0318 Oslo to Larvik, via Drammen

1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd August 2015

Sunshine, Aquavit, and narrow lanes.

After having an easy drive just 30 kms from Oslo to Dramman yesterday, and with only a short distance to Larvik, we were in no hurry to get moving this morning – And since it was my birthday, Janet offered to cook me up a full eggs and bacon breakfast – Which, like birthdays, only happens about once a year, so I jumped at the offer !  By the time we finished and had cleared up, the sun was shining, it was beautiful beside the river, so I decided (MY decisions today !) that we would have a lazy day here – So we did.  Sat in the sunshine, had a long walk down the path beside the river into town, and just

generally chilled out – Perfect way for an old man to spend his birthday !! The whole stay at Drammen campsite was made even more pleasant by Alexander the camp manager (or son of !), and we had long chats with him about our travels, his travels, and so on.  He made our stay much easier and more enjoyable – Thank you Alexander, make sure you let us know how you get on fishing in New Zealand.

Next morning, all refreshed and ready to move on, we packed up and, after a quick grocery shop, headed south.  Today turned out to be another Forrest Gump day – A surprise round every corner !  And to make it easier, the sun shone all day.  We first went up into the hills just above Drammen and found the local ski slopes and tows, and also a short hike up to a small gorge, recommended to us by Alexander.  We went just a few hundred yards up the gorge – Didn’t really have time for the full hike, but it was a beautiful setting.  They have so many activities around Drammen – Skiing, cross country skiing, hiking, cycling, kayaking – A lot to do around here.

After our mini-hike, we headed south, trying to keep off the main roads (often toll roads) as much as possible. I don’t think the auto cameras recognize my number plate, but I don’t want to push my luck !! We had to go

through a tunnel – And in the middle of the tunnel is a roundabout !!  An underground roundabout !   This is the second one we have encountered – rather novel, and a credit to the tunnel makers.   Down the coast  alongside the Oslo Fjord through Horten (Horten hears a Who ?  My favourite movie !!) and then we came into this little town of Asgardstrand.  As it was about lunch time, when we saw the delightful little grassed picnic spot beside the water, we pulled in to make a sandwich.  A couple of people stopped to chat, and then a guy who was out exercising came up and introduced

himself – Jan - And wanted to know about our trip.  We ended up having a lovely conversation with him and he was telling us about Asgardstrand – The artist Edvard Munch (Famous painting The Scream) lived here and did some of his paintings here, including The Girls on the Bridge.  In fact Munch’s house was just up the road from where we were – Jan asked us if we had time to spare and when we said yes, he ran home to get changed and act as our guide !  When he returned he brought us a bottle of very special Aquavit that he and some

friends have got the licence to produce in Asgardstrand, and have made a limited (and numbered) run so far.  He very kindly gave us bottle No 106 of 4000, and then he took us up to Munch’s house and studio, telling us about the town and the area.  Lot of history down in this part of Norway, and a lot of seafaring folk came from down here – Including Thor Heyerdahl of Kon Tiki fame who comes from Larvik where we were headed.

Jan told us he was actually getting married in 2 weeks time, and invited us to his wedding if we were going to be in the area – So kind of him but I think we will be well north by then.  But if we break down, Jan, or get otherwise delayed, we may suddenly arrive !!  He has strong Scottish connections

in his family, and will in fact be wearing a kilt at his wedding.

His Aquavit is quite special, and additionally he and his partners are donating all proceeds from sales to the local township – Showers on the beach for swimmers, Christmas gifts for the elderly in town, and other community needs, so an excellent cause too.  If you can read Norwegian, more details are here :- http://aasgaardgilde.no/ 

Thank you Jan, we really enjoyed your company. 

From Asgardstrand, we got a wiggle on to get down to my friend Rolf’s summer lodge down near Larvik.  Rolf and worked for the same company for many years, and we worked quite closely while we lived in Aberdeen and he was in the Stavanger office. So it was good to see him and his wife Torunn again.  When we arrived in Larvik we called him and he came down from his place to find us – Thinking we had a large motorhome that would be too big to get up his access road. Once he saw Troopie he realized we should have no problem and led us to his place up in the

hills behind Larvik – And when we saw how narrow the road was, we understood his concern – There is one section where the rocks on either side are so close the side mirrors probably have about 1 inch space on either side !  But when you get to their little summer home, it is gorgeous – Built around the bare rocks so they become a feature of the house and decking, and overlooking a lake that is just so peaceful and tranquil – What a perfect place for a relaxing summer hideaway.

Torunn had some coffee and waffles all ready for us for tea, and later on we went

out and down the coast line a little for some sightseeing and then some supper. 

We drove down through Nevlunghavn where we sat beside the little harbour in the warm evening sunshine and watch local fishermen come and go, opposite a little outdoor restaurant.  Then we moved on to Stavern where unfortunately the restaurant twe planned to visit was closed, so after a walk around, we headed back to Larvik where we found a great little place down near the

water where we had a really great meal before heading back through town, past where Torunn grew up, past Thor Heyerdahl’s house, and back through the narrow lane to the house, where the sun had just set over the lake. We sat around and chatted for a while before we headed to bed and slept like logs after a great evening.

More pics are here :-   https://picasaweb.google.com/110185357936043625130/0318OsloToLarvik?authkey=Gv1sRgCNepm8nbhOHb_gE