Book: A Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North

M >> Madame Ida Pfeiffer >> A Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North




This little excursion was very dear; and yet I think I could now
travel cheaply even in this country, universally acknowledged to be
dear. I would go with the steamer along the coast to Hammerfest,
buy a little vehicle and a good horse there, and then travel
pleasantly, and without annoyance, through the whole country. But
for a family who wished to travel in a comfortable covered carriage,
it would be incalculably dear, and in many parts impossible, on
account of the bad roads.

The Norwegian peasantry are strong and robust, but their features
are not the most comely, and they seemed neither wealthy nor
cleanly. They were generally very poorly clad, and always
barefooted. Their cottages, built of wood and covered with tiles,
are more roomy than those of the Icelanders; but they are
nevertheless dirty and wretched. A weakness of the Norwegians is
their fondness for coffee, which they drink without milk or sugar.
The old women, as well as the men, smoke their pipes morning and
night.

Miles.
From Christiania to Kongsberg is about 41
From Kongsberg to the waterfall Labrafoss 5
From Kongsberg to Bolkosoe 14
From Bolkosoe to Tindosoe 16
From Tindosoe across the lake to Mael 16
From Mael to the waterfall Rykanfoss 11
103



CHAPTER IX



August 30th.

At seven o'clock this morning I left Christiania, accompanied by the
good wishes of my countrywoman and her husband, and went back to
Gottenburg by the same steamer which had brought me thence ten days
before. I need only mention the splendid view of a portion of
Christian's Sound--also called Fiord--which I lost on the former
journey from the darkness of the night. We passed it in the
afternoon. The situation of the little town of Lauervig is superb.
It is built on a natural terrace, bordered in the background by
beautiful mountains. In front, the fortress of Friedrichsver lies
on a mountain surrounded by rocks, on which little watch-towers are
erected; to the left lies the vast expanse of sea.

We were delayed an hour at Friedrichsver to transfer the travellers
for Bergen {50} to a vessel waiting for them, as we had stopped on
our previous journey at Sandesund for the same purpose.

This is the last view in the fiord; for now we steered into the open
sea, and in a few hours we had lost sight of land. We saw nothing
but land and water till we arrived the next morning at the Scheren,
and steered for Gottenburg.


August 31st.

The sea had been rough all night, and we therefore reached
Gottenburg three hours later than usual. In this agitated sea, the
surging of the breakers against the many rocks and islets near
Gottenburg has a very curious effect.

The few travellers who could keep on their feet, who did not suffer
from sea-sickness, and remained on deck, spoke much of the dangerous
storm. I had frequently marvelled to hear people who had made a
journey, if it were even only a short one of forty to sixty leagues,
relate of some fearful storm they had witnessed. Now I comprehended
the reason, when I heard the travellers beside me call the brisk
breeze, which only occasioned what seamen call a little swell, a
dreadful storm; and they will probably tell at home of the dangers
they have passed. Storms are, fortunately, not so frequent. I have
travelled many thousand leagues, and have often met with stormy
weather, especially on the passage from Copenhagen to Iceland; but I
only experienced one real storm, but a violent and dangerous one, as
I was crossing the Black Sea to Constantinople in April 1842.

We arrived at Gottenburg at nine instead of at six o'clock in the
morning. I landed at once, to make the celebrated trip through the
locks, over the waterfalls of Trollhatta, with the next Stockholm
steamer. By the junction of the river Gotha with some of the
interior lakes, this great construction crosses the whole country,
and connects the North Sea with the Baltic.

I found the town of Gottenburg very animated, on account of the
presence of the king of Sweden, who was spending a few days here on
his way to Christiania to prorogue the Storthing. I arrived on a
Sunday, and the king, with his son, were in the church. The streets
swarmed with human beings, all crowding towards the cathedral to
catch a glimpse of his majesty on his departure. I, of course,
mingled with the crowd, and was fortunate enough to see the king and
prince come out of the church, enter their carriage, and drive away
very near to me. Both were handsome, amiable-looking men. The
people rushed after the carriage, and eagerly caught the friendly
bows of the intelligent father and his hopeful son; they followed
him to his palace, and stationed themselves in front of it,
impatiently longing for the moment when the royal pair would appear
at a window.

