What irritates one person, may not another. We can all find things to be irritated about, given the circumstances. A crying baby; a whining dog; a chatterbox; a loudmouth; – the list is probably endless.
Day 40 – We’re inland a little. Lake hugging rather than fjord hugging. No need of a tree. Around almost every corner is a view worth its weight in gold. Lunchtime looms. Stopping places are few on this twisty narrow part of route 42, south of Tonstad. We’re in luck. A Beastie size pull-in appears. He sidles in. Takes a breather. Mr S, sarnie at the ready steps down. Ready to enjoy a bit of sun, a quiet relax and a breather too. There’s hardly any room front and rear for any other vehicle. No chance of being disturbed. Perfect.
Before one mouthful is taken, a small hatchback angles itself three-quarters in. What? Mr S can’t believe it. Irritation wriggles under his skin, like an itchy mosquito bite.
The man steps out and takes a photo. Then sits down opposite. He lives just an hour away. He’s going to his great-grandson’s birthday party. He’s just presided over the Sunday service in Tonstad. He’s eighty-three and a retired evangelical minister. As is the case in all Christian denominations, there are more parishes than ministers. He’s the local ‘on demand fill-in’. Two weeks ago, he tells me, he was in Serbia for a conference. In his youth, his vocation had taken him to the far east to spread the ‘”Word’. Even as far as smuggling Bibles into China! His two-o’clock appointment draws our brief interlude to a close. He leaves me with a “God Bless” . . .
Irritation? What irritation? . . .
60k further ‘up the road’ we pitch up at Oddestemmen Camping on the sunniest pitch on site! Speaking to the soon to retire Dutch owner, it seems he won’t be able to sell the site on. Over the last twenty years he’s developed it without any planning permissions. Never given the local Kommune any hassle and they’ve reciprocated. He doesn’t even have paperwork for the land it stands on!
Day 41 – We’re on a hat-trick. That yellow thingy, has given us the courtesy of showing up three days in a row. Although here in Norway, sun, doesn’t always mean warmth . . .
A short drive of 175k ends at Seljord Camping. A beach-side site that looks down over lake Seljordvatn. What remains of our afternoon is taken up under the sun.
Earlier, our morning is taken up with a large shop. Many prices on a par with Mr T. Meat quality par excellence. Cheaper own brand labels seen only in the many Co-ops. None in this Rema 1000, which is the predominant discount supermarket in Norway. Started with a single store in 1979, its billionaire owner, now has 868 tucked inside his wallet.