Sunday, September 27, 2020

Gudbrandsdalsleden // day 28 // Ljødal - Dal

Gudbrandsdalsleden, Østleden, day 28.
Distance: 23.1km (867.6km).


The floor inside the shelter is made of stone, so when I went to bed for the night, I used the wooden bench instead, a better surface for my inflatable sleeping mat. The table made sure I would not fall down during the night.

Inside the shelter at Ljødalsvegen.

Yesterday I decided to walk to the Best Western Leto Arena Hotel today, a little luxury after the splashing through the woods yesterday. Since both the weather outside is better than expected when I look out the door and that the clothes have actually dried better than expected, I consider the alternatives.

On the way towards Eidsvoll from Ljødal.

After cleaning out after me and closing the door behind me, I leave the tiny hut that gave me shelter after hours of rain yesterday. The pilgrimage continues towards Eidsvoll, which is the nearest town in the direction I go, but it is a few kilometres there.

A moose with a hat.

The route further alternates between paths and gravel roads, past residential houses and small farms, both messy and tidy. Not always as easy to find when you go backwards in a way. Finally I reach a road with its hard asphalt, which I will follow on and off for a while.

Haug pilegrimsrast.

Autumn trees, Tønsaker farm.

Except that I of course go wrong and do not find out until I suddenly see the pilgrim path reappears from the side right next to a moose with a hat on.

Art, Eidsvoll.

Den knelende soldat (The kneeling soldier), Eidsvoll.

Before taking the road down to Eidsvoll, I come to Haug Pilgrimsrast (pilgrim hostel). Which looks nice. It could have been fun to spend the night in the greenhouse, or the glass cage, but it might get very hot in the middle of summer. Hard to say if I could have reached here or not yesterday. On the fields afterwards, it seems that there is archery training ground path.

Inside Eidsvoll kirke.

Eidsvoll kirke.

Eidsvoll is completely quiet and calm, as it often is in Norwegian small towns and villages on a Sunday. Not one place to get a coffee, except at the Narvesen kiosk at the train station (opted for a place in the centre, so casually walked past the gas stations before).

On the road after Eidsvoll church towards Eidsvoll Verk.

The church, on the other hand, is open, I am back in the fold of confirmations. Talk a bit with someone who works at the rectory, they also provide accommodation that is closed this year. He also checks the opening hours for Eidsvollbygningen. I have obviously taken my time, considering not going that far today, now I get a little time pressure on me.

At Dønnum the picnic tables are lying upside down.

Overgrown path after Dønnum.

I do not like having a time pressure, but must endure it, probably just my own fault. A bit of walking on paved and gravel roads before the interesting thing begins. At Dønnum, and the youth institution there, the trail disappears into something that may resemble a ravine landscape (the path was otherwise unclear here, only a windswept patch revealed that it had been changed a bit). By the way, it was fun to see all the picnic tables (with ceilings) lying upside down just before I start on the path down. What has gone wrong here?

Surely enough, here goes the pilgrim path. Crossing over a field, on rainy days it could be very muddy.

Lines in the acre, at Venjar.

The path takes you down, before it crosses a small river on a bridge, then it starts steeply up again. Passing a memory tree, planted by Marie Wenger Bergem the day before she emigrated to North Dakota in the United States. That was in 1921. Up in the light again, an acre stands in front of the pilgrims, no matter which end you come from. After the rain showers yesterday, there is a great danger that the ground is muddy, but it is better than expected. Do I cross straight over where I am supposed to go? No.

Remains of a factory or power station (Mago) in Andelva.

It gets nicer when the pilgrim path takes me down to Andelva. Here you walk in quiet and peaceful surroundings right next to the river. On the other hand, trees and farmhouses are reflected in the water. This is a type of walk that has not been so much of on the pilgrim route otherwise.

Walking next to Andelva.

Lovely and nice walk around a small u-turn in Andelva.

I manage to reach the last guided tour of Eidsvollbygningen, I also manage to get a coffee in the café before. Eidsvollbygningen is where the national constitution of Norway was created and signed. ‘Enig og tro til Dovre faller’, which could be translated to something like ‘Agreed upon and faithful until Dovre falls’, now it has been some days since I went over Dovre. Although I prefer to go alone and study things when I am at museums and the like, it is a nice tour of the origins of the constitution. I like the fake windows on the outside, for those who have discovered them.

Eidsvollbygningen.

It is not very exciting after Eidsvollbygningen. After Eidsvoll Verk and the train station, the route goes through a residential area in Råholt. Although, I am not sure. There are signs that the trail has been changed to follow the main road instead. Old waymarks, on the other hand, are still standing where I go. The church in Råholt dates from 1888.

A stately room in Eidsvollbygningen.

The national hall or assembly hall in Eidsvollbygningen.

Arrives at Leto sports hall. At this point I have capitulated, the hotel here will be the endpoint of my walk today. The place has a bit of a Rudshøgda feel to it, but I do not find out if there is anything more unusual about it. I will not leave the building upon arrival.

Råholt church.

I was comfortable all the way on the hike today, warm and with relatively dry clothes, but it still felt incredibly good to get a shower. Yesterday may still be felt a bit. It is very quiet in the hotel, but it suits me quite well. The dinner I order is very good, better than I expected. Relaxing with a beer in the foyer. Chewing on the fact that now it is only two days until I am home again, two long days on the other hand.

Dinner at the Leto sports hall hotel.

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