Oh Norway of infinite beauty

[hrymfaxe]

I'm back from an amazing holiday with lots of sun and snow!!

We left last Friday on the boat from Copenhagen to Oslo (no pictures from that though because unfortunately my camera was locked in with the car....) and drove the last 500 kilometers north to Skåbu. On the way we saw about 12 mooses; an incredibly large deer, especially as seen crossing the road right behind the car! When we arrived in Skåbu it was to the sight of 1,5 meters snow which is the most we have seen there in the 15 years it has been our chosen spot. We were a bit worried that the temperature didn't get below 0C but the snow hadn't noticed this and cheerfully refused to melt! Oh, and Dawn, I was thinking you would have liked this holiday: sun, not very cold and crosscountry skiing! ;)

Here are pictures from the first couple of days:







One day there was no wind at all which meant that once I stopped moving all I could hear for kilometers around was my own heartbeat. A complete silence which was just amazing! I stood and enjoyed and marveled at it for a long, long time.

The cabin where we lived 8 people!


The view from the bathroom


A clear night when the clouds were lying below us.


And then I fell ill.... :( 39 in fever and all I wanted to do was sleep, sleep and sleep. Thursday night I was feeling well again except for coughing and I was determined to get out and ski on the last day, when my mother said that it had started raining and we might as well pack up the next morning. But when we awoke the sun was shining and there were 10 cm new snow! So I had one last tour round the beautiful landscape.



And then we went home Saturday. 1000 kilometers in less than 12 hours, which was nice - except for the fact that we left Skåbu glittering in the newly risen sun and arrived in Copenhagen under a rainheavy sky... Depression sets in... But that always happens when I am forced to return from Norway, so I have much experience in surviving. 

Comments

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's a lot of snow! What beautiful pictures. I'm glad you had such a lovely time, but I'm sorry you had a fever in the midst of it!

Welcome back. :)

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Yes it was amazing with all that snow - and it had been like that all winter they said. I'm glad you like the pictures; it's always nice to share something beautiful like this!

Thank you - and how have you been? Is there an ETA on chapter three? ;)

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

I've been well, thanks! Chapter three was like pulling teeth all week but I sent it off to godricgal for betaing yesterday. Should be out soon. I only finished it because I decided to put half of it in another chapter! lol

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Whatever gets the chapter done! ;) Isn't it strange that some things are so hard to write?
I'm looking forward to reading what happens.

[mrstater.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) I don't know what the deal was with this chapter; well, I do -- lots of narrative, lol. I think it came together in the end, though we'll see. ;)

[shimotsuki.livejournal.com]

Oh, these pictures are absolutely beautiful. Thank you for posting those! And I know what you mean about the incredible stillness you can find on a snowy day sometimes.

I'm very sorry to hear you were ill for so much of your holiday, though! I hope you at least had something nice to read?

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

That stillness is just amazing, isn't it... *dreamy sigh*

The illness was very annoying to say the least, but I was too tired when I had the fever to care. And luckily I had brought Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell with me after bratanimus had recommended it, so I had plenty of reading material! The only problem was holding the huge book open. ;)

[neumeindil.livejournal.com]

At first I thought "Christ, that's a long trip!" Then I saw the cabin for 8 and thought "Christ, that had to be crowded!"

Then I saw the view from the bathroom and said, "Christ, it'd be worth it!" Just lovely!

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

LOL It is a long trip and it is crowded - but it is definitely worth it! ;) We will never be tired of the views up there.

[gilpin25.livejournal.com]

What beautiful pictures! That cabin must have been very cosy with eight of you inside?!

Sorry to hear you weren't well; it's bad enough when that happens normally, but doubly annoying in a holiday. I hope JS & MN was some consolation, but, yes, it's not the lightest book to hold upright in a weakened condition, lol.

Just been in my bathroom and the view is not remotely like the one you had... ;)

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Thank you - much coziness was had by all! ;) Luckily we spent most of the day outside and went to bed really early due to all the physical exertion. I don't even have a window in my bathroom here - so I'm just staring blankly at the wall.. *puts photo on as desktop*

I loved JS & MN and invented many interesting way of holding a heavy book when my arms were becoming tired. lol!

[duck-or-rabbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is so spectacular! Is Skabu continuously under a layer of snow? I am consulting my globe and am wondering if it is towards the coast or towards Sweden, or due north from Oslo? How many kilometers did you ski per day? Did you always return to the same cabin or did you pack your grear and ski to new cabins? Did you see Prongs while you were skiing? Any Elves?

I think that is the grandest bathroom view I have ever seen! ;D Oooh, did you see the lunar eclipse last week from your latitude?

So sorry about the fever. That interferes with your endurance, to be sure. How are you feeling now? Hopefully not too depressed!

Thanks for posting your pictures. Awesome~

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

LOL I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures! Skåbu is not snow-covered the entire year sadly, though I am told it is quite spectacular in the summer as well. It is pretty much due north from Oslo. The last large city we pass is Lillehammer. SKåbu is a little settlement, but it has the best views ever!

We usually skied about 15-20 kilometers and we returned to the same cabin every time. I would love to take one of those tours where you ski from one cabin to another, but I haven't tried that yet. I brought my own elves so I could watch them frolick in the snow when I was feeling ill. ;) I'm getting over my depression and into quite a bit of nervousness - I have an exam in the UN this afternoon, brrrr. I have no idea what sort of questions they will be asking, so either I will have plenty to say or I will just sit there completely blank for 4½ hours!

Oh and I'll get back to you on that email later, perhaps tonight when this exam thing is over.

[duck-or-rabbit.livejournal.com]

I have an exam in the UN this afternoon

Good luck!

[trekqueen.livejournal.com]

absolutely gorgeous!

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Thank you - I'm glad you like them. :)

[noliel.livejournal.com]

How'd I miss this? Wow, what brilliant snaps- I love the view from the bathroom window, and the one after that, with the clouds and the moon. Glad you had a wonderful holiday! :D

[hrymfaxe.livejournal.com]

Yes how did you!?! ;) *giggle* Thank you - I'm really glad you like them. Isn't that view awesome? And the moon was spectacular. If I hadn't been ill I would have put on my skis and go for a midnight tour. :D But it was still wonderful just to look at.