøla, but also from Ragnhild Godal. She is the pilgrim coordinator for the fourth and last pilgrim centre on the coastal pilgrim route. I told her all about the coastal cycle route, and we went for a walk and had lunch together.
Joar & Magni and the Borsboom family.
Now I'm staying with Joar and Magni at Nørgar Voll. A pilgrims' hostel where I love to come every year to refuel and be pampered by this lovely couple. By chance, pilgrims from the Netherlands arrived yesterday afternoon. A whole family (father, mother, daughter and son). It turned out that the Borsboom family also came from Driebergen (I used to live near there and was a member of the Driebergen Chamber Orchestra for 15 years). This morning I had a long and pleasant chat with their 23-year-old daughter Gloria. She now works in The Hague, a few kilometres from our house.
Like I said, Norway sometimes seems like a small village where you can bump into people you know at any given time.
In the coming days I will drive south by car, I want to cycle a bit along the way and I have some appointments. It will still be a while before I get to Oslo. And after Oslo, the 'Sweden part' starts.
Some pictures of the key places and Trondheim:
Reins Kloster (abbey ruïne and church)
Kystens arv (art museum)
Trondheim