I could not have arrived at a more favourable time; for every one
was in holiday attire, and the military, the clergy, the officials,
citizens and people, were all exerting themselves to the utmost to
do honour to their king.

I noticed two peasant-girls among the crowd who were peculiarly
dressed. They wore black petticoats reaching half way down the calf
of the leg, red stockings, red spensers, and white chemises, with
long white sleeves; a kerchief was tied round the head. Some of the
citizens' wives wore caps like the Suabian caps, covered by a little
black, embroidered veil, which, however, left the face free.

Here, as in Copenhagen, I noticed boys of ten to twelve years of age
among the drummers, and in the bands of the military.

The king remained this day and the next in Gottenburg, and continued
his journey on the Tuesday. On the two evenings of his stay the
windows in the town were ornamented with wreaths of fresh flowers,
interspersed with lighted tapers. Some houses displayed
transparencies, which, however, did not place the inventive powers
of the amiable Gottenburgers in a very favourable light. They were
all alike, consisting of a tremendous O (Oscar), surmounted by a
royal crown.

I was detained four days in Gottenburg; and small consideration
seems to be paid to the speedy transport of travellers in Sweden.
The steamer for Stockholm started on the day I arrived from
Christiania, but unfortunately at five o'clock in the morning; and
as in the month of September only two steamers go in the week to
Stockholm, I was compelled to wait till Thursday. The time hung
heavily on my hands; for I had seen the town itself, and the
splendid views on the hills between the suburbs, during my former
visit to the town, and the other portions only consisted of bare
rocks and cliffs, which were of no interest.


September 4th.

The press of travellers was so great this time, that two days before
the departure the cabins were all engaged; several ladies and
gentlemen who would not wait for the next steamer were compelled to
be satisfied with the deck, and I was among them; for the
probability of such a crowd of passengers had not occurred to me,
and I applied for a place only two days before our departure.
During the journey fresh passengers were taken in at every station,
and the reader may conceive the misery of the poor citizens unused
to such hardships. Every one sought a shelter for the night, and
the little cabins of the engineer and steersman were given up to
some, while others crept into the passages, or squatted down on the
steps of the stairs leading to the cabins. A place was offered to
me in the engineer's cabin; but as three or four other persons were
to share the apartment calculated only for one person, I preferred
to bivouac night and day upon deck. One of the gentlemen was kind
enough to lend me a thick cloak, in which I could wrap myself; and
so I slept much more comfortably under the high canopy of heaven
than my companions did in their sweating-room.

The arrangements in the vessels navigating the Gotha canal are by no
means the best. The first class is very comfortable, and the cabin-
place is divided into pretty light divisions for two persons; but
the second class is all the more uncomfortable: its cabin is used
for a common dining-room by day, and by night hammocks are slung up
in it for sleeping accommodation. The arrangements for the luggage
are worse still. The canal-boats, having only a very small hold,
trunks, boxes, portmanteaus, &c. are heaped up on the deck, not
fastened at all, and very insufficiently protected against rain.
The consequence of this carelessness on a journey of five or six
days was, that the rain and the high waves of the lakes frequently
put the after-deck several inches under water, and then the luggage
was wetted through. It was worse still in a squall on the Wenner
lake; for while the ship was rather roughly tossed about, many a
trunk lost its equilibrium and fell from its high position,
frequently endangering the safety of the passengers' heads. The
fares are, however, very cheap, which seemed doubly strange, as the
many locks must cause considerable expense.

And now for the journey itself. We started at five o'clock in the
morning, and soon arrived in the river Gotha, whose shores for the
first few miles are flat and bare. The valley itself is bounded by
bare, rocky hills. After about nine miles we came to the town of
Kongelf, which is said to have 1000 inhabitants. It is so situated
among rocks, that it is almost hidden from view. On a rock opposite
the town are the ruins of the fortress Bogus. Now the scenery
begins to be a little more diversified, and forests are mingled with
the bleak rocks; little valleys appear on both the shores; and the
river itself, here divided by an islet, frequently expands to a
considerable breadth. The peasants' cottages were larger and better
than those in Norway; they are generally painted brick-red, and are
often built in groups.

