Day 08 – Kongsberg
December 31, 2010
December 30th, 2010
I woke up at 10:15 – the latest start so far by a long way – and watched TV until David surfaced soon afterwards.
We pottered about for a bit, breakfasted, showered and I did some laundry. We ended up going out after midday and headed in David’s Audi A3 to Rjukan in the Telemark area for a bit of a look-see. The mountains and lakes created a wonderful winter’s scene and we were able to stop and take it in a few times along the way. The roads were icy, but the winter tyres held firm and David knew what he was doing behind the wheel.
Rjukan was famous for the heavy water factory that was blown up by the Norwegian Resistance during WW2, as immortalised in the Hollywood movie, “The Heroes Of Telemark”. We saw the hydro-electric plant slash factory that was hit by the resistance fighters, as well as the rest of the town, which was so pretty I wished I could stay there and just drink in its loveliness on a daily basis.
We ventured up a mountain road to a ski resort above the town. There we had a beer and a chat, a walk to the hotel, another chat, a walk around the chalets and ski-runs, then finally back to the hotel for dinner.
The interior was all pine and warmth. It smelt of wealth and wood-burning fires. The restaurant was a medium-to-large dining hall in area, but with lower ceilings and the pine helped to retain some sense of intimacy. There was a piano player playing a fairly eclectic range of tunes (‘Imagine’, to ‘Jingle Bells’, to ‘My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean’, to ‘Nights Of White Satin’ – quite a mix!). There was a very limited menu on offer (sadly no reindeer) so we both had veal, which was roasted to tender perfection and shared a bottle of Chilean Cab Sav. The restaurant was filled with wealthy Norwegian families and retirees enjoying themselves, so we both enjoyed the atmosphere.
From there we made our way back to Kongsberg, stopping off at the local supermarket for supplies and doing a circuit of the ‘old’ mining company part of town to check out the buildings there. Once again, another pretty, pretty town, full of history and character and looking a treat frosted with snow.
Apartment, chocolate, computer, bed.
