Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-03-01

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the precipices, which would be certain
death. At one little farm the people
bad to use ladder to get to their land.
The bread used in this part of Norway
is made of barley and tastes very good.
At the bottom of this Geirangerf lord
we came to Merok. From here we
drove up very steep and interesting
road laid in curves and sometimes loop
ed itself by means of a stone bridge.
Ii was fun to see the other rigs in other
stories under or above US. Late in the
evening we arrived at g large comfort
able hotel used by tourists in summer
only. They needed no ice box at this
hotel. The snow was always there and
they kept their food near the hotel in
the snow. Next morning in freezing
temperature we Grove to Grotli over a
lonesome, fiat road through stone de-
sert. The road is marked with high
rods 50 the people can find it in the
spring when they dig it out. During
winter only skis can be used. All horses
are sent down in the valley. At Grotl
is nice hotel and a stones throw
away we found a Finn camping with
his family and eight hundred reindeer.
| The deer strayed around in the noun
tains eating moss. In the small tent
lived the family, consisting of man,
wife, five children and grandmother.
| They were dining when | came in but
continued their meal undisturbed while
1 conyersed with them; nice people,
dressed in their picturesque costumes.
The man could write and speak both
Finnish and Norwegian.
From this high mountain we wanted
to descend to sea level again and went
down just as steep roads as we came
up. A two-wheeled cart with consid-
cradle room in the bottom for baggage,
double seat for passengers and a
small seat for the driver, and neat
little buff horse, took us down these
hills. We had discussed what would
happen If the horse should stumble and
we were fortunate enough to have a
demonstration. Our horse did take a
tumble AS the shafts were fairly long
and strong ard the vehicle not very
high, we did not follow the example of
the horse but kept our seat. But the
poor beast lay there perfectly helpless,
We had little l5-year-old driver and
he was scared to death. Fortunately
my husband had had some experience.
He cut off and united straps, qEicted
everybody down, got the horse raised,
fixed up the harness and we were con-
tinuing our journey in no time, arriving
just in time to catch the steamer. We
saw grand, big waterfalls and wild pic
turesque country. We came TO Visness
hotel by Norfjord. from where we took
a steamer TO a little island called Sjer-
jehaven. This was at o'clock in the
morning. While waiting for breakfast
here, we rowed out among the islands.
II was beautiful morning. An Eng
lish lady and | went ashore and took
the most refreshing sea bath | have
ever had, this being really the North
Sea. At noon our steamer came and
took use through the famous Sogne-
/ fjorden and GaerofjordeL 10 Gad9an.
| gen, where we arrived at 1000 p. m.
II was now at the end of August and
the days were shorter, so Il was dark.
The hotel was crowded and we slept in
the annex, The next morning we saw
about eighty rigs take tourists from a
German ship up to the mountains. We
took steamer again and went across
Naerofjord and Aurlandfjord, another
arm of Sognefjorden, passing Bales
trand and Leikanger to Flaam. These
fjords are so narrow that it looks as if
you 90 straight on land, but suddenly
you see narrow passage through
which the steamer manuevers carefully.
Here small farms are also scattered
around, tiny little potato and barley
! fields where you count perhaps five
stacks of sheaves. They must be quite
a little more frugal in their living than
we are with our pies and meals. OF
course these people depend good deal
on the sea for their living, fishing and
selling their fish. Coming farther into
H.. FfnwA he loaIaaann fer
tile. You can even see small fields of
tobacco here and there.
At the farthest end of Aurlandsfjord
is Hotel Fretheim at the mouth of the
river Flaam. Here we took a little
cart and horse again to Vatnehalsen's
hotel near Myrdal, on the Bergen rail-
road The road was exceedingly steep
and was laid in curves and loops as the
other roads | have described. In our
wake came Germans, Russians. Ameri-
cans, two passengers in each rig. The
driver is supposed to walk all the way
and all men passengers are expected &c
walk every time the road gets very
steep. | noticed several ladies' take
pity on the poor, tired horses, going
out of the cart and letting the horse
haul only the baggage. This was on
Sunday, August Il. We met church
gong people, all women with nnen
hoods instead Of bats. A precipitous
river forming enormous caldrons and
waterfalls, ran past US. The rocks
were in some places hanging over the
road and water dipped into the cart
several times. We saw lots of goats
way up in the mountains, looking like
small lots. We rode through tunnel
in the mountain. IL was the first time
I had driven throt1Uh tunnel in the
rocks. Stayed over night at the Vat
nehalsen hotel and the next morning
climbed steep, steep hill toreach Myr-
void depot, from where we took the
train to KAMA. We travelled over the
most interesting part of the Bergen
railway, with its many tunnels and
snow fences. At Finse we were $500
feet above sea level. We went through
the valley Hallingdal and reached KAMA
on August 22nd, about midnight.