The first lock is at Lilla Edet: there are five here; and while the
ship passes through them, the passengers have leisure to admire the
contiguous low, but broad and voluminous fall of the Gotha.

This first batch of locks in the canal extends over some distance
past the fall, and they are partly blasted out of the rock, or built
of stone. The river past Akestron flows as through a beautiful
park; the valley is hemmed in by fertile hills, and leaves space
only for the stream and some picturesque paths winding along its
shores, and through the pine-groves descending to its banks.

In the afternoon we arrived at the celebrated locks near Trollhatta.
They are of gigantic construction, which the largest states would be
honoured in completing, and which occasion surprise when found in a
country ranking high neither in extent nor in influence. There are
eleven locks here, which rise 112 feet in a space of 3500 feet.
They are broad, deep, blasted out of the rock, and walled round with
fine freestone. They resemble the single steps of a giant's
staircase; and by this name they might fitly rank as one of the
wonders of the world. Lock succeeds lock, mighty gates close them,
and the large vessel rises miraculously to the giddy heights in a
wildly romantic country.

Scarcely arrived at the locks, the traveller is surrounded by a
crowd of boys, who offer their services as guides to the waterfalls
near Trollhatta. There is abundance of time for this excursion; for
the passage of the ship through the many locks occupies three to
four hours, and the excursion can be made in half the time. Before
starting, it is, however, advisable to climb the rock to which the
locks ascend. A pavilion is erected on its summit, and the view
from it down over all the locks is exceedingly fine.

Pretty paths hewn out of the wood lead to Trollhatta, which is
charmingly situated in a lovely valley, surrounded by woods and
hills, on the shore of a river, whose white foaming waves contrast
strongly with the dark foliage of the overshadowing groves. The
canal, which describes a large semicircle round the chief stream,
glitters in the distance; but the highest locks are quite concealed
behind rocks; we could neither observe the opening of the gates nor
the rising of the water in them, and were therefore surprised when
suddenly the masts and then the ship itself rose from the depth. An
invisible hand seemed to raise it up between the rocks.

The falls of the river are less distinguished for their height than
for their diversity and their volumes of water. The principal arm
of the river is divided at the point of decline into two equal falls
by a little island of rock. A long narrow suspension-bridge leads
to this island, and hangs over the fall; but it is such a weak,
frail construction, that one person only can cross it at a time.
The owner of this dangerous path keeps it private, and imposes a
toll of about 3.5d. on all passengers.

A peculiar sensation oppresses the traveller crossing the slender
path. He sees the stream tearing onwards, breaking itself on the
projecting rock, and fall surging into the abyss; he sees the
boiling waves beneath, and feels the bridge vibrate at every
footstep, and timidly hastens to reach the island, not taking breath
to look around until he has found footing; on the firm island. A
solid rock projects a little over the fall, and affords him a safe
position, whence he sees not only the two falls on either side, but
also several others formed above and below his point of view. The
scene is so enchanting, that it is difficult to tear oneself away.

Beyond Trollhatta the river expands almost to a lake, and is
separated into many arms by the numerous islands. The shores lose
their beauty, being flat and uninteresting.

We unfortunately did not reach the splendid Wennersee, which is from
forty-five to sixty-five miles long, and proportionally broad, until
evening, when it was already too dark to admire the scenery. Our
ship remained some hours before the insignificant village
Wennersborg.

We had met six or seven steamers on our journey, which all belonged
to Swedish or Norwegian merchants; and it afforded us a peculiarly
interesting sight to see these ships ascend and descend in the high
locks.


September 5th.

As we were leaving Wennersborg late on the previous night, and were
cruising about the sea, a contrary wind, or rather a squall, arose,
which would have signified little to a good vessel, but to which our
small ship was not equal. The poor captain tried in vain to
navigate the steamer across the lake; he was at last compelled to
give up the attempt, to return and to cast anchor. We lost our boat
during this storm; a high wave dashed over the deck and swept it
away: it had probably been as well fastened as our boxes and
trunks.

