Saturday June 6th 2015. Steinkjer 34 km

Another decorated mail box with a troll-like being

Trol- like being

Sun,sun,sun…!

My camping cabin, rather a cage

I hope everything will dry

Tosca is allowed inside

At 5 am. Brenton the white Kenyan American got up. I barely noticed. I slept through the alarm that rang at 8. That was necessary because it was after midnight yesterday and on such a grueling trip, I desperately needed my rest. I do no want to catch a cold due to lack of resistance.  When bad weather the cap of my poncho covers my eyes, so I bought a cap with Stiklestad on it. Now everybody can see that I am a true pilgrim. Which is obvious. Nobody walks here in the rain, only religious fanatics like me! Wow! Never thought of my self.
It was dirty again today from the start. Continuous rain, often pouring and not just a shower but for a few hours. At 1 pm is got “dry” for 1.5 hours, not raining, but the paths and roads were streams. At half past three it started again and now with the wind in the face. It was like the clouds wanted to catch up for the calm one and a half hours. My arms were wet till the elbows. Through my neck the wetness dripped into my chest, the pants were a rag and my feet were dipping in the shoes. Because I wanted to prevent cooling, I barely paused and I kept up the pace. Due to the cap and the capuchon I saw Norway especially well under me. Such a beautiful country deserves better weather. Yes, they all say, only this year it is bad. Ten degrees C. colder than normal. Whatever. I’m trying to take pictures of the rain, but the camera and lens are wet, so that doesn’t work well. All pictures are bad by water droplets or condensation on the lens. Moreover pulling my poncho capuchin back from my eyes still makes wet the few items that are dry. Ireland standing at the Galway Bay  I looked to the mountains of Connomara across the bay. An Irishman said: if you do not see the mountains that’s because of the rain, but if you see the mountains you’re sure it’s going to rain. And we all know the joke: it rained this week only once. From Saturday till Friday. All seems to apply to Norway, but only this spring, if I have to believe.
A nice equipped stopping place I chose for a rest. That was after 2.5 hours. I’ve seen more of those shelters. Intended for fishermen: place with grill, wood fire, chairs with sheepskins, often food. This time I found three buns with pieces of chocolate. I do not know how old they were. A little soggy, but a hungry stomach, in the cold and wet, eats everything. Pictures.

I walked a lot on dirt roads and very quiet asphalt roads. Because there are also people of the Dutch Shepherd Dog Association reading my blog, I want to write for a moment about Tosca. All day she walks in the pouring rain. Runs through all the puddles, through the soaking wet ferns and fields, pulling me up the mountain, uphill, which is the reason I put her on the leash. Even at the end of the route, when I have covered 34 and Tosca more than 40 km, she still keeps pulling; continues to focus on the environment, especially cats and other dogs. And when I at 6 pm, after a long wait for the arrival of the camp administrator, finally my little minihut can, then I let her dry one hour on the wooden porch, in the cold (well below 10 deg. C .) before I pull her inside. Indestructible. Now that’s not the intention, but I must also say that I often have no choice in terms of care. Last night for example she slept outside again. Although dry on a wooden floor, on a blanket covered with holes bitten by Tosca and I dress her with a rain jacket. So far about Tosca, especially written for Lia In Zeeland, where I bought Joep, our dog at home Cottessen, 8 years ago.
Anyway. Finally, at 5:30 at the camping. The reception is open from 6-8 pm to you. I walking a little around, no to get too cold. Tosca waits under a shelter on a wooden floor, soaked. I get a mini cabin: 4×3 meters without water but with a tiny electric heater and a hot plate, but without cutlery or bowls. And 1.5 times the price of the luxurious pilgrims’ hotel last night in Stiklestad. Value all looking for. I do not know how to dry everything over a 50 cm. wide electric heating, but I make a start. My feet get cold on the unheated floor. And food? I wanted to go shopping in the supermarket 500 m. from here, but then I have to put on again all those wet togs, which hangs drying properly and the weather stays totally wet. Meanwhile, it is already 8:22 you. From Francien I had got 4 little packs of foodconcentrate. Which I prepared all together, hoping that it meets untill tomorrow. And then organizing again. The next town is Grong, about 100 km. I want to reach it in 3 days. So tomorrow morning buying food for 3 days and also carrying it, with a not very good weather forecast. We keep smiling. Goodnight.