Troll-Land

It is not hard to imaging Trolls lurking around such landscapes. Trolls like dank, damp weather, rocky terrain and as little sunlight as possible. Norwegian folk tales says that Trolls caught in the sun can turn to stone. The surrounding photos were taken at and just past Trollstigen, or trolls' ladder in English.

Trollstingen linked our itinerary from Oye to Kristiansund. Mist, shallow lakes of grey and cold, dark blue, moss covering the ground and rocks and a constant dampness that hung in the air and incessant drizzle easily gave the impression that trolls were lurking around behind a rock or in a watery cave. Norwegian folklore tells us that trolls dislike darkness and have a penchant for water, rocky scenery and desolate areas with few humans around so Trollstigen is their ideal habitat.

The hotel in Oye (literally meaning island, despite it being on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into a fjord) was a historic hotel of Norway having been hosts to various European royals around the world. Each room was decorated with the style of a certain era or person and felt like we were actually living in that period. The lack of television enhanced that idea. The rooms were Victorian, with rugs and wall-to-wall carpets, heavy drapes that let in on the necessary sunlight into the room. The drapes and carpets were matched by the wallpaper so if a room had a purple motif then it actually was like stepping into a purple element. It came across as spooky and mysterious and being surrounded by mountains and mist. 

For more info on Trollstigen click here.