Though it was but nine o'clock in the morning, our captain declared
that he could not proceed during the day, but that if the weather
became more favourable, he would start again about midnight.
Fortunately a fishing-boat ventured to come alongside, and some of
the passengers landed. I was among them, and made use of this
opportunity to visit some cottages lying at the edge of a wood near
the lake. They were very small, but consisted of two chambers,
which contained several beds and other furniture; the people were
also somewhat better clad than the Norwegians. Their food too was
not so unpalatable; they boiled a thick mess of coarse black flour,
which was eaten with sweet milk.


September 6th.

We raised anchor at one o'clock in the morning, and in about five
hours arrived at the island Eken, which consists entirely of rock,
and is surrounded by a multitude of smaller islets and cliffs. This
is one of the most important stations in the lake. A large wooden
warehouse stands on the shore, and in it is stored the merchandise
of the vicinity intended for export; and in return it receives the
cargo from the ships. There are always several vessels lying at
anchor here.

We had now to wind through a cluster of islands, till we again
reached the open lake, which, however, was only remarkable for its
size. Its shores are bare and monotonous, and only dotted here and
there with woods or low hills; the distant view even is not at all
noteworthy. One of the finest views is the tolerably large castle
of Leko, which lies on a rock, and is surrounded by fertile groves.

Further off rises the Kinne Kulle, {51} to which the traveller's
attention is directed, because it is said to afford an extended
view, not only over the lake, but far into the country. A curious
grotto is said to exist in this hill; but unfortunately one loses
these sights since the establishment of steamers, for we fly past
every object of interest, and the longest journey will soon be
described in a few words.

A large glass-factory is established at Bromoe, which fabricates
window-glass exclusively. We stopped a short time, and took a
considerable cargo of the brittle material on board.

The factory and the little dwellings attached to it are prettily
situated on the undulating ground.

Near Sjotorp we entered the river again through several locks. The
passage of the Wennersee is calculated at about ten or eleven hours.

The river at first winds through woods; and while the ship slowly
passes through the locks, it is pleasanter to walk a portion of the
distance in their shade. Farther on it flows through broad valleys,
which, however, present no very attractive features.


September 7th.

Early in the morning we crossed the pretty Vikensee, which
distinguishes itself, like all Swedish lakes, by the multitude of
its islands, cliffs, and rocks. These islands are frequently
covered with trees, which make the view more interesting.

The lake is 306 feet above the level of the North Sea, and is the
highest point of the journey; from thence the locks begin to
descend. The number of ascending and descending locks amounts to
seventy-two.

A short canal leads into the Boltensee, which is comparatively free
from islands. The passage across this little lake is very charming;
the shores are diversified by hills, woods, meadows, and fields.
After it comes the Weltersee, which can be easily defended by the
beautiful fortress of Karlsborg. This lake has two peculiarities:
one being the extraordinary purity and transparency of its waters;
the other, the number of storms which prevail in it. I was told
that it frequently raged and stormed on the lake while the
surrounding country remained calm and free. The storm sometimes
overtakes the ship so suddenly and violently, that escape is
impossible; and the sagas and fables told of the deceitful tricks of
these waves are innumerable.

We fortunately escaped, and crossed its surface cheerfully and
merrily. On its shores are situated the beautiful ladies'
pensionary, Wadstena, and the celebrated mountain Omberg, at whose
foot a battle was fought.

The next canal is short, and leads through a lovely wood into the
little lake of Norbysee. It is customary to walk this distance, and
inspect the simple monument of Count Platen, who made the plans for
the locks and canals,--a lasting, colossal undertaking. The
monument is surrounded by an iron railing, and consists of a slab
bearing an inscription, simply stating in Swedish his name, the date
of his death, &c. Nearly opposite the monument, on the other side
of the canal, is the town of Motala, distinguished principally for
its large iron factories, in which the spacious work-rooms are
especially remarkable.

Fifteen locks lead from the Norbysee into the Roxersee, which is a
descent of 116 feet. The canal winds gracefully through woods and
meadows, crossed by pretty roads, and studded with elegant little
houses and larger edifices. Distant church-steeples point out the
village of Norby, which sometimes peeps forth behind little forests,
and then vanishes again from the view of the traveller. When the
sun shines on the waters of this canal, it has a beautiful,
transparent, pea-green colour, like the purest chrysolite.

