the hills are alive

I have just returned to civilization after hiking in the middle of Norway.  Finse is so tiny, it's basically a train station and a lodge.  But apparently, that is all one needs, because this was the most awesome lodge ever.  It's kind of like boot camp, in that you have massive amounts of food for breakfast, they pack up a lunch for you, and send you off to the trails.  Except that when you come back from hiking all day, you are served amazing 3 course meals, and tucked away behind big wooden doors and animal skins lie flat screen HDTVs and wireless internet. 

Also, dinner on one of these nights involved reindeer.  I found it surprisingly tender and tasty, but maybe that was just because it was the first piece of medium meat I have ever eaten.  I ate around the pink though, so all was well.  hahaha, I slay myself. 

The best part about being out in the middle of nowhere is that you can hike for 20 miles and see 4 people or less.  And the trails are really well-maintained here.  Not only do they have the usual cairns, but every 100m, they're marked with a big red 'T'.  When you stand at one, you can see the next, or sometimes the next 3, so it's like Hiking for Mental Midgets.  Which, apparently, I am, because I still got lost on a glacier.  But hey, all that snow is distracting for someone born and bred in California. 

All this hiking around in the wilderness makes me feel like I'm in The Sound of Music.  But without the nuns or the Nazis.  Or the singing children, for that matter.  So mostly, I'm walking around mountains, talking to myself.