A Roadtrip
Aug. 22nd, 2005 02:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
misscamMap over Norway, if you wanna look at where some of these places are
Am home. Was an interesting trip. We ended up driving over 1177 km. Not bad, huh? And now, for those very dedicated, some descriptions of the trip.
We drove up Gudbrandsdalen (in Oppland county), through Gjøvik and Lillehammer and eventually up Dovre. I'm sad to say we didn't see any muskox, but they are fairly shy. (I've seen Muskox before in another part of the country - in 1950, muskox from Greenland were set loose in Norway and have thrived very well indeed. There were muskox native in Norway a long time ago, but they died out or left.) Gudbrandsdalen have been carved out by the ice that covered Norway a long time ago, and it has some fairly impressive sights.
Eventually, we made it to Trondheim and visited my brother, who is studying civil engineering up there. I finally got to see Nidarosdomen, the great cathedral of Trondheim. (You can read a bit about it here.) Say what you like about the old times - they sure knew how to build churches even to impress an atheist. We actually passed quite a lot of old churches on our trip - we even passed one of our "stavkirker", namely this one. It was made around 1100-1200. There's about 28 of these wooden churches still remaining in Norway, and one of them is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. (This one, if you're really curious.)
We decided to take another way back again, taking a sidetrip to Røros and then down through Østerdalen (in Hedmark county). I've been to Røros before, but it's worth several looks. It's also on UNESCO's World Heritage List - the only one in Norway to fulfill all four criteria of UNESCO (one usually does it). It's an old mining town and the whole town has actually been preserved. (You can peek at it here.)
Passing through Østerdalen, we stopped at Alvdal, which is the birthplace of Kjell Aukrust, a fairly famous author and artist and creator of the story behind Flåklypa Grand Prix, still the most sucessful Norwegian film. Fond childhood memories all around.
In Alvdal, we came across another curiosity on a local nearby mountained names Tron. Turns out Swami Sri Ananda Acharya from India, known as Baral, who settled on Tron, calling it "the mountain of truth". He was buried there eventually, and some of his followers still live up there, working on his plan to establish a "University of Peace" up there. (You can read a little bit about him in English here.)
The rest of Østerdalen is mainly trees. And trees. Something like 37% of Norway is covered by forests and I swear I saw half of it passing through Østerdalen. Trees, trees and trees. Whee. But there'd good fishing there, along Glomma (which is Norway's longest river). We passed trough Elverum and Eidsvoll (which is where our Constitution was made and signed, back in 1814) before finally returning back home.
And that was the little roadtrip.
So, did I miss anything of interest? Leave a link in a comment if you wish to direct me to anything. I see YTDAW has gone bye-bye again, so I guess I haven't missed any babydoll antics.
Oh yes, and I did get to see half an episode or so of Veronica Mars. So far, I reserve judgement. It didn't there and then hook me, but it didn't bore me as I watched either, so who knows.
Am otherwise sort of semi-fine - there's a lot of fuss and I feel very tired. I'm thinking hermithood looks better and better, but sooner or later I shall have to engage with the wider world again. I'll probably want to eventually, but right now, it feels good to just have solitude like a cocoon spun around me.
Oh yes, and those who have sent their address will be getting a postcard.
In other news:
Norwegian Minister of Justice to take part in Tolkien parade
Film about famed transvestite kickboxer set for UK release
EU helps Portugal with forestfires
Pope warns against secular Europe (The feeling is so mutual, dear Pope. I'd be warning against some of the things you want, that's for sure.)
Paper plant plans sparks row in Norway
Norway's prime ministers - there'll probably be a new one on that list after the election.
ETA: Penguin is promoted (And here.) Figures Norway would have an Honourary Royal Army Penguin. Army Penguins for Peace!
Am home. Was an interesting trip. We ended up driving over 1177 km. Not bad, huh? And now, for those very dedicated, some descriptions of the trip.
We drove up Gudbrandsdalen (in Oppland county), through Gjøvik and Lillehammer and eventually up Dovre. I'm sad to say we didn't see any muskox, but they are fairly shy. (I've seen Muskox before in another part of the country - in 1950, muskox from Greenland were set loose in Norway and have thrived very well indeed. There were muskox native in Norway a long time ago, but they died out or left.) Gudbrandsdalen have been carved out by the ice that covered Norway a long time ago, and it has some fairly impressive sights.
Eventually, we made it to Trondheim and visited my brother, who is studying civil engineering up there. I finally got to see Nidarosdomen, the great cathedral of Trondheim. (You can read a bit about it here.) Say what you like about the old times - they sure knew how to build churches even to impress an atheist. We actually passed quite a lot of old churches on our trip - we even passed one of our "stavkirker", namely this one. It was made around 1100-1200. There's about 28 of these wooden churches still remaining in Norway, and one of them is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. (This one, if you're really curious.)
We decided to take another way back again, taking a sidetrip to Røros and then down through Østerdalen (in Hedmark county). I've been to Røros before, but it's worth several looks. It's also on UNESCO's World Heritage List - the only one in Norway to fulfill all four criteria of UNESCO (one usually does it). It's an old mining town and the whole town has actually been preserved. (You can peek at it here.)
Passing through Østerdalen, we stopped at Alvdal, which is the birthplace of Kjell Aukrust, a fairly famous author and artist and creator of the story behind Flåklypa Grand Prix, still the most sucessful Norwegian film. Fond childhood memories all around.
In Alvdal, we came across another curiosity on a local nearby mountained names Tron. Turns out Swami Sri Ananda Acharya from India, known as Baral, who settled on Tron, calling it "the mountain of truth". He was buried there eventually, and some of his followers still live up there, working on his plan to establish a "University of Peace" up there. (You can read a little bit about him in English here.)
The rest of Østerdalen is mainly trees. And trees. Something like 37% of Norway is covered by forests and I swear I saw half of it passing through Østerdalen. Trees, trees and trees. Whee. But there'd good fishing there, along Glomma (which is Norway's longest river). We passed trough Elverum and Eidsvoll (which is where our Constitution was made and signed, back in 1814) before finally returning back home.
And that was the little roadtrip.
So, did I miss anything of interest? Leave a link in a comment if you wish to direct me to anything. I see YTDAW has gone bye-bye again, so I guess I haven't missed any babydoll antics.
Oh yes, and I did get to see half an episode or so of Veronica Mars. So far, I reserve judgement. It didn't there and then hook me, but it didn't bore me as I watched either, so who knows.
Am otherwise sort of semi-fine - there's a lot of fuss and I feel very tired. I'm thinking hermithood looks better and better, but sooner or later I shall have to engage with the wider world again. I'll probably want to eventually, but right now, it feels good to just have solitude like a cocoon spun around me.
Oh yes, and those who have sent their address will be getting a postcard.
In other news:
Norwegian Minister of Justice to take part in Tolkien parade
Film about famed transvestite kickboxer set for UK release
EU helps Portugal with forestfires
Pope warns against secular Europe (The feeling is so mutual, dear Pope. I'd be warning against some of the things you want, that's for sure.)
Paper plant plans sparks row in Norway
Norway's prime ministers - there'll probably be a new one on that list after the election.
ETA: Penguin is promoted (And here.) Figures Norway would have an Honourary Royal Army Penguin. Army Penguins for Peace!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 05:19 am (UTC)Not that I was gone that long - maybe I should vanish for a month and see if you'd notice then.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 06:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 06:45 am (UTC)I forgive, if only for the "live long and prosper".
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 06:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 07:56 am (UTC)Somehow road-triping in Norway sounds way cooler than doing it in Canada. I'm now jealous.
*pouts*
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 10:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 12:28 pm (UTC)... then again, with my government in its current idiocy, any place is better than the USA.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 08:12 am (UTC)Incindentally, I hate being interntetless..anyway it sounds like your trip was fun...
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 10:43 am (UTC)I'm coping, so don't worry too much.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 08:52 am (UTC)Geghard from the 13th century.
The wooden churches were lovely. Makes me want to visit Norway again! I'm sending you a widdle something. Any particular requests while I am at it? I am not so sure if cosmos would hold up but I could try ;p
Btw, a penguin is Norwegian army's symbol? I saw him waddling down the ranks and checking out the soldiers. Regimental sergeant major, huh? I am moving to Norway, it's final! Adopt me?
Psssst, look, Faramir icon just for you!no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 10:51 am (UTC)Um, poptarts? BTW, you should send it to my parent's address - I've moved hme for a while.
We don't have a penguin as a symbol, I think, but our army has supposedly adopted one. (As read here.)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 09:37 am (UTC)P.S. Check out the icon I snatched while you were away!
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 10:56 am (UTC)Your anti-drug, huh? Mmmm-mmm.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 01:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 01:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 02:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 11:09 am (UTC)Little countries are better than big ones.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 11:28 am (UTC)You guys have everything! Army penguins and Tolkien parades and absolutely beautiful landscapes...
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 12:53 pm (UTC)Does your pretty little country up there still need immigrants? The architecture of the stavkirker is very impressive; and, what is much more important, our armed forces down here are plagued by a sore lack of penguins. Honourable Regimental Sergeant Major Nils Olav indeed. *giggles*
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 02:04 pm (UTC)Well-educated probably means "with degrees in computer science and biotechnology and engineering and business administration", not "dabbling in history and literature", I presume...
Maybe you can see if Nils Olav can ease you in ;)
I could bribe him with trout. Hm, do penguins eat trout?
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 02:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 04:33 pm (UTC)Ah, Pope. I'd rather have him warning against secularism than, say, Presidents and Prime Ministers, but still, I have to give him a raspberry. :P
*pats the penguin*
On a somewhat random note, have you found anyone to make you a new LJ layout yet? (If some graphics I can use can be found, I'm in the mood to take on a mini-project...)
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 11:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 12:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 07:12 pm (UTC)HEADLINE 2: Liberal Catholics stick fingers in ears and chant "Lalala, I can't hear you"!
Which is basically my reaction.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-22 11:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 04:56 pm (UTC)moonsexcommunicates secular Europe.no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 12:32 pm (UTC)And yes, despite the fact I'm not Catholic (thank the Gods), that was my reaction too. Stupid religion and barring gay marraige.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 05:06 pm (UTC)My apologies. I got Christianity shoved down my throat in general as a kid, I'm bi, and then to get told I'm going to go to hell because even thinking of guys as attractive is wrong... ugh... this is why I ran from Christianity.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 05:10 pm (UTC)Naa, don't apologise. I totally agree there are loads of problems, and the fact I didn't much like Jonh Paul II and really dislike Benedict XVI is not going to make me jump in defense of the Church. I'm a very moderate and unexcited Catholic of the brand they most hate: I don't listen to most of the stuff they say on sexuality, and have a very good ignorance-of-what-I-dislike capacity.
I wanted to add the link to the icons, if you wanted to see them: http://www.livejournal.com/community/obsessiveicons/103836.html
no subject
Date: 2005-08-24 01:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 05:04 pm (UTC)Stupid religion and barring gay marriage.
I don't think my religion is always stupid, though I admit it does have its moments. But then, so do all religions.
Banning gay marriage is the least of the things I would list as stupid and done by the Church. Meaning: don't get me started on gender roles, women's priesthood or contraceptives. I might have a stroke.
no subject
Date: 2005-08-23 12:59 am (UTC)Hope you're feeling better after all that scenery *quietly seethes with jealousy about Norwegian roadtrip - but ah well, I'll get there eventually*
And hermithood is all very well and good, but first you'd have to find somewhere to be a hermit...
no subject
Date: 2005-08-25 09:00 am (UTC)LOL! He's teh c00t and the waddling and soldier-scrutinising is slaying me.