@brittarnhild
Sunny autumn days with time for hiking are my favorites. And especially the days when I/we hike in Bymarka, the area with mountains, lakes, marshes, hills and forests just outside Trondheim. Øystein, our son#2 loves Bymarka just as much as I do, again and again he texts me, letting me know about new gems he has explored. A couple of weeks ago the text was about St.Olavsspranget, The St. Olav´s Leap. I heard about this place a few years ago and have wanted to search it out since then, and today was the time, finally.
We knew there would be a lot of people out today, enjoying the lovely autumn weather and the bright colours. So we were early and had the countryside all to ourselves......almost.
As we walked I let my mind wander. The name, St. Olav´s Leap, there must be a legend behind. I have tried to search for it, but have found no explanation other than what the name itself says, Kong Olav must have jumped there somehow.
Terje had to turn before we came to the goal, to go home and drive Marta to