Homeward Bound |Blissful Solitary Wanderings

The day after our convention, we were supposed to visit the mountains and fjords of Norway for the second time around, but something went wrong with our car, making us unsafe to travel there. What if our car would suddenly break down and we'd get stuck in the middle of nowhere?

So we changed plans. We decided to travel back home gradually within the safety of our homeland. We took the roads through the western provinces close to the Norwegian border. We would also like to see the "fjällen", or mountains, on this side of the country.

From Oslo, we rolled back to Dalarna, then up north to Härjedal, a place we haven't seen before. We found a camping place in Hede, called Sonfjällscampen, which gave us a cozy feeling at first sight. It's not as spacious as the others we've been to before but it's homely, and the surrounding views are breathtaking. We hired a cabin for one night only which we later extended for another night after finding out that the place offered a wealth of natural attractions for nature-lovers and hikers alike.

The camping alone is paradisaic what with all the lakes, a snow-capped mountain rising above the trees, lovely cabins, jetties and a diving board, and rustic surroundings. It turned out that this camping is one of the best we've ever stayed while on a journey because each cabin is equipped with everything one needs, and the service buildings (toilets, bathrooms and washroom) are well-provided too. The price is quite affordable.

Among the marvels of this province are the several massive waterfalls. We were able to visit only one of these, which is just the lower part of a series of falls. It's called Rändåfallet in Långå. Had we hiked higher, we could have seen the much bigger and higher falls including a huge single plunge. But hubby's health stymied us from trekking uphill. We could go back someday.

We also traveled toward an unplanned destination, just driving until we reached the locality of Funäsdalen, where I wowed the moment I caught sight of the rolling snowy mountains right ahead of us.

Another "wow!" when I saw this mountain with a house on its summit with cable cars gliding to and fro. I was mentally uttering a wish for a ride when hubby asked me if I wanted to go up there. What could be better than that?

My wildest "wow!" exploded when we reached the top and my eyes swept over the scences below. I couldn't contain my excitement at viewing the amazing panorama from this vantage point.

We sat there for a time along with others, sipping coffee or hot chocolate while savoring the scenes below.

Rejuvenated by these awe-inspiring sights, we proceeded to the Sonfjällets National Park which is right beside our camping. But we didn't venture to climb the mountain despite the promises of amazing views from up there for the same reason that we couldn't ascend the free-fall waterfalls. At least we know what treasures are hidden there, and someday we would seek them out.

Back to the camping, we grilled along the pond close to our cabin and enjoyed our dinner in a pastoral setting on that tranquil night.

And then hubby tried to fish. Maybe there was no fish that time because as the saying goes, "If one can't catch a fish, then there's no fish at all." But it's wonderful just being there on a jetty or in a boat casting the fishing line. It gives a satisfying feeling of being at one with nature. Hubby was not alone, others were fishing from a boat.