The view from the hill which rises immediately before the lake of
Roxen is exceedingly fine. It looks down upon an immense valley,
covered with the most beautiful woods and rocks, and upon the broad
lake, whose arm flows far in land. The evening sun shed its last
rays over a little town on the lake-shore, and its newly-painted
tiles shone brightly in its light beams.

While the ship descended through the many locks, we visited the
neighbouring church of the village of Vretakloster, which contains
the skeletons of several kings in beautifully-made metal coffins.

We then crossed the lake, which is from four to five miles broad,
and remained all night before the entrance of the canal leading into
a bay of the Baltic.


September 8th.

This canal is one of the longest; its environs are very pretty, and
the valley through which it runs is one of the largest we had
passed. The town of Soderkoping is situated at the foot of high,
picturesque groups of rocks, which extend to a considerable
distance.

Every valley and every spot of soil in Sweden are carefully
cultivated.

The people in general are well dressed, and inhabit small but very
pretty houses, whose windows are frequently decorated with clean
white draperies. I visited several of these houses, as we had
abundance of time for such excursions while the ship was going
through the locks. I think one might walk the whole distance from
Gottenburg to Stockholm in the same time that the ship takes for the
journey. We lose some hours daily with the locks, and are obliged
to lie still at night on their account. The distance is calculated
at from 180 to 250 miles, and the journey takes five days.

In the evening we approached the Baltic, which has the same
character as the Scheren of the North Sea. The ship threads its way
through a shoal of islands and islets, of rocks and cliffs; and it
is as difficult to imagine here as there how it is possible to avoid
all the projecting cliffs, and guide the ship so safely through
them. The sea divides itself into innumerable arms and bays, into
small and large lakes, which are formed between the islands and
rocks, and are hemmed in by beautiful hills. But nothing can exceed
the beauty of the view of the castle Storry Husby, which lies on a
high mountain, in a bay. In front of the mountain a beautiful
meadow-lawn reaches to the shores of the sea, while the back is
surrounded in the distance by a splendid pine-forest. Near this
picturesque castle a steeple rises on a neighbouring island, which
is all that remains of the ancient castle of Stegeborg. Nothing can
be more romantic than the scenery here, and on the whole journey
over the fiord; for it presents itself in ever-varying pictures to
the traveller's notice.

But gradually the hills become lower, the islands more rare; the sea
supersedes every thing, and seems jealously anxious to exclude other
objects from the traveller's attention, as if it wished to
monopolise it. Now we were in the open sea, and saw only water and
sky; and then again we were so hemmed in by the rocks and cliffs,
that it would be impossible to extricate the ship without the
assistance of an experienced pilot.


September 9th.

We left the sea, and entered another lake, the Malarsee, celebrated
for its numerous islands, by a short canal. The town of Sotulje
lies at its entrance, charmingly situated in a narrow valley at the
foot of a rather steep hill. This lake at first resembles a broad
river, but widens at every step, and soon shews itself in its whole
expanse. The passage of the Malarsee takes four hours, and is one
of the most charming excursions that can be made. It is said to
contain about a thousand islets of various sizes; and it may be
imagined how varied in form and feature the scenery must be, and,
like the fiord of the Baltic, what a constant succession of new
scenes it must present.

The shores also are very beautiful: in some spots hills descend
sharply to the water's edge, the steep rocks forming dangerous
points; on others dark, sombre pine-forests grow; and again there
are gay valleys and meadows, with villages or single cottages. Many
travellers assert that this lake is, after all, very monotonous; but
I cannot agree with their opinion. I found it so attractive, that I
could repeat the journey many times without wearying of this lovely
sameness. It certainly has not the majestic backgrounds of the
Swiss lakes; but this profusion of small islands is a pleasing
peculiarity which can be found on no other lake.

On the summit of a steep precipice of the shore the hat of the
unfortunate Eric is hoisted, fastened to a long pole. History tells
that this king fled from the enemy in a battle; that one of his
soldiers pursued him, and reproached him for his cowardice,
whereupon Eric, filled with shame and despair, gave spurs to his
horse and leaped into the fearful abyss. At his fall his hat was
blown from his head, and was left on this spot.

Copyright (c) 2007. knowncrafts.net. All rights reserved.