The City Hiker's Guide to Norway Part I

When Einstein created the theory of relativity, he must have been climbing a fjord in Norway.

My stopover in Stalheim begins ordinarily enough. As the temperature is mild, and the sun is shining, what better way to spend the day in Norway than to go hiking through the fjords? I ask the hotel for recommendations on where to go, and they point me in the direction of the classic Nali walk. 

"It's a very easy walking trail," the guy at front reception says. "The trail also has a very good footpath, and there is a farming village at the end of the walk."
I perk up when I hear his last statement, and start thinking of what gourmet farming produce I might possibly buy. Strawberry compote? Fruit preserves? They'd make fantastic travel gifts.

I head out mid-morning and expect to return by the late afternoon. It is only a short distance into the trip when I realise the words "easy" and "a good pathway" are all relative terms. 

I don't know what the Norweigans' definition of a footpath is, but appears to include other things aside from a well defined footpath. The next thing I know, I am trudging through mud, clambering over rocks, clinging onto the side of a mountain, ducking behind waterfalls and jumping over streams. 

Come on, is this a footpath?!!?

....Or this...?!!?

The most puzzling thing is that the entire trail seems to be going uphill. Whatever happened to the unspoken law of "what goes up must come down"? It also appears that I am somewhat ill equipped for the hike, being decked out in my jeans, sneakers and my sling bag. Other groups of people that I pass are all wearing hiking boots and have walking poles - you know the sort - elderly tourists, with matching hats and t-shirts, all walking in union. Despite their hightech hiking gear, I breeze past them sans walking poles and hiking boots.

Finally, after what seems like forever, I arrive at a clear space amongst the densely packed pine trees. All I see are some trees that have been chopped and stacked in the shape of a tee pee. 

There's no farming community in sight. I spot some hikers sitting by some logs. 

"So where's the farm?" I ask.

"Oh, that," one of the hikers says. "There use to be a farm here, but it moved a long time ago. The trees -" he gestures, pointing to the "tee pee" - "shows where the farm house use to be."

My fantasy of purchasing gourmet farm produce quickly dissipates in one poof. No strawberry preserve, no fruit compote. And the view isn't mind blowingly amazing in consideration of the number of hours walked. Dare I say that I was disappointed...? Fine, you can take the girl out of the city, but you can't take the city of the girl.

The good news is at least the walk home is all down hill.

Postscript: Upon my return to the hotel, I check the map of the walking trail to discover that the Nali trail is pretty much half way up a mountain. No wonder there was no down hill, apart from my return journey to the hotel.

To be continued......