Day 7

Miles: 5.7

Favang to Hundorp with a driveby at Ringebu
Cost: 300 NOK 

We’d had about enough of the trail after the sheep paddock incident so set out on the main road which was flat and next to the river. We walked with cars whizzing by on the major highway. Perhaps we’d have made it eventually. My goal was to see Ringebu and the famous Stave church there and I was willing to separate from the group to do so. 

So we had a plan to maybe meet up in a day or two when voila, a car stopped to pick us up hitchhiking. He was going to where Carolyn and Laura were going (Hundorp) and he said he’d drop me off at Ringebu. Hurrah. Our savior was traveling up north to help organize a music festival....an outdoor festival that apparently sells out in one hour and which features local Norwegian rock bands. 

He kindly stopped at the Stave church and said he would give us 20 minutes, so that was great...I didn’t have to separate from the group. 

The church is supposed to be the one that was featured in the fiction, Kristin Lavransdatter, a story about living in 14th century Norway. It was started in the 1100s, but restored in 1921. Because it was Sunday, folks were attending church in their Brunad...traditional clothing.

The charming stave church at Ringebu

Church interior

After a quick look at the church, we were whisked to our next lodging in Hundorp. This is an official pilgrim’s lodging where we were greeted with coffee by the staff. 

The location of this lodging is historical..Dale -Gubrands Gard...it is allegedly where King Olaf brought Christianity to the pagans...they had a standoff where Olaf proved that Christianity was the superior religion.

We ate at the historic hotel next door. It was somewhat disappointing because they were hosting a group of Koreans on a bus tour, and didn’t want to serve us. We finally talked them into giving us the same meal they were giving the Koreans....not traditional Norwegian food as promised....

A musk ox head from the restaurant at Dale Gubrands-Gard

One of the pilgrim center guides wrote a new itinerary for us so that we could get to Trondheim without carrying too much food. It included when to take the train and when to walk.