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THE NATIONAL DAY IN KAYAK.
Text: Vibeke C Strømmen
Photos: Vibeke C Strømmen & Martin Fossen
It is may 17 2019, Norway's national day. National custom (called bunad), Norwegian flags, people marching in their hometown and in the country side, corps music, ice and balloons. The day is celebrated with pride in Norway. Usually we celebrate this day wearing a suit and bunad. The dining table is decorated and awaites the whole family for dinner. Sodd, ( a soup based on meat and vegetables) is being served and the wreath cake is in place, but this year it was different. We went to the cabin at Røros, and chose as our expression to paddle on the Glomma River.
The small town of Røros.
Glomma is Norway's longest river. It starts a little south of Mustjønna, which is a little west of the Tydal mounatins in Trøndelag, and ends its journey through Norway in the Oslofjord near Fredrikstad. Then the river has traveled a distance of 619.9 km.
The National Day in Norway is the day of the year everyone in Norway wants good weather. This is rarely possible in a country that is so elongated and exposed to the weather and as a rule the weather winners are in Oslo and the surrounding areas in the south. They are the ones who are most protected from the weather coming from the west. North of Dovre, where we are so lucky to live, there is a difference in weather. Any good weather from the south is stopped by the Dovre mountains, which in turn means that we often get the weather that is further north of us. I have said it often; it is not natural to live that far north, he he. Further north, there is even a higher chance for bad weather on May 17th. The snow does not give up her stand up there. We in Trondheim usually have it completely bare and it is most likely a little green on the trees as well, and we have had a fantastic weather with glorious sun and warm air on this day. But you can`t always count on it.
If there is something that makes our norwegian heart swell a little, it is the following picture: Blue sky without a cloud, sun that warms, the air is warm, the Norwegian flag in red, white and blue that waves lazily against the blue sky. The light green leaves on the trees create an extra good atmosphere and we are down in the center of town with corps music playing "Ja. vi elsker" (our national antem), "Vi vandrer med freidig mot" and "Norge i rødt, hvitt og blått." We may sound crazy that this means so much to us, but I prefer this version of celebrating The National Day than watching a military parade where tanks and rockets and weapons march through the city. No thanks, give me the Norwegian version any time.
May 17, 2019 had no bad weather, not even in Røros. The place that is known for snowing at least once during every single month of the year, but this day the snow was gone. It was sunny. It was hot and we were going to celebrate the day to in the kayaks with the flag attached to the bow, but before we launched them, we had to get a little feel for the May 17 mood. So wearing hiking clothes, the dog on a leash and the flag in hand, we walked in Røros' festively decorated streets and tasted the atmosphere. At one of the bridges, which divides the city in two, we chose to stop to look at the marching band. I smiled and was happy. It was very nice to get some of these good feelings before we did something a little more untraditional.
Røros has a small airport. If you come from the north you can see the Glomma below you as you land. Right here at the north end, at the end of the airport and down towards the river, there was a small pocket away from the road, which just had room for a car. Even though it is the middle of May, it is not green on the trees, and the low bushes that were between us and the car had not become clogged with leaves. We are so fresh in owning kayaks at this point when it comes to getting the kayaks off the roof of the car, that we spend some time getting them off. It is a bit complicated with carrying techniques, but after a while we got to put the kayaks down by the water's edge.
Blue dot: Parking
The water is shiny and lures. Martin and Khaleesi get out first. Since the dog has to sit between Martin`s legs, it's smart for him to sit in the kayak first before I lift the dog up to him. Then the splash-pull should be over him and the dog. Of course, she has a cut hole that she can keep her head through. I got in my own kayak and finally we are on the water. It's magical.
Splash cover with a hole.
In this area the river is slow and lazy. You hardly notice the current if you paddle a little upstream. We had looked at maps (Norgeskart) and wanted to examine a couple of off the river tracks from the river's usual pattern. We think it's so much fun to see what's hiding around the next turn, so we set off towards the first.
Red line: A small detour from the main river.
You get in a zone where you just do the paddle movements, stop a bit, let yourself drift, take pictures. We do not talk so much, just smile and nod and say that this is completely magical. Imagine that we are so lucky to experience this.
I think it was extra special to do this on The National Day and that we were so lucky with the weather.
A perfect day.
After a while we had to turn around. There was less and less water so then we paddled out on the river itself again and took a little uphill. A little resistance from the current, but no worse than we came up on a "beach". Lovely to get a little stretch on the legs. The dog ran loose and was doing so well. This was not a trip that was going to be that long. The nature and atmosphere were enough. We have no time or special length to state here. A new trip was being planned which was to be carried out the very next day.
The beach.