After we came back to the car, there was a cople of light hours. We've decided to get into Bergen which we excepted as a beautiful city. It really was and we (me and Tim) also had a little adventure - sleeping in the tend in the middle of Bergen. Old wooden houses were really nice and also the night life was very intensive there (not for us of course).
night in the city center
city of interesting views
But also our staing was limited and we needed shower and a good bet and all this in our society common things and we started our way back... very long way. Fortunatelly Franc (the car) was in a good shape and we get home in the night with nice experiences (the longest european car tunell, beautiful ferry sunset, Norwegian nature and so on).
To better understanding, try to lissen James during reading.. he know it :-)
Sometimes is not so bad make just a male trip. With girls it could be more fun, yeah.. it's more natural, but you're not able to do all the things you can in male group.. I mean adventure degree.
After 4 or 5 hours on the road also throw amazing mountains we drove into the Ardal - town steeply down in the valley. We found the parking, repack our backpacks, put the headlights on (except for Jiří who forgot it) and started our way to the first cabin Gravdalen. It was dark and it was maybe better... We also carried wood, food for 4 days and maby some useless things.. hence our backpacks was incredibly heavy and the footpath was incredibly steep and all the way in the snow in the dark was little bit crazy. We also met a guy in the cottage on the way who made distrustful faces about us. At the end we found the cabin.. what a big joy! I confess to I was really tired and glad of finding cabin which was small but nice with 4 bets, fire stove and wood..beautiful.
Gravdalen
We decided to spend next day there to enjoy it and make just a small expedition on the hill in front the cabin.
awsome!
After horsing around in the first right snow in Norway we spend the day in cottage sleeping, eating and talking except of Mikl whu had much energy to make another trip alone. And also playing cards (The lier - good funny game based on lying).
Next "morning", 5 am, alarmclock woke us. The adventure continues. Especially for Jiří without headlite. Besides him almost everyone falled down in the dark on the slippery surface. The way was long and the snow under our feet was dropping down.. not so comfortable. The plan was to reach another hut called Stølsmaradalen, have a rest there and then continue to the finall cottage Skagastølsbu the stone beautiful one high in the mountains. We taught the Stølsmaradalen is closed for us but all of us was in hope, it could be open. After the hard way with heavy backpacks and loosing the path (fortunately this path is used by animals so we followed a moose and a fox steps - smart animals) we reached the cottage. It was very honest delight when we realised the key fits in to the lock and the cottage is for us.
The weather was getting worse and we decide to stay there. The next cottage was maybe another 5 hours of walking on unpredictable surface. It was a bit cold inside but very nice. Especially the mountains arround and the valley under us. Next day we walked down. This way was a little bit steep and dangerous but there was an amazing waterfall on the other side of steep valley - Vettifossen. Downthere it was amazing area with a lot of other beautifull waterfalls and dancing river which we lined on the way to the car.
I'like to present shortly weekend in the middle of October which I spend with my parents.
Evererything was much easier with borrowed car by Tomas. I picked them up on friday evening in Sandefjord and we talked about some news in our homeland or family on the way to Notodden. The whole day I was prepairing a hunk of lamb which was actually very tasty dinner, lunch next day and soup on sunday. My parents also surprised me with amount of food they brought and kind presents of my sister and my lovely Nika.
Fogg, snow, ice slippery stones... luckily save on top of Gaustatoppen
The way back, suddenly out of cloud
My mum enjoys mountains more esthetical than physical, she waited for us on parking
After we saw rjukan and drove back. The night we spend with Tomas parents in our flat talking, finding common comrade people (there really were some) and drinking bechorovka.
Sunday was really peaceful, sudennly I had lunch by my father (who is main chef in our family ) so I felt like at home. The only goal was reach Oslo, check in to the hotel and visit catholic Mass. We did it all. The Mass was amazing especially the singing and other cultural parts there. I was lucky, it was the first time in Norway I was on Mass. That night we also visited opera house, walked on the roof and had the most expensive beer ever. But it was an ease.
The hotel (Budget Hotel) was exactly in the city center and was cheep (700NOK/1 room/3person) but on the other hand it was more like week hostel. Next day started with really easy breakfast in restaurant and tour around the city. The Vigeland park was exciting despite the bad weather which followed us the whole day.
Holmenkollen was maby the most interesting experience for me. The bad was that when we arrived, we didn't see more than 5 meters forward.
Holmenkollen after the fog disappearing
After this Mecca for winter sports we decided to drive to the airport in Sandefjord.
It was nice taste of homeland which was brought here by my parents.
..that was the question certain time before the date of leaving Notodden to conquer another famous place. Because this article isn't brief enough and I have actually seen just one part of this landscape, my answer was yes.
It was a good choice especially because the weather was famous but also because the landscape there at all! One group left Notodden one day before us and we left Notodden a day after spending one night in the mountains with fire. Next day we met the first group and together started the Kjerag conquering.
As I wrote in "Honeyweek in Norway" the road trough mountains was amazing especially the first day during the sunset. We also have first experience with police.. We stopped to make some pictures before Dalen and the police catched us up with the question "Who is that person aback of the car?" It was just sticker as Jiri's street art and everithing was OK. In the mountains the road was thin and dangerous because of thick fog. One time during the slide against suddenly appeared caravan.. it was really lucky moment for us... Than for me it was just admiring the nature and answering the challanges all around.The road to Kjerag was nice.. just a few people, a little bit climbing and endurance, Lysefjorden deep under your feet and moonland around
Things like that may induce anger of people you are with because they have different point of view. For me it was not risking. For others it could be showing myself. I'm not proud of jump, I'm proud of overcome my feelings like "I don't want they think I'm showing myself".
The road back to park was still nice and the Lyseboth down was amazing... We waited for a ferry than drove through the Lysefjorden during the sunset.
We also saw Kjerag and Preikestolen from bellow..
Next day was far Preikestolen and founding beach for sleeping. Both was well done.
Maybe more interesting than standing on Preikestolen was standing above. First reason is fewer people and the second is more mazing places and wiew.
Finally (fortunately) we found beautifull place for sleeping on the beach. not so far from Stavanger. Me and Michael had been enjoing sleeping outside as long as it stared raining. Fortunately we had a deal with Michi and Olivia to save us in case of rain.
The next-to-last experience was Stavanger. Very interesting place linking charming old wooden houses with industrial culture and street art.
Now the last experience - beautiful waterfalls on the road back and that's all.
Despite some interpersonal disliking or better - misunderstanding - it was nice time for me.
