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T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 8 0
Geiranger
Pilestredet, then walking down Grensen coming to the
Domkirke (Cathedral) after walking along Stortorvei. Had a
meal in the Cathedral Cafe and strolled with numerous
residents, shoppers and visitors on Karl Johansgata, the main
street from the Palace to the Sentralstasjon (Central Station).
Crossed Fred Olsen Gata, passed the Borsen (the Stock
Exchange Building) and from the waterside took a photo of
the amazing newish building of the Operaen and the concrete
surrounds of Kirsten Flagstads Plass which took one's breath
away. Then walked along the water past the Akershus Castle
to the Radhusplassen and the Radhuset and chose a narrow
street to reach Eidsvolls Plass, a green area between the
Nationaltheatret and The Storting (The Parliament) with
restaurants and water features. This had been a great walk
taking in some of the tourist attractions. Oslo was an
excellent visit with also catching up with the family that I had
stayed with in 1971 and 1974.
Now besides the capital, Oslo, there were some of the great
sights of the country to behold in the next seven days some of
which were particularly associated with scenery, especially
north and west.
The exit north from the City is the E6 passing the location of
the airport for Oslo at Gardermoen 31 kilometres from Oslo.
Followed the east side of Lake Mjosa to Hamar and on to
Lillehammer. This is an important town for skiing and the
Winter Olympics and a very impressive site for ski jumping
high up on the hill. Travelled 18 kilometres north on the E6
and came off at Hunderfossen and stayed at the 1912 Nermo
Hotel positioned on the side of the hill near Hafjell. The
Nermo also had a golf course and was very pleasant with a
first class breakfast. This was a stopping point on the way to
the first of the choice of classic sights to be seen in Norway
south of Trondheim.
En route near Ringebu the first stavkirke was to be found, a
unique type of church in Norway made of wood with unique
features. Quite small inside, this was the largest stavkirke I
had seen high up on the hillside with a rood screen but at
present surrounded in scaffolding. Norwegians were Catholics
till the 13th century and then became Lutheran Protestant.
Driving up the hill on the by road a few metres there was the
presbytery with bee keeping and crafts and advertising
refreshments. Refreshed with coffee, waffles and jam and sour
milk, we continued our journey to Vinstra, observing another
stavkirke but much smaller, before arriving in Otta. This was
our most northerly point north on the E6 on this occasion as
here the 15 going west was taken to Lom, a busy junction on
the 15 and 55 where light lunch was obtained before
proceeeding to Grotli. From being in valleys for the journey
from Oslo, the road started to climb from the valley into High
Fjell and such was the vista all around the only building, a
hotel, in Grotli. It reminded me of my trip in 1971 when I was
planning a visit from Oslo to the north west at Easter.
Ringing up the hotel in Grotli then, to ask if the road was
open, the reply was 'Yes, if you come up in July!' Here I was in
summer and the place could be described as wild with the hills
all around covered in snow. Grotli was on the edge of the
Reinheimen National Park.
Continuing on the E15 for 13 kilometres there was no
agriculture but a wild scenery of lakes, ice and rivers and even
on a summer's day appeared uninviting particularly as we
turned north on the 63 to reach our destination for the night.
However before that at the lake Djupvatnet with a small
place to stay, Djupvasshytta there is a turning north with a toll
leading one to the top of Dalsnibba at 1476 metres with a
large car park for cars, minbuses and coaches. Well what a
sight at over 4500 feet above sea level, here is the first view of
one of the most impressive places in Norway, the Geiranger
Fjord. Geiranger has to be seen to be believed. I first saw the
picture in black and white in a sixth form text when I started
teaching at Stationers' in 1970, Powrie and Mansfield, North
West Europe, and I said to myself Geiranger is a must! Too
cold to stay too long on Dalsnibba, the descent was made
through the large number of hairpin bends passing saeters,
pockets of grassland suspended on ledges giving a small area
of winter feed for the animals, gathered in summer.
The settlement is approached on the lower slopes of the road
to the village with numerous hotels and guest houses dotted
here and there indicating that Geiranger is a very popular
centre for visitors with coaches parked wherever possible in
Grande Fjord Hotell & Hytter, Geiranger
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