Now in Sticklestad

We are in Norway, spent night before last in Bodo (with some diacritical mark somewhere), largest significant Norwegian city north of the Arctic circle. We went to the Salmon Centre to learn about salmon farming — quite interesting, though by this point in whole tour I was in deep abiding pain, so hard to really, really appreciate — so I have just made a habit of eating salmon at every meal. Laird and others went to the Jekt trade museum and I and a couple of other people waited on the bus. On to our hotel — pretty long day on bus. But not like the next day!

So much for taking a rail trip! One rail was closed because of sinkhole, one was closed because of landslide and the other (the one I really wanted to go on), the Arctic Express, was closed for coming winter. I swear, the last thing I saw from tour company had the sentence “We will go on the Arctic Express.” One of the museums on our schedule had a sign on the door, CLOSED UNTIL JUNE 2026. Luckily, someone did come and open it for us. So much has already closed in both countries. We were on the bus for over 11 hours yesterday and trying to find “comfort stops” was a bit dicey a couple of times because of such closures. (TRAVEL TIP: do not go to northern countries after August). The tour had not expected to be all by coach (the only train we’ve been on is the one from Stockholm to Ostersund), so our tour manager, Deb (English), spent a lot of time trying to find open places.

But, finally, we got to our hotel in Stiklestad — if by train, we would have gone to Verdal and short bus transfer to Stiklestad hotel. YAY, finally, a hotel room that actually has room! It feels so luxurious not to keep bumping into wall-mounted TVs because of the tight fit between beds and them! Haven’t looked, but I should have bruises on my shoulders from the number of times I did that. Partly a problem of too little space, but also my nontrainability must be taken into account, I guess. Laird will be going on a tour this morning before we leave, but I just can’t make it. He will take pictures and tell me about it and I will be crushed that I didn’t see whatever there is to see.

So, Sweden was pretty, but Norway is gorgeous! Very dramatic, huge granite (we think — they could have countertops for the world if so) outcroppings and mountains, lots of tunnels through many of them, green, green, green — astounding shades of green. Grass is the most beautiful bright, bright green — we definitely do not have that color (or that grass) in NM! And Water! Jeez, it appears that everything in Sweden and Norway is on some kind of water, river or lake; we New Mexicans have never seen so much water — and a thousand or two waterfalls and cascades. Put Norway on your travel list if you are looking for beauty — we’ll tell you more about cities when we get to Trondheim and Oslo where we will have more than a couple of hours to spend in them.

The things I’m most cranked about: we did not get to see, and pet, reindeer because they were out looking for sex; and I could find NOTHING Sami (I’m using the i so you don’t think I’m typing same as same old) to buy, like clothes — I wanted to get Daniel and me some Sami something, but there was NOTHING. Norway has the largest population of Sami and we saw nothing of, about or done by them. Someone needs to have a talk with both countries’ tourism folks. Really, dreadful souvenirs. I would happily volunteer.

At our Stiklestad hotel there is an Outsider art show that is fantastic. I wanted so much to buy a couple of pieces, but what I took for prices were actually the artists’ birth years. And they are not for sale. Well, shit damn. So will try for a poster; even though I like it, it’s a sad substitute for the two pieces I wanted. What a bummer, the first thing I found that I really wanted. God, I hate being twarted!

Off to see about poster. Wish me luck.