In search of Vikings
In search of Vikings
In Search of Vikings
Researching Wolf Cry gave me the excuse to visit Norway in 2008. You might be interested to see a writer at work so here are two extracts from the diary I kept at the time, some details of which have found their way in to the descriptions in the book.
27 April 2008
Arrival in Hardangerfjord. Clare and I got up at 5 to see it - saw pouring rain, strong head wind and strangely calm fjord. A palette of greys and dark grey hills, smudges in the lighter grey low cloud. Strange white line on the horizon up the fjord - maybe break in cloud or dawn. Dawn is actually at 05.37 so we were in the pre-dawn.
Low cloud like scarves of grey/white cutting off mountains.
Up the fjord line of silver birch backed by pines/conifers. Snow still on hills.
Ulvik and Eidfjord - waterfalls dropping down mountainsides every 250 yards or so - each different - some become veils over flat rock, zigzag veins, or almost sheer drops. Still snow on tops until melt level. Beaches - seawood, water not salty up far end, brackish, sandy and stony all close by. Water dark - sometimes slate blue, sometimes dark jade. Patterns on water smooth and dimpled swirls.
28 April 2008
Cloud 'suspension bridge' near Vik. Clouds very low, often at knees of mountains.