Shopping tag

The panorama revealed itself after waking up from a rainy night, very gloomy, with low-hanging clouds and mist. Nevertheless, the journey continued early and soon we found a rest area with a restaurant and bakery, sauna, cabins, hot tub, and much more.

We must say that the Norwegians show good taste in furnishing, with a lot of wood and always a good mix between cozy and modern. So we felt very comfortable during our coffee and delicious cinnamon pastries, with a view from the panoramic window.

The journey continued, moving away from the high plateau, the landscape changed, with more trees and lush meadows. The houses blend incredibly well into the landscape, often difficult to recognize due to the planted roofs.

It is noticeable that the Norwegians are very nature-oriented people and how considerate they are with pedestrians or cyclists. They often slow down and when overtaking, they gladly switch to the opposite lane to leave as much space as possible. We think this kind of consideration for non-motorized people is great!

We then had various shopping stops:

1. We bought elk sausage, at least we will eat some, even if we only ever see warning signs and never the animals themselves. Our new roommate, Elg, was not so thrilled.

2. A souvenir shop in a kind of Sami tent. There was everything from sausage to trolls, antlers, and fur, but we didn't buy anything.

3. If you spend as much time outdoors as the Norwegians do, you also need the right clothes. In almost every larger village, you will find outdoor clothing stores. I got a new pair of Salomon hiking shoes.

4. Coincidentally, there was a Vinmonopolet in the same building, so I had to go in. Delightfully small, red, white, and rosé wines, as well as high-proof alcohol, lined up on the shelf. The prices are significantly higher than ours, but that didn't bother a group of Asians at all, and they really loaded up. For us, we got a red wine (as the last one has been empty for a looooooooong time).

The goal of the day was to find a parking space in a good starting position for my planned road bike tour the next day, so we went back up towards Lysebotn. It was pouring rain, but that didn't bother the numerous sheep on and beside the road.

The search for a parking space along the road proved to be rather difficult. There were some opportunities on the edge of this lightly trafficked road, but the spaces were mostly very uneven. You would have needed a vehicle with much more ground clearance to get off the road, or the space was already occupied. Eventually, it worked out, although it was quite sloping, but with a great view, if only there hadn't been the fog... ;-)