• Doug FitzgeraldS:t Olavsleden 2026Traveler
    Old farm machinery at Valberg
    Massey Ferguson tractors seem to be everywhereAnother hut looking like it could do with a trimLooking across to the bridge to TautraGoats reaching for a feedShoreline at low tideA rather long straight road across to the islandNot the pier we are going to leave fromBell tower at a small cemetaryHeading to TrondheimTrondheim shorelineCruise ship in TrondheimAnother cruise ship in TrondheimAnd a different sort of cuiseing vesselArrival at the dockView up the small boat harbour3The end of my pilgrimage

    Trondheim

    July 27 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today was the last day of my pilgrimage. First there was a short walk from Valberg over to the island of Tautra, where I booked a seat on a RHIB to take me across the fjord to Trondheim, and there would be a short walk from the port area to the cathedral. Which is pretty much what happened.

    The first question was how much time should I give myself to get there without taking any risks of missing the boat. Others staying at Valberg were leaving there at 0700, which I thought was giving it a little too much time. So my target was 0730. This would make it the earliest I had managed to get away on the whole trip. So it was an early rise, an early breakfast, and I managed to get away as planned.

    The walk over to Tautra wasn't overly difficult, and I arrived at the pier at the yatch club with about 40 minutes to spare.

    Shortly after I arrived, a young Swedish pilgrim arrived who must have been a day or so behind me at some stage because she commented that I must be the famous Australian she had been hearing about. I suggested that infamous might be a better description.

    When the RHIB arrived, Alan, the coxwain, got us all kitted out in protective suits and goggles, got our kit onboard, and then us. He was keen to get going because there had been a report of a boat on fire, and there had been a call for help, and once we had been off-loaded in Trondheim, he needed to go and assist.

    So it was a pretty no-nonsense transit until we got quite close to Trondheim, and Alan let us know that the report had been a sighting of a steam ship, and there was no fire. At this stage, he had a bit of fun, as I expect most RHIB drivers can do, doing some twists and turns just before the entrance to the harbour.

    Then it was a sedate run into where were unloaded, got out of our protective layers, got our gear together, and went looking for the cathedral.

    The cathedral square was somewhat more crowded than I recall it being on the previous occasions I walked to Trondheim. That wasn't helped by part of the square being prepared for some stage performance. So it was impossible to get a picture of the entrance.

    There was a wait for the pilgrim office to open, and after getting my Olav's Brev, I wandered down to the train station to meet Elaine.    Read more