Sunday May 17th 2015. Nermohotel near Oyer. 31 km.

This is far too expensive. But Nermo was in my guidebook with pilgrims shelters. It is supposed to be destined for persons with litlle money. In my book Nermo was described as a hotel with room rates that are twice as expensive as the average simple pilgrim’s shelter. This is a hotel next to a golf course, so it is regarded chique. And according to my guide it also had cabins. Which are often cheaper. So anyway a quick call. The lady on the phone offered me a cabin with heating, shower, toilet, wifi, for a price of 1.5 times that of a youth hostel. That seemed like a good idea. After all, yesterday I walked 1.5 time the planned distance  and today twice the distance indicated in my book. OK. On to Nermo in Oyer. Along the way I see a large sign with Oyer infrastructure. Damn, there are more B & Bs and campsites in Oyer than my book says. But I didn’t feel like peddling: is there heating, how far to the shower / toilet / laundry (important for when it rains)? Is there food, shop, kitchen, wifi, price? That’ll keep me walking for hours and then walking to and fro camp sites, from camping place to camping place, uphill and down, after 30 km. traipsing through the rain, with I guess, 16 kg on my back. Come on, just go to Nermo, even though it is somewhat pricey. If I am not good for myself, walking will be more difficult. After all theage of sweet sixteen is over.
Today was a lot up and down. The last climb was an at least 4 km long road. In Lillehammer you still see the ski jump of the Olympic Winter Games of 1994. Since Lillehammer you leave the long lake Mjøsa, along which I have been walking for many days. Now begins Gudbrandsdalen, Gudbrandsdalen. The article ‘the’ or ” it” is in Norwegian behind the noun. So in Norwegian “en” at the end of Gudbrandsdalen means “it”. Little strange, but we’ll accept it, I think. Gudbrandsdal which is known for its natural beauty and beautiful farms, a bit like in Switzerland the Bernese Oberland and in the Netherlands? I hardly dare say, the Geuldal!
Lillehammer did not impress me. There still is the ski jump of the Olympic Winter Games of 1994. The church was not interesting. Therefore no pictures of it. However, a picture of the non paved roads. Even streets in the town often are not paved. May be those are not paved, as they will probably always freeze and burst in winter? Norway has plenty of money on their gas and oil. I think Norway has been an agrarian society more and longer than  the Netherlands was. Probably people only recently moved to villages and towns, because I only see new buildings, all made of wood. I mostly don’t see a cozy old historic center with a church or a square with restaurants. Nothing of all that. The church is often acentric or outside the village. Gas stations often perform the function of shop, café, snack bar. It may be efficient but not really cozy, if you ask me. The people  are initially closed, is my impressian, they usually do not easily greet spontaneous, but their answers are very friendly if you have a question. I hear no shouting, always decent behavior, pleasant driving. Interesting touristic or historical sights I often pass unnoticed. No fanfare pointing to the ancient stone circle and mound which I missed today, even though they are in the books marked as landmark. Also my Olavsweg has to grow in popularity: lately around 600 hikers per year. That is different from the 500,000 annually to Santiago.
Today is a national holiday. Most Norwegians, young and old, walking in Norwegian national dress and those who do not are at least dressed in a suit with tie. Because they have been dominated for centuries, they have developed a strong nationalist feeling.
As already reported above, it drizzled all day. So little that one would forget to wear a cap, but so long that surely everything gets wet if you don’t take action. At a gas station in Lilehammer I order a hot dog with mustard. Fortunately I could buy dog food yesterday, because today and tomorrow, Sunday, are national holidays. However, in this gas station they sell only bags of 3 kg. Bags of 1 kg, 1.5 and 2 kg, exist too but not here. OK. The  difficulty factor that I wanted has come true again.
I pass an inconspicuous source along the way, an Olav well (there seem to be several Olav springs), which seems to have healing powers. About Roman catholic Lourdes they make much more fuzz and spectacle.
The route is a sometimes impassable forest trail, while 50 m. lower runs a nice, flat trail. Bullying pilgrim!

The valley is magnifique, but yes, my 16 kilo luggage and cold wind and rain, make me yearning at the end of the afternoon,for the ultimate goal, especially during the last kilometer climb to some ski resort.
I check in at the Nermohotel. Ask a cabin and get an apartment in a wooden annexe. Madam, I have a dog. That is 50E extra. No, I think that’s too much. You do not have a garage, wood shed or something? OK. then he can stay on the wooden balcony, under a canopy. “Allè” then. I didn’t drag in vain Tosca’s  dog jacket and blanket hundreds of kilometers. And is there any food left? It’s been 6 pm. and then the kitchen is closed, but I will talk to the cook. While all the guests leave, I get at almost 6:30 pm. a meal with a delicious veal steak. Maybe I should replace my own 6 Scottish Highland cattle by Norwegian calves. Wooow! No starter, no dessert. No bullshitting … 50 Euros! Jezus, incl. a beer and a small packet of nuts. Yes, the alternative was almost freezing in such wooden coffin, called cabin without food or heating, with, tomorrow wet shoes. Then this is better.