Day 13 - Heading north towards Kristiansund

Today it is cloudy, but the rain has stopped for now. It may rain a lot in Norway, but so far every rainy day has been followed by a sunny day or at least mostly rain-free - and I can deal with that.

We continue towards Kristiansund on the E136. At Dombås, we take a detour to Dovrefjell via the E6 towards Trondheim to go on a two-and-a-half-hour hike through a bog. The hike is relatively easy, suitable for my injured knee. But that doesn't take away from the beauty of the hike. The view stretches over the expansive fjell and is only interrupted by higher mountain ranges several kilometers away. The landscape conveys a feeling of freedom and vastness. Fortunately, the weather has cleared up, with a few isolated clouds here and there.

Back on the E136, we continue north towards Åndalsnes. Next to the road runs the steep and wild Rauma river. When we stop for a snack, I swim a little round in a deep and calm spot of the river, which flows right by the rest area. You can hardly imagine a more beautiful place to take a break. And no one else to be seen except us.

Shortly after the break, the landscape becomes truly breathtaking. The Rauma valley is now bordered by tall, dark rock walls, crowned by low-lying clouds. A feeling of awe overcomes me.

After various tunnels, we have almost reached sea level again. On the left, a sign points the way to "Trollstigen", which would certainly be impressive today, but it leads us in the wrong direction. Once again, it's "next time". Whenever that will be. In a country with such a density of worthwhile places to see, one has to learn to let go - an exercise that I don't always succeed at. Occasionally, I struggle with the feeling of having missed something and then have to remind myself on a rational level that it is impossible to reach the Lofoten Islands if you stop at all the sights along the way and especially off the beaten track. And then there is the thought that perhaps one should approach a journey of this length in a completely different way, without a specific destination, planning maximum from day to day and seeing where it takes you. Perhaps it would be easier in this way to always live in the moment and not think so often about tomorrow or even the day after. For now, it is important to get rid of this way of thinking, to not miss anything. We see and experience so much, and that is what we should savor.

Anyway, soon we will arrive in Åndalsnes, where we will take the ferry to Molde. Today's stage ends at a campsite located directly on a fjord near Malmefjorden. You can rent motor and rowing boats there, which we also take advantage of and row aimlessly on the fjord. Not so easy without experience. One side is constantly stronger than the other and the boat turns undesirably, or the oar just strokes the water instead of diving in properly. But after a while, I have somewhat figured it out. However, we dock in a paddle-like manner, which is much easier. The anglers present must have been amused by us.

Dozens of wasps bother us during dinner, constantly buzzing around our heads and apparently inspecting everything. There seems to be a nest nearby.

The sunset bathes the fjord and the slope at its end in a beautiful, warm light. After that, it suddenly gets freezing cold, and the heating is turned on.