An entry in the TFS Travel Journal
Hung out in the dungeon reading until 11:30 or so, then escaped to the city center. We found a great parking place on a side street, and paid the NK8 for an hour (all that was allowed). We walked the pedestrian mall on a gloriously warm, sunny day. This town is redolent of many western U.S. towns (Durango, Boulder) set amongst mountains, with a long main shopping-and-outdoor-cafe street, and lots of outdoor activities.
Saw more high-quality mountain bike shops here than everywhere else in Scandanavia combined, then checked in every store selling any type of music to try to find new cassettes for the Vectra, since no matter how great the tapes one brings, after countless hours they get a bit old. We’ve found that very few stores sell tapes, only discs, but that doesn’t stop us from looking every opportunity we get. (Which also reveals a lot of music we’re not familiar with from back home).
We then ran back and put another 8NK in the meter and went to the Lillehammer Art Museum. Quite a nice little museum, though all we got was the permanent collection since the exhibit of Frederick Collet (a Norweigan Landscape painter) wasn’t up until Saturday (though we did sneak into the other rooms until someone scolded us in Norweigan) Very satisfying collection of Scandanavian outdoors scenes primarily from the early 1800s to the early 1900s. Again, interesting uses of various light conditions, and landscapes and 1800-cityscapes in all seasons.
We then enjoyed some local pastries and coffee out on the museum’s patio, next to a beautiful old building whose facade was absolutely covered in ivy, that turned out to be a bank. We then picked up some fresh fruit (including more fabulous strawberries) from the Saigon market and a Vietnamese woman who spoke Norwiegan but no english, and drove the 5 blocks to our new hotel, the Molla, which was recently listed by a German publication as one of the most unusual hotels in the world. It is a converted mill, and is 9 stories high, but only 5 rooms per floor. The nice woman from last night (the blonde, willowy and beautiful Hege) took pity on us, and gave us a nicer room on the fifth floor. Perched over a loud rushing stream (better than last night’s traffic!) with all light pine furniture, including a comfy rocking chair. For the first time couldn’t log onto AOL, but they let us use the Meeting Room, where it was no problem.
Milton then went to his 2:30 haircut appointment and left with, let’s just say, a cut that will take him through the summer. We climbed back into the Vectra (imagine a day without driving) and drove 14km to Hunderfossen Park, home of the world’s largest (46 feet high) troll. It turned out to be an amusement park highly geared to children, and with a $20/person admission fee, so we passed and went instead to the Norway Road Museum. Actually had many interesting old pictures and equipment (which we definitely had an appreciation for after driving several thousand km on these roads) as well as a few dozen old and new really cool motorcycles.
Then it was a short (!) drive to Lilleputthammer, a recreation/reconstruction of 1900 Lillehammer, in adorable miniature. We walked the whole (brilliantly named) little town, then returned to the real version. We rested up, and walked to the Lundegarden restaurant for dinner. Started with smoked salmon with creamed spinach (though there wasn’t actually any spinach, no matter what the chef said) and some delicious mussels in a savory white wine broth. Entrees were fajitas (perfectly presented with tortillas, guacamole, cheese, etc.) and sliced elk medallions in a creamy gravy with sauteed mushrooms, accompanied by a damn good Chilean Cabernet. The elk was a bit chewy, but as tasty as good lamb chops, in its own, slighty gamy way. (The meal was, as all meals here from pizza to gourmet, amazingly expensive — $115 for tonight’s, with tip, and close to $40 for the pizza and two tiny salads in Bergen) The evening weather and sunlight was perfect, so we strolled the main drag and marvelled at how empty the town was. Picked up a frozen vanilla yoghurt cone and enjoyed it all the way back to the hotel.
We went up to the Toppen Bar on the top (9th) floor to see the view of the city and the Olympic ski jump and struck up a conversation with Katinka, the 27-year-old Norweigan bartender. Ended up chatting for an hour +, as we were the only patrons, though she claimed it was overflowing on weekends. Perhaps a bit slow now due to the National Holiday of the three weeks after the second week of July having just ended. Interesting to learn which American TV shows she and her friends like (Oprah, ER, Friends) and which others are on here (Bold and the Beautiful, Jerry Springer Show, Ricki Lake show, and, in the summer, Dynasty and Dallas reruns. Go figure. . .) She also gave us some Norweigan authors and book titles that we’ll be looking for. Then some Germans started arriving, so we left for our room.