Breaking for Winter

We took our first roadtrip southward for 3 hours to a place called Savalen for 5 nights of winter vacationing.   The place sits high up on the Savalen lake near the tree line of the mountains and is known for its spa and outdoor activities.   The hotel is high up on the hill above the lake.



Reaching above the treeline



Savalen sitting on the hill across the lake we skied upon

While here, we have skied our little arses off on the miles of prepared trails through the mountains.  We did one 6 km and two 10 km treks in a row.

Following the well prepared trails

Stopping for kakoa

We ice skated nearly every day.  On one day, we took a special horse-drawn sleighride or Kanefart.

We spa'd.  

We feasted at breakfast and dinner in the dining room to piano music produced by a wild haired gentleman.  We made our "mat paked" of sandwiches and turned in our cantina's every night to be filled with kakao for the afternoon activities. 

We listened to norwegian karaoke that involved sma fiske (fish), lame (lambs), something/someone named Mikkel Rev and featured lyrics like "bari bari suet." And, hit the family disco hour.

We met up with some friends at the historic town of Røros.  The winter market has featured men in fur coats for the last 150 years or so.  Here are two fine norwegian specimens in wolf and goat pelts.

Now we are prepared to head back to reality with sore legs, firm arses, and rested hearts.

Girls with their friend Anastasia.

There are no snow days in Norway

When it snows in my home town, school is cancelled.  Children rejoice.  Sleds or "sledges" are grabbed and people head to the park.  The parents stand at the top in their light jackets, small shoes and freeze with hands jammed into coat pockets.  Children blast down the slopes laughing.  Not so here.  First, there are no such things as snow days.

And second, all Norwegians have the proper outdoor gear not just to sled and ski with their children, but to bike home from work with studded tires in snow, ice, or rain.   A lovely Norwegian girl told me yesterday as she donned her rubber gear to bike home in the ice/rain that on a bike, it rains from above and below.

In the states, everybody plows their driveways and the sidewalks in front of their house and then the snow plow comes and dumps heavy snow right back over the newly cleaned area.   This is true in Rhode Island and in Minnesota.  But, Norwegians have perfected the art of the snow plow.   The have enormous wheels and blow snow in a directed fashion to avoid your driveway.  Here is a video clip of the snowplow passing by my house at night.  Note that they work at night and secondly note that they missed my driveway.

Well for the most part, except for this unfortunate neighbor who lives on the major road out to the cross country ski loops.  You wouldn't think a park road would be the first to be plowed...but you haven't met the crazy Norwegian skiers.   They take skiing so seriously that they have one-way ski tracks.  When they pass you,  even the 70 year old ones pass you by, they go as fast down those hills as alpine skiers.  A small tornado-force wind gets stirred up by their speed.  The parking lot for the lighted ski tracks is almost always full and the one-way loops are bursting with skiers in what they affectionately call "condom suits" any night of the week. 

They may not plow my road right away, but you can bet they are paving the route to Bymarka as we speak.  And there are likely some skiers following behind, drafting on the plows as they go.




 

Winter for those of you who forgot what snow looks like

Cold weather descends upon us.  Furry creatures hide.  Fluffy snow turns to ice.  And, northern lights appear late in the night.

When given ice, what must one do?  Learn to skate stupid.  While every living creature in Trondheim unloaded on our park (Bymarka) to ski in the beautiful sunny days last weekend, we left the icy snow and headed to find some real ice.   The downtown ice rink Leangen is designed for speed skating with a large outdoor oval, but also caters on weekends to those who don't look as good in spandex.   We skated around and around listening to "The Eye of the Tiger" and other hits from bands like Journey and Boston.  Typical Norwegian metal bands wouldn't be nearly so family friendly. 

Then we got a nice fluffy snowfall today and got out the "Sledges." The Norwegians use the British word for sled and I kind of like it better.  We wanted to share some snow and outdoor activities with all of our warm weather New Englanders who may have forgotten what winter looks like.  The Sledges at the house are pretty awesome with little steering wheels for precise manuevering  -  probably produced by Norwegian children in an elementary D&T (Design and Technology) class.  We walked down to our local hill and managed to find some long runs down.

And, to round out our winter trifecta (skating, sledding, and skiing), I also had a quick 2-hour alpine ski trip Thursday night on some lighted slopes nearby (Vasfjellet) with a gang from work.   They charge by the hour with digital cards that you zip into the pocket in your left arm ski jacket.    It was like my childhood "Monday Night Skiing" with only a T-bar to take you up a long slope and steep lighted paths down again.  No bones were broken, some jumps were taken, and great speeds were obtained by all.

But probably the most important part of the weekend?  My finely detailed buddha cross stitch needlepoint is taking shape.  Yes, winter is upon us.