Adventure in Geilo, Norway

Driving up the mountains to Geilo with Roger and Penny was a great way to enjoy a break from town. We spent three full days enjoying the coming of spring. The ski slopes were still open, but the town was very soggy. The snow was melting. 

On the way up, we stopped at Vøringsfossen waterfall, one of Norway's most visited waterfalls. I was awestruck with falls still made of snow battling with falls made of rushing water. I took video after video.

The view from halfway up the falls, showing spring melt

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We stayed in a "hytte" that Penny's work has. A hytte is supposed to be a primitive hut with no WiFi or modern conveniences, according to my Norwegian lessons. But they have evolved into full-on houses with flush toilets, TVs, and indoor heating. This one was a house. Here's the neighborhood.

We explored an art exhibit in a small forest setting called Huldreskogen. The ground was wet, wet, wet. The photos attached to birch trees showed different representations of Huldra. They seem to be beautiful women, with long flowing hair. But they actually aren't human. They have tails like cows. They can change shape. Be careful in the dark forests!

Photo by Margrete Birkeland in Huldreskogen

Time to use Roger and Penny's new snowshoes! They borrowed a pair for me from Justine (thanks!). We drove up to a place that would have hot chocolate and snacks to start off. They were closed. They had outdoor picnic tables, though, so we could sit there to get our giant "feet" onto our boots. The day was 100% blue sky, and not cold or windy. Couldn't ask for a better first snowshoe trip for Roger and Penny! 

Snowshoes and my new binoculars

Roger and Penny on snowshoes

That evening, Penny and I walked over to the four-story tall waterslide in the Vestlia Resort. What a blast! Lots of twists and turns, changing from counterclockwise to clockwise, while rushing down a warm river to the bottom. Don't forget to hold your nose! We each did about a dozen trips. There was a shallow pool, a deep pool, and a pool with pounding water to relax your shoulders and backs, as well.

The next day was my day to stay home with my "Melt the Snow Hat" knitting project and my book, while Roger and Penny went snowshoeing for several hours. They had so much fun. I got my hat cast on, joined in the round, and knit 4 rows, so I was happy, too. For dinner, we walked over to a Chinese restaurant called Golden House. Roger and I had delicious crispy fried duck, scampi, and vegies. We took some home to eat while on the road home the next day.

View as we walked across the river to dinner

We walked past the Kulturkyrkje many times, but never stopped in. Here's the church as we walked home from dinner.

Goodbye, Culture Church

The big event during the drive home was the soft ice cream at Kjappen in Voss. Penny had us salivating over it from when we drove through Voss on the way up to the hytte. It lived up to the hype!

Who loves soft ice cream? Should I have gotten sprinkles?

Thank you for the invitation to join you at the hytte, Roger and Penny!