Hikes

We're getting truly settled in and decided that it's time to start getting out and about for more than just everyday errands. Stepler had this past Thursday off so we took a short hike. We'd heard that the hike to Dalsnuten was nice because it offered a great view of the entire Stavanger area - particularly rewarding for newcomers because it allowed us to see all the places we've driven to and heard about over the past several weeks.

We were the first ones to arrive at the parking lot! There was a map at the beginning of the trail and the trail was well marked so we had no trouble finding our way. It was easy going at first, to a pond and through a sheep pasture. Things got a little more difficult as we started heading upward, but we made it - even with Stepler carrying Rory in the "Kangakid" backpack. The view from the top was great and would have been even better if we'd been lucky enough to have a clear day. But we could still see the Stavanger harbor and all the other little towns that surround Stavanger. It was quite windy at the top so after some pictures and a quick snack we were ready to head back down. For the hike down we took another path down and it was a bit easier. There were even planks laid down so that we did not have to walk through mud. When we got back to the parking lot there were at least 30 other cars there. A Starbucks on the way home would have really been perfect, but no Starbucks here and besides that there was nothing open because of the holiday.

Since we'd tried Rory out in the backpack on Thursday we thought a longer, more difficult hike was in order for Sunday. But first we went to a candle factory. At least that's how it had been described to us. More store, less factory, no factory actually. But the store did have a lot of cool candles, a Christmas shop, a giant troll that scared Rory a bit at first and it offered the chance to create your own candle by dipping a white one in wax. There was a small children's area outside with goats and more trolls. We had lunch in the restaurant attached to the shop. It was pretty tasty and seemed Norwegian. I had lamb, potato casserole, carrots and broccoli. Stepler had meatballs, boiled potatoes and some sort of mashed pea. Rory shared with us and also had a pancake with the traditional Norwegian toppings of raspberry jam and sour cream. As we were walking back to our car we noticed antique trucks coming down the road, they just kept coming, then they turned into the candle factory parking lot and then there was an old bus - Rory loved it!

On our way to the parking lot to begin the hike to the Manafossen Waterfall we went through a very, very long tunnel. Longer than any tunnel I've ever been through before. This time when we arrived at the parking lot there were lots of other people there. We got Rory all loaded up in the backpack. She seemed very excited to get in the backpack saying, "backpack, in." According to the sign this hike was pretty short, but fairly steep. First we had to go up a steep rocky hill. The most challenging part of that was the rocks. This path was also well marked and had chains as handrails for us to hold

on as we went up the steeper parts. We were rewarded with two overlooks with great views of the waterfall. After seeing the waterfall we continued on to Man. On our way there we went over a bridge that also offered a stunning view of the waterfall. Once we got to Man we were able to see a valley that had once been farm land. We stopped again to see the waterfall on the way back down. My legs were shaky on the way down! While Rory enjoyed the hike and seeing the water, she was ready to get out of the backpack.