Happy 70th Birthday, Dad!
After another great breakfast at the hotel we were off to visit Torstein, one of my dad’s cousins. He lives in the town of Drangedal which is located about 120 kilometers southwest of Oslo. As you can imagine, all of the drives in Norway are scenic. We stopped at so many places along the way that what should have been a two-hour drive ended up being a ten-hour one, two of which were spent at a beautiful water-side lunch stop.
When we drove up to Torstein’s house we found him outside doing some gardening. After many hellos, he took us around his house and showed us his landscaping. During that portion of the tour, my sister decided the lawn looked just too comfortable and that it was time for a nap. She relaxed as the rest of us continued on.
As we walked, Carol picked some fresh blueberries from the garden for us all to snack on. With the outside tour over, we were invited inside and shown to our rooms. After unpacking it was nice to just sit and admire the view. Torstein worked on preparing dinner for us and would not accept any help. When we did sit down to eat, it was wonderful. Torstein asked how our trip was going so far and after each of us spoke about what we had seen, he asked if we wanted to visit the local park where moose were know to be seen in abundance this time of year. We all of course said yes!
When we arrived at the park and stopped at the entrance, there was a rate card and a box to put your entry fee in. As he put in the correct amount for one vehicle with six people, Torstein explained that most small parks used the honor system. It was a long, slow drive and at the end, as we turned around to head back out, it looked to be a no-moose day. Halfway back however, we heard a noise and saw a moose come out of the brush and across our path. As we came to a sudden stop, the moose gave us a look that seemed to say, “Didn’t you see the moose crossing sign?” This moose was on a mission and did not stop long enough for us to take a picture of more than its backside. We sat hoping it was the first one to cross the road and not the last, but that was not the case. It was a very cool thing to see up close, even if it was only for a few seconds. On the drive back we did manage to see a woman dressed in a parka. I soon learned this would be my favorite Norwegian sign and would find that this wonderful country liked ice cream more than I did. Another perfect ending to a great day.
