Day 19: Varphaugen to Jørundgard

A happy return to my early morning starts!  

The first section was a brisk uphill stretch that took me to about 600m above sea level (from a start at around 200m) in about a kilometre and a half.  I was very happy to see a bench with a view that was calling out to be sat on.  I had a snack and sat.  In fact I sat there for over half an hour just enjoying the peace and the view.  

There was a bit more uphill and then it was steeply downhill, with many a zig zag, to get back to the river level.  I stopped for second breakfast, and first coffee, just outside of the town of Otta at a self service bakery.  Now, I’ve seen bread vending machines in France, but this was something else.  I walked in to a small shop with bread, pastries, sandwiches, pots of jam and honey and a coffee machine.  Everything was clearly labelled and there was a touch screen till for self checkout.  I could not work out what all my purchases were (no pictures on the till) so just added items until I got to the correct amount and paid for that, before sitting at the table outside to enjoy my coffee and bun.

I was walking now on the course of Loftsgardsbrua parkrun, which unfortunately for me was cancelled this week, but I paused to take photos at the bridge it is named for.  It would have been nice to have snuck in a sneaky parkrun but it was not to be.  

One of the joys of walking alongside a river at the bottom of a glaciated valley is that it is flat!  Much appreciated after yesterday.  At Sel Church I found three pilgrims sitting at a picnic table.  As I approached one of them said ‘You’re early! You aren’t supposed to be here until 9.30!’

We spent some time chatting.  Two Norwegians, who’d had a rest day yesterday meeting up with their wives and drinking too much beer, and Jasper from the Netherlands.  It is so rare to meet people and these guys were great fun.  Jasper and I walked the next 8km together as we were staying at the same place.  

Jørundgard was built in the 1990s as a film set for the film adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Sigrid Undset’s trilogy ‘Kristin Lavransdatter,’ a book I now feel I should read! 

While we waited for check in time we walked on to Nord Sel church.  We couldn’t go inside because there was a wedding taking place, but I did bump in to Anne & Robert and visit some Commonwealth War Graves.  

A quick WhatsApp message to Tom, proud son of Yorkshire and ex Green Howards elicited the following explanation for these graves:

‘In 1940, we had a couple of punch-ups and escorted some of the Norwegian Royal family out of the country.

They were tasked with delaying the Germans. They were asked to hold them for 6 hours and held on for 24.   Stubborn Yorkshire bastards, but costly - about 30 dead. 

King Haakon refused to allow the government to collaborate, and refused to abdicate. 

Once in England he became the Colonel in Chief of the Green Howard's and his son Olaf and grandson Harald after him.’

I paid my respects and marvelled at how well maintained these war graves were compared to some I have seen.  But then, I’ve passed by lots of graveyards in the last couple of weeks and they have all been immaculate and well tended.  

Back on the ‘film set’ it was time for a quick shower and a nap before dinner later this evening.