On the trail of influencers....

Or how does it feel when you leave your comfort zone...? We can tell you... But let's start from the beginning.

Before we set off on May 24, 2023 to Skien to visit the Mustverdts, we went hiking around the campsite on a specially designated hike by the owner. He told us that the terrain there was somewhat damp and there were still snow fields. But we didn't expect our hiking shoes to be completely wet afterwards. We hiked for 4 hours through marshlands and over snow fields and along beautiful mountain lakes that were slowly waking up from their winter sleep. Not the last time in Norway. After the hike and a thorough shower, we drove to Skien (pronounced like 'Scheen') to meet Karin and her parents. Karin is an acquaintance of ours and half-Swiss/Norwegian. We spent a cozy evening in a restaurant and got some tips. Thanks again for your hospitality and the jam from Heidi Mustverdt is sensational.

The next day started with a Norwegian breakfast. Thanks for your tips Heidi & Per-Simon, we bought the brown cheese. And the mackerel in tomato sauce too... We then drove over the Norwegian mountains (partially still covered in snow) to the Evye region. We stayed there for three nights and explored the area around the Flat mine. Unfortunately, you can also find garbage dumps in the forest in Norway - similar to Italy.

On Whit Sunday, we visited the southernmost city of Norway, 'Mandal', and the southernmost point of Norway, 'Lindesnes'. At the southernmost point, you can visit a lighthouse that is still in operation. The view over the surrounding area was beautiful and accompanied by cold gusts of wind. There are now only 2,518 kilometers as the crow flies to the North Cape.
By the way, on Whit Sunday we also tapped our first 3-liter wine box. Thanks to Trudy & Armin for the tip. We really enjoy the Merlot.

Pentecost Monday started with a visit to Flekkefjord, a small village by the sea. During a coffee break, we made plans and agreed on a short hike to Kolbolten (also called little Kjerag). We drove along the coastal road number 44 to the starting point of the hike. We expected a 'walk' with little elevation gain. Unfortunately, we researched wrongly. Instead of 1 hour, the hike took a full 2 hours. Heidi was not always very happy, as we didn't wear the optimal footwear and there were some small climbing passages (not so cool with a fear of heights). But we made it and Reto stood on the rocks.

The next day we got up early, because we had big plans. We wanted to hike to Kjeragbolten. The drive to the starting point took us through beautiful landscapes with a wonderful morning atmosphere. When we arrived at the starting point, we had to swallow hard first, because the parking fees here in Norway are sometimes really high. This parking lot cost us about CHF 25.00. But we didn't let it discourage us and started hiking. We hiked 5 kilometers and about 600 meters of altitude, but the level of difficulty was very high. Heidi is not entirely free of dizziness, so the hike was a real challenge for her and she left her comfort zone several times and looked deep into the eyes of her fear of heights. The hiking trails were equipped with chains so that you could pull yourself up over the stone slabs. After about 2 hours of hiking, we reached the famous (at least for influencers) rock between the rocks - the Kjeragbolten. And yes, of course, Reto also stood on that rock, 1,000 meters above the Lysenfjord.
Conclusion: Leaving your comfort zone from time to time really takes you further... (Thanks Christoph)
On the last day of May, we gave our legs a rest. We briefly visited the beautiful town of Stavanger, where large cruise ships also dock. And we drove to our next starting point, the port of Jorpeland. During the drive, we passed through the longest tunnel under the sea in the world, 14.4 kilometers long.

On the first day of June, the next influencer highlight awaited us. The Preikestolen, also known as the Pulpit, is visited by about 300,000 tourists annually. The hiking trails were a walk in the park compared to the Kjeragbolten. But we still had to overcome almost 350 meters of altitude. The ascent was quite pleasant, we started early. The incredibly beautiful view of the Lysenfjord and the surrounding mountains fascinated us. See photos. On the way back, we encountered hundreds of day tourists. Luckily, we got up early.
We then drove towards Bergen on the RV 13 road.

Today, on June 2, 2023, not much happened, we stayed at our beautiful spot by the river in the Suldalsosen region and enjoyed the sun.