26 July 2019, 05:40
It's almost a feeling of unreality, walking through a town about 6 am. Empty market places, abandoned streets. And the morning sun to gild it all!
The first thing I saw of Gävle was this brick house, glowing in the morning sun.
Abandoned market place
Heliga trefaldighets kyrka (The church of the holy trinity)
Castle gate
Home of the Gävle goat. He was out today and will return in according to what is noted on the...
..Information board
Luckily, I had the chance to meet his brother, working for the Gävle Police.
Old Gävle
Back at the central station for breakfast at Espresso house
25-26 July 2019
On my way to the train station in Trondheim, I found this joyful umbrella arrangement.
The following three photos are from the first trip that evening. In total, I actually changed trains (and the bus) 4 times, in Stjørdal, Storlien, Östersund and Gävle.
I love the feeling of total freedom of choice on this journey. It wasn't until the train to Östersund that I decided not to take another night there but to wait at the station for the night train bringing me to Gävle. And it wasn't until my just over 2 hours in Gävle that I decided for a prolonged visit there...another time, preferably in December. Question of having the possibility to see the Christmas goat (unless someone already has put it on fire..). One good hour after Gävle I set my feet on the ground of Falun. That is however to anticipate my story...
Waiting an hour for the train in Östersund, I was lazily resting and looked forward to a quick evening meal in the train. Only 15 minutes before the departure I saw the announcment of the cancelled bistro car... The tempting sandwich in my mind turned into the abandoned banana in my luggage...The moral of my experience: Always bring something to eat and drink before boarding a train!
The pillows of SJ definitely have seen their better days... However, in the SJ interrail card that I had, the couchette ticket was included which is really a good deal. And after all, I slept really well!
The last photo and video is for the nostalgia of looking out the window through the twilight at the long train and to listen to the different sounds of a train rushing through the night...
24-25 July 2019
This is a town to return to!
From my hotel room, the bells of the Nidaros cathedral gave me a glorious morning!
A lovely day of strolling around, started with crossing the old town bridge.
Walking through Bakklandet on pedestrian streets among the wooden houses, looking in small shops and coffeehouses, I especially enjoyed the name of "Den gamle kramshop" ("The old hug-cottage" in Swedish. However it seemed to have nothing to do with hugs in Norwegian, rather with krimskrams, i.e. knick-knacks ..).
Autumn 2015, an old church was found in a digging. It is probably what once was Saint Olav's Clemens church. Now there is a museum and a video telling about the life of Saint Olav which was very interesting! Inside the museum there was also the remains of a house that had been demolished when the church was built. More info:
https://www.niku.no/en/prosjekter/klemenskirken/
Lunch at Trondheim's Microbrewery.
For dessert, I found a cafe just beside Trondheim's Litteraturhouse (exactly in my taste as I am very fond of Berlin's Café im Litteraturhaus. This seemed to me a place in quite the same spirit).
Walking back through a Trondheim in the golden sunlight of evening and lingering for a while around the Nidaros Cathedral, admiring the impressive architecture.
The following day, I went to the museum of the cathedral (Inside, photographing was prohibited) and to the adjacent Archbishop's Palace with different expositions. It was all very interesting, let alone the archbishops coin workshop from 15:th century that was found in the digging in the 1980's. More info at:
https://www.nidarosdomen.no/en/
23 July 2019
Speedy train, climbing, descending. Swaying.
The distant blue mountains, the green forests, the lakes and rivers along this beautiful way, are like gifts to my eyes and soul. It is just to take it all in and repose in the peace of the view...
Looking just outside the window is however less peaceful... The precipices are sometimes very steep. What if...?
Making a short stop in
and then getting down a dark tunnel, wouldn't you start to wander...what the...?
Strindfjorden a few minutes before arriving in Trondheim.
For my return trip two days later, the train was cancelled between Hell and Storlien and replaced by a bus from Stjørdal due to the hot weather. During that bus trip, I was in the good company of a young woman who told me about her studies and her family and friends. It's one of the wonders of travelling, meeting new people, learn about their lives. And then, when having different directions to take, you say good bye. And let them go; out of your life as quickly as they just entered. Letting go... It is sometimes not that difficult. Somehow they have made an impact on your life. Mysteriously, they might remain, like a footprint in your soul. Yet, when you haven't attached, there is a kind of freedom in the meeting and the letting go. That too, is, as the nature, a kind of peace.
23 July 2019
Finding I could take a quick look at Åre between two trains, me and my backpack took a walk around this ski and outdoor resort. I also had a delicious icecream and cappuccino at Åre Bageri before continuing my trip.
Having to change trains in Storlien, I couldn't help thinking of an old funny story, playing with words, that I learned as a child:
- Vart var du hela förra
- I jämtland
- Det förvånar mig
Even if I know a joke is never the same in another language, I can't help myself... Living in France years ago, I once had a French dictionnary of jokes as a birthday present (so I could start telling jokes that made sense in French). Here goes the translation of the funny story above:
- Where were you the whole last year ("År" in Swedish)
- In Jämtland
- That surprises me greatly ("Storligen" in Swedish)
