Hamar III

August 15, 2008

Before returning the the Hedmark Museum, I stopped at an electronics store (El-kjøp) to check out cell phones. I'm still not quite ready to make the leap and purchase a phone, but it gave me the opportunity to read about the various plans. I now have a better idea of what it is I want, I think. It seems like I talk on the phone more than I send text messages, and that I talk on the phone a lot. So, it makes the most sense to me to get a slightly more expensive monthly plan with a less expensive rate by the minute. I'd welcome feedback on this topic.

I continued on my way to the Hedmark Museum and arrived just as Bjørn Sverre was pulling into the parking lot. We had lunch in his house, which is on the museum grounds, with another friend of his who was visiting from Oslo. She was also a fiddler and a dancer. She was also a jeweler and super sweet.

After lunch, Bjørn Sverre gave us a tour of the museum. The museum includes buildings from all periods of Hedmarks history from the ruins of the medieval church (ca. 1250) to early twentieth century buildings that aren't quite open yet. Bjørn Sverre had to go in and water the plants, so we got to see the house in the process of being staged.

Then he showed us the highlights from the 17th century exhibit, including a whiskey still, a mechanical thresher, and ornate sleighs. Before potatoes came to the area, many of the smaller households were dependant on the income the women of the families made working with the linen and wool textile industry. After the advent of potatoes, the fields that had been used for linen were used to grow potatoes and many families lost up to 46% procent of their textile based income. At least, that's what I think Bjørn Sverre was telling us.

In the end, he arranged a ride for me back into town. I'd done a lot of walking and was a little worried about coming back to Trysil. I got a ride with a lovely woman who dropped me off at the train station just in time to catch the train to Elverum. Of course, there were a couple guys getting on the train who had at least eight suitcases between them, so we were a little late leaving the station.

I should have had twenty minutes to walk to the bus station in Elverum, instead I had eleven. I hurried and arrived at the bus station at exactly 4:50 when the bus should have been leaving. But it was no where to be found. I went inside and it didn't appear to have arrived. I figured that I had time to risk heading to the pay phone to call Else and let her know I was coming. A half hour later, the bus showed up. Again, student price! I was on my way back to Trysil.