Nordic adventure

Photographs and notes from our recent trip to Norway, and a prize-winning bird.

PICTURE & WORDS

Rest stop in the Otra River valley near Valle, Norway.

Otra worlds

HAVING RECENTLY VISITED southern Norway, I humbly suggest a new Viking myth. In this tale, a young Thor encounters what we now call Yosemite and hammers off enormous chunks of granite and forest and carries them to Norway. While chiseling out lakes and fjords, he adds more water to achieve just the right shades of lush green. Much more water. Thor then added still more water to fill the many streams that plunge in waterfalls down granite walls into the river valleys that empty into the sea.

A couple weeks ago, our friends Sarah and Asbjorn guided us north through one of Thor’s valleys, called Setesdal, along the Otra River. At the northern end, farmers from the 15th to 20th centuries eked out a living in the rocky soil and hauled timber on long treks downriver to market. Today, a restored 19th-century steamboat takes travelers up and down the fjord. Along the river, centuries-old log storehouses with grass roofs, called stabburs, have been preserved or restored. Young climbers favor the granite walls that line the valley, but the local young often leave for better opportunities in the city. Various efforts are underway to preserve local traditions—music, clothing (we visited a museum mostly devoted to woven sweaters), and even a distinct local dialect. Sarah has written a wonderful article in the New York Times describing these endeavors.

---

PHOTOGRAPHY

A slideshow of pictures from our visit to Oslo, Norway. I recommend enlarging the photos to full-screen size.

---

BIRDS-OF-A-TYPE CARDS

Grand prize winner

BODONI BOOBY drew the most votes in final poll, narrowly edging out Trajan Tropicbird. (I can’t help wondering if I weighted the scales by running two booby stories in the edition with the poll.) Many thanks to everyone who participated!