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We are now in Oz after two amazing years of traveling Europe in our home built plane. We met many fantastic people who we are proud to call friends and have gained a much better understanding of the similarities and differences between the cultures of the different European states as well as the history and geography that have lead to these differences. We enjoy meeting people with similar interests to ourselves and learning more about other cultures. Please let us know if you're going to be in Queensland and would like to catch up for a meal and a chat.

Thursday 26 August 2010

Flying the rugged Norwegian terrain

Eventually it was time for us to depart Siljansnaes, which was really sad as we greatly enjoyed it there.  And there were so many more places to investigate in the region.

Goodbye Siljansnaes!
Swedish lakes en route
Well hello Norway

But the weather looked ok for Norway so we thought we'd better take the opportunity.  So we went out to Reinsvoll.  And landed uphill on a very strange texture.  When we got out of the plane our feet sank into a mix of gravel and fine clay and water.  Hmmmm.

Note the slope & the rivers on the runway....

No one around so considering the miserable weather we decided to keep going to Klanten.  At Klanten we were very lucky that Arne was able to come and see us after work (9.30pm!) and help us out with petrol.

I love the aeroplane cut out from the Klanten aeroclub's shutters!
The next day the weather was still not so fantastic, so we got to meet some club members and a whole group from flying for the disabled.  I have to admit that this seems to me to be a much more exciting excursion than riding for the disabled....

Just a short discursion into the differences between Sweden & Norway from the air.  Sweden is predominantly a land of forestry, it appears to be divided into a patchwork of fields with pine trees of different ages.  As soon as we crossed the border to Norway all the land was covered in yellow wheat fields.  Which we initially attributed to the harshness of most of the land making people make the most of any arable land, but in fact turns out to be due to large subsidies paid by the government to the farmers, as Norway is a country very wealthy from its oil fields.

Klanten - we camped next to the trampoline
And again off topic - loved the pine clad bathroom, when you have a shower it smells like the sauna, mmmm.

In the afternoon the weather had cleared a bit and since the forecast was not improving over the next few days, we decided to see if we could make it over the mountains to the Sogndal fjord.  We kept a good eye on the wind direction (as it causes up- and down- drafts on the mountain faces, and the last thing you want is to be blown onto a Norwegian mountain peak!) and approached with great caution and always an eye to being able to turn back.  I have to say that it was incredibly stunningly beautiful, if incredibly harsh and unforgiving. On many occasions I wished I could zoom out further to capture the amazing views.  I've been to the South Island of New Zealand and seen their fjords, whcih people say look like Norway.  And I have to say that Norway looks a lot more like Norway.  Amazing.

check out the mist in the next valley
Awesome terrain
steep drops into the valley
Bad weather out the left window, inc snow
more hills
and here the fjord is starting
crazy mountains

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