Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian NorthPfeiffer, Ida
History
Visit to Iceland and the Scandinavian North
Pfeiffer, Ida
Iceland -- Description and travel; Old Norse poetry -- History and criticism; Scandinavia -- Description and travel
Ladegardoen is the only spot which is often resorted to by the citizens
by carriage or on foot. It affords many and splendid views of the sea
and its islands, of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and pine and fir
groves. The majority of the country-houses are built here. They are
generally small, but pretty, and surrounded by flower-gardens and
orchards. While there, I seemed to be far in the south, so green and
verdant was the scenery. The corn-fields alone betrayed the north. Not
that the corn was poor; on the contrary, I found many ears bending to the
ground under their weight; but now, towards the end of August, most of it
was standing uncut in the fields.
Near the town stands a pine-grove, from which one has splendid views; two
monuments are raised in it, but neither of them are of importance: one is
raised to the memory of a crown-prince of Sweden, Christian Augustus; the
other to Count Hermann Wenel Jarlsberg.
JOURNEY TO DELEMARKEN.
All I had hitherto seen in Norway had gratified me so much, that I could
not resist the temptation of a journey to the wildly romantic regions of
Delemarken. I was indeed told that it would be a difficult undertaking
for a female, alone and almost entirely ignorant of the language, to make
her way through the peasantry. But I found no one to accompany me, and
was determined to go; so I trusted to fate, and went alone.
According to the inquires I had instituted in respect to this journey, I
anticipated that my greatest difficulties would arise from the absence of
all institutions for the speedy and comfortable progress of travellers.
One is forced to possess a carriage, and to hire horses at every station.
It is sometimes possible to hire a vehicle, but this generally consists
only of a miserable peasant's cart. I hired, therefore, a carriol for
the whole journey, and a horse to the next station, the townlet of
Drammen, distant about twenty-four miles.
On the 25th August, at three o'clock in the afternoon, I left
Christiania, squeezed myself into my carriage, and, following the example
of Norwegian dames, I seized the reins. I drove as if I had been used to
it from infancy. I turned right and left, and my horse galloped and
trotted gaily on.
The road to Drammen is exquisite, and would afford rich subjects for an
artist. All the beauties of nature are here combined in most perfect
harmony. The richness and variety of the scenery are almost oppressive,
and would be an inexhaustible subject for the painter. The vegetation is
much richer than I had hoped to find it so far north; every hill, every
rock, is shaded by verdant foliage; the green of the meadows was of
incomparable freshness; the grass was intermingled with flowers and
herbs, and the corn-fields bent under their golden weight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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