When the Olympics were held in Lillehammer, pundits called it a sleepy little town in Norway. I can’t say if it is “sleepy”. I can say I find it charming. The train trip from Oslo follows endless lakes. This early in the Spring, they are mostly frozen, making the scenery a magical land of sun, greenery and ice.

Departing the train station we set off on an uphill walk to the Olympic museum. What we don’t know, is that admission is actually to a much larger Maihaugen complex. The outdoor living history museum has acres of lakes and forests populated with various houses, barns and churches representing life through the centuries.

The collections of the museum complex are broad. The Olympic museum is interesting, but the hundreds of artifacts at Maihaugen representing everyday life is spectacular. Sleds, chests, tapestry, carvings, toys, dance costumes, church relics, weapons. Everywhere we look, we find something of interest. We listen to recordings of ancient instruments and wander around a gallery of clothing.

Outside, the view looking over the lakes sleeping under bright blue skies is inspiring. I can feel my breath changing as I relax in the sunlight. Most buildings are only viewable from the outside, but many are open for inside touring. So many innovations, advanced for so long ago. While I would not want to gather firewood or visit an outhouse on a regular basis, I think could otherwise be quite comfortable in a medieval townhouse.

The farm roofs of birch bark and sod are a marvel. Each time I see one, I think how sustainable and ingenious they truly are. Earth protects and gives life to those who will use its treasures wisely. I happily walk among the farmsteads until closing time. We venture towards the exit and the more modern houses. There is for each decade, including the one that Queen Sonia grew up in. A merchants house for the commoner queen. Her marriage to Prince Harold was celebrated throughout Norway. I only know about the romance because of a Netflix series about the couple. The house here looks like the house in the series (maybe it was filmed on site).

Remembering our roots is always a worthy endeavor. It reminds us that we are not half as clever as we think we are. That we need a lot less than we think we need. That modern is not always better. Simpler lives may be richer. My musings go on and on. But it is now after three and we are hungry. The museum will kick us out if we don’t leave soon.

We find a restaurant on the high street. It is a mishmash of Norwegian, Italian, and Turkish food. Something for everyone. Nothing fancy, just tasty, warm, solid food. While we enjoy our meal, I spot a charity shop across the way. It yields a cheery shamrock sweater. Yay! I love resale. Sustainable and every item tells a story.

We realize that the shops have closed and we are out of things to do. I walk to a waterfall for a few pictures and we settle in to wait for a train. The train station is unmanned. The ticket counters are closed. This country seems to suffer the same tech mania as many others. Serve yourself and too bad if you have a question.

I try a google query to see if we can take an earlier train if we have an unassigned ticket. No answers there. I ask an engineer, he says he thinks yes but to ask a guard. He does not tell me where to find a guard. We walk to the platform. I ask the next uniform that passes. He says no, we bought a “low fare” ticket and we can’t take the next train but to ask the conductor anyway. He does not tell me where to find the conductor.

I walk the length of the train and don’t see a soul. We wait until a few minutes before the train is scheduled to leave. No conductor. Just as we are giving up and heading back to the waiting area, she appears. We ask to leave on the train pulling out in a few minutes. She explains that we do, in fact, have a low fare ticket, but the train is largely empty so she will allow an exception this once. We are grateful to board a full hour before our scheduled departure.

And so we return along the lake as the sun is setting and the world is returning to magical light and sky. I settle into my seat and review a lovely day in Lillehammer as the world rushes by.