Dinner last night and breakfast today were in the dining room of the original hotel building so you sit looking out over the water and mountains. Beautiful food...Dad has had gjetost two mornings in a row (eat your hearts out Gadsby kids). Norwegian brekkies include fish (raw), cheese, some veggies, as well as yummy breads and stuff we're used to. There are a number of Hans Dahl paintings here too and quite an emphasis on painting in the village, so I guess he was a major instigator of that interest here. They certainly have plenty to inspire them.
Jon took us up to a high point yesterday in his VW van, and we also saw the rest of the village, including the school that Mother spoke of where an avalanche caused much damage and a friend of hers was killed as a young child as a result. The population is currently about 2500; not many vehicles around and people just wandering around all the time. I think tourism might be among the largest money spinner here now.
We will leave shortly to soak up some more of this beautiful place before re boarding the express boat to go 'further up and further in' the Sogn Fjord to Flåm. Then we will expand our repertoire of modes of travel by getting the mountain train!
We walked down to the 'sentrum' again, and Mum had the great idea of buying some flowering plants, and ask Jon to put them on the Knoff's grave for us. We met him in the supermarket, and he was very happy to do this for us.
Having purchased a couple of plants in pots, we returned to the hotel to finalise packing. Jon was there and kindly offered to take us down to the wharf. We detoured in the opposite direction to see the old hospital (where my mother may have been born in 1920), and the houses of the famous painter, Hans Dahl,
and of his brother, Hans Andreas Dahl.
The former was a friend both of my grandfather Knoff, and of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. Jon's mother's aunt remembered seeing the Kaiser walking his 7 small dogs along the road into the village, at 10am every morning. Teutonic punctiliousness! We also saw the statue of King Bele donated to Balestrand by KW the second in 1913.
We think this is featured in the film we have, taken by Grandpa Knoff. Jon is also very interested in this as he is involved in historical talks with older people in the winter, so we will try and get it copied for him.
We said our farewells at the wharf. Earlier, we had walked through the Kvikne Hotel lobby. I had asked whether any Kviknes were there, but they were (actually- we could see them) 'in a meeting.' Going back, I asked for and spoke with Mr Kvikne, who introduced me to his mother, Mulla Kvikne. When I said who who I was, she exclaimed, 'Oh, Nüsse!' (my mother's childhood nickname). We had a lovely conversation, and she introduced me to her daughter, Kari, who now lives in the nearby house, still known as the 'Knoff house' after all the years. Mrs Kvikne said that there was still an old lady living in the village, a good friend of Mum's, who had corresponded with her in Australia. Her name was Johanna (I think). Sadly, there was no time to visit this lady, but how amazing to chat with someone who knew my grandparents and uncle! Mrs K presented me with a book about the Kvikne Hotel, and wrote in it for us. I returned to the wharf, where Mum was guarding our luggage, and she also went up to meet Mrs K and her daughter.
The express boat Vigntor arrived
and we said goodbye to Balestrand as we headed for Flåm.
just wow! what a highlight.
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