The Monks’ Steps

Back to the vacation!

The day after Trolltunga, we were pretty sore (the last downhill had been brutal), and had a quiet day at our hostel.  The highlight of the day for me was a full exploration of the breakfast buffet, including the three kinds of pickled fish and the tube of caviar paste.  Allison generally sat there, disgusted.

Yes. I love pickled fish. Deal.

The next day we did a hike called the Monks’ Steps from Lofthus.  Our original intention was to have this be the first part of a two-day hike, but we didn’t really feel like we had it in us.

The day started off rainy with low clouds, and we weren’t that optimistic that the end of our hike we’d have that great of a view, though I love the drama the low clouds add.

We were climbing at the same time as some sheep, shepherds, and sheepdog – the sheep were going up to the plateau, where they spend their summers.  The shepherds were pretty nice, and chatted with us each time we intersected.  So far, the “taciturn Norwegian” is nowhere to be seen – everybody’s been eager to talk.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAkc_pur1zs&w=560&h=315]

We were incredibly fortunate at the top – the clouds parted, the sun came out, and we saw an incredibly clear rainbow.  In Norse mythology, rainbows were paths between earth and the land of the Gods (see, for instance, this image from Marvel’s documentary Thor).

This was probably my favorite hike.  Clearer skies on the way down gave us some more good photo opportunities.

Norway: Yes.