2015_03 Norway

 Susjoen 15 March - 29 March 2015

Our two week stay at Rustad Hotell in Sjusjoen was wonderful. There is something cozy about being in a familiar lodge where you at least have previously met the owners and their family and the lodge is warm and comfortable while it is snowy and cold outside.

Our Cabin at Rustad Hotel, Sjusjoen, Norway.

This is our third trip to Rustad, the first 35 years ago (1980) and the second just three years ago (2012).  We just seem to love both Sjusjoen and Rustad more each time.

Noel Ward joined us on this trip for a week. His sense of humour seems to match mine so there was much discussion about Trolls and strange sounds in the cold night.  After all we were deep in Troll country, having frequently skied sections of the TrollLoypa in our daily outings and had seen their footprints in the early morning snow! I think he was attacked by a troll one night as his hair colour changed to something like Marg's.  This became most evident as we lunched prior to departure.

The main attraction however was the ski trails: hundreds of km of constantly groomed tracks criss-crossing the undulating terrain of low ridges, long ice covered lakes and scattered conifer and birch forest. We chose to only ski freshly groomed trails and each day we went in a different direction, hoping our wax or klister or a bit of both, or many layers of each(!) would work for us.  That is what it is all about: exercising and enjoying the outdoors with friends.  Just fantastic.

A sunny lunch stop at a deserted cabin.

Walking the dog, Norwegian style.

A leading competitor in the Birkenbeiner
 ski race.  It is about 54 km and they
ski it in about two and a half hours.
That is about 20 km per hour.

Marg showing how it is done!

Marg and Noel wondering
which way to the next coffee shop.

Noel making safe our path from the cabin
to the main hotel following a snow fall.

View from our cabin.

Art at the Nordsetter cafe.
The cafe served Norwegian waffles,
which were desperately needed
after the 6 km ski from Sjusjoen.

A Norwegian-exercised dog.  Dog tired!

Strange (cult?) happenings
just down from our cabin.

Noel and Marg comparing hair colour on
our departure from Lillehammer.

Helping Rustad celebrate
their 80th birthday.

Marg enjoying her Norwegian waffle
at the Nordsetter cafe.

Marg cooked up some
delicious meals.