Sunday July 31, Skien

A grey afternoon in Skien

Yesterday really felt like summer….this morning we woke to spits on the roof and a very grey day. We joined the E18 not far from camp and headed north, ticking off another 26 tunnels. Guessing Steve that you will soon be getting an account from Norway with all the tolls we have passed through. They track you through you registration plates. It showered off and on for the first part of the trip that took us through mainly forested areas. The motorway became extremely busy and we were just crawling along parts of it, making a very long trip. Suspect that it is holiday makers returning to Oslo on a Sunday.

Finally left the motorway and headed inland to Skien, the start of the Telemark Canal where there is a good motorhome parking area right beside the water and overlooking the first lock on the canal.  Settled in for a very late lunch, it had been a long drive.

Wandered into the centre of town and maybe it was the greyness of the day, but it felt very grubby and dirty and really had little charm, very unlike the rest of Norway. The only bright spots were several large murals. And then the rain started and were very happy to hurry back to the camper. 

Our daughter in law, Janine was an AFS exchange student with a family in Tonsberg. We met them when they visited NZ several years ago, and tomorrow we are going to visit them, so looking forward to it.

 

The motorways usually have a two lane
tunnel in each direction.

 

A yacht waiting to enter the lock on the canal.