29th of September, 2022.
Hitchhiking in Norway.
Roy and his beautiful dog, an Alaskan Malamute, stop the car. The dog barks a little bit first, so I ask Roy if he is sure I can come. He says we can try. As soon he takes the babe outside of the car, he starts playing with me. How cute! So, we both agree we’ll be fine!
Unfortunately, Roy is not going too far, because it is a pleasure talking to him. He lives nearby Fagerhaug with his wife and a newborn baby. They love going hiking in the mountains and right now he is taking their dog for some adventure.
The next person to stop for me is Trude and she is going to Trondheim. She is absolutely lovely and we have a great time together! She is from there and tells me that Trondheim was the first capital of Norway, during the Viking Age, until 1217. It used to be a very important port and trade place, from where things would be distributed to both North and South of the country.
Trude drops me off right in front of Nidaros Cathedral, this incredibly beautiful Gothic building. It is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world! And it is absolutely stunning! Both from outside and inside. Unfortunately, you have to pay for going inside. Luckily for me, I decide to ask the two young girls at the entrance if I could go quickly to take a look without a ticket. They allowed me. Yay! I took a quick photograph just to remember it.
I could stay admiring this wonderful building for ages, but I have to leave and see a bit more of Trondheim.
I first decide to go and trying to exchange my book Crime and Punishment, from Dostoevsky, for Growth of the soil, a Nobel of Literature winner by a Norwegian writer called Knut Hansum, a suggestion of my dear Espen. They don’t have it in the second-hand book shop but also the owner tells me my book is too worn, so he doesn’t want to exchange.
I leave the shop quite sad, but then I remember I have some coins left. I was planning to buy some food to use it, but books are food for the soul! I decide to buy another book by Hansum, which I saw it inside. I still don’t have enough for the book, only 27 NOKs while the book is 30 NOKs. But I try and ask the owner and he accepts. Yay! And I still keep Dostoevsky.
I pass by Our Lady Church, and I love the inside! There is some kind of event going on, music playing, and they are giving free snacks and coffee. For some silly reason I decide not to have some coffee. They were very kind by offering me. Sometimes I can be so stupid…
Together with Nidaros Cathedral, The Old Town Bridge (or Bybrua in Norwegian) is a very famous sightseen. It is a super cute bridge but also the houses by the river contribute to a very nice view, being all different colours and in a Norwegian traditional style. It seems that the bridge can also be called Gamle Bybro, and it is also known as Lykkens portal, or Gate of Happiness. Isn’t that beautiful? That is because of a waltz written by a Norwegian singer and composer, Kristian Oskar Hoddø, called Nidelven stille og vakker du er (Nidelven quiet and beautiful you are), Nidelven being the river. It is said that Oskar Hoddø was a member of the resistance movement against the Nazi occupation in Norway and he was executed in 1943 together with other resistance campaigners.
After using the wi-fi in a lovely pub I get directions for a place to hitchhike towards Bodø. To get in there I will pass by Kristiansten Fortress. Yay!
What a magical place! I can’t explain why but I simply love the fortress! Perhaps is because the blue sky, sunny day in contrast with the white of the building; or the beautiful view from up here. It is so hard to leave! I don’t want to. I feel I could spend a few days in Trondheim easily. If you can, you definitely should! I have a great feeling about this town and it looks really cute!
But my hitchhiking spot sucks! It is just a bus stop in a very crowded place. So, change of plans.
I get to a cafe in a mall across the street and try to figure another plan. Hitchwiki says that a good plan is going all the way to Hell! Laugh. I am not being sarcastic. Hell is a small town just outside Trondheim. My dearest Espen had told me about before, I just didn’t think I would actually end up in Hell.
I must take a bus to get in there. But I have no cash at all! I decide to take the risk and try to ride for free. It works! After almost one hour I arrive in Hell!
I have found a small park, nearby a good place for hitchhiking next morning, so I walk towards there. It is funny how our brain works. Now, while writing this text, I feel so silly for had been suspicious about that park and some men I saw there. It seems it was so silly because I felt incredible safe in Norway all the time. There is a farm nearby the park and even a mother with her young boy and their dog passed by me. I camped in a very fluffy grass for the night.
10 Years Around the World 