A Summer Holiday in Scandinavia

28th August. -- With the intention of seeing if the ducks were still to be found on the pool where we had noticed them while driving from Avestrud, P. had requested the landlady to call us as early as possible -- an order she executed to the letter, waking us up while it was still dark; so after a slight breakfast, we started to enjoy one of the most delicious walks imaginable. The road we had indeed traversed before; but the morning was perfect -- as cool and fresh as could be desired -- and the sun, when we started, not being yet up, the white mist hung in soft streaks and patches over the river and along the hills, its edges, broken and dimly defined, constantly changing under the gentlest of daybreak airs. When the sun rose every leaf and blade of grass glittered in a countless bedecking of dew-drops, which showed off like diamonds on black enamel against the dark background of the wood. Some little distance along the road we met an early cariole party of three French chasseurs coming from Avestrud. Their "get up" was remarkable. One of them wore a dark-green velvet suit, and neat little patent leather boots; while his game-bag of new and unstained material was an overwhelming mass of fringe, tassels, and buckles. His two companions were equally decorated, and proudly bore buffalo-horn powder-flasks suspended from their shoulders by neatly plaited green cords; each of them carrying, besides, a belt and a couple of large knives slung in new leather sheaths -- quite awe-inspiring. We feared that the ducks we were looking for might have caught a sight of these hunters and fled in terror, though we could not believe that any of them had fallen before those shining guns, the muzzles of which we saw peeping out from the aprons of the carioles of our French friends. But our fears were groundless; and on arriving at the pool we performed a long and careful stalk through the long wet grass and under the bushes, whose branches and leaves sent down showers of water on us if we moved them ever so slightly. Thus at last we dexterously circumvented our victims, giving them a "right and left" all round as they sprung up from a shallow arm of the lake. Thereon, having no dog -- a thing we had to regret every day we were in Norway -- we were obliged to retrieve the slain ourselves. So we came back to breakfast, of which, even with our excellent appetites, we could not say much in praise; for our landlady had very little food to offer us, and that which she did supply was badly cooked and seriously deficient in cleanliness.

This, happily, is not the usual characteristic of the posting-stations, though it is unpleasantly noticeable in some, more especially on the southern road, where the houses are smaller, the owners poorer, the horses worse, and the scenery less interesting, as a rule, than upon the north road. There are exceptions, of course; but, generally speaking, the food found at posting-stations is very good of its kind, well and cleanly cooked, and brought to table at many houses with care and a large amount of hospitable painstaking. Simple food was generally to be had in abundance, such as it was. Trout, and the eternal "lax," or salmon, were always pieces de resistance. Of the trout in particular -- being always so fresh and excellently cooked -- it was not easy to be tired; but the dried salmon (of which the Norwegians seem very fond) was too hard and dry, we found, to be eaten except rarely. It was not possible to get fresh meat everywhere, even in August, the great month for tourists; and where meat was to be found, it was either mutton or reindeer venison, the latter always very good -- for those who like it. But it is necessarily often "high;" and as many travelers do not fancy food in that state, such would do well to follow Murray's advice and pack a "tina," or native market-basket, before leaving Christiania, with a supply of tea, coffee, sugar, a tongue or ham, preserves, potted or tinned meats, etc. These will make very little difference in the way of luggage, and will often prove of great value at the smaller stations. Of drinkables it will not be necessary to provide anything. Very good native beer is to be had everywhere; it was, we thought, fully equal to the best English bottled ale, and is very cheap. Milk is also to be got at many stations, but is not very good; and a can or two of condensed milk might well be added to the contents of the forementioned "tina" on leaving the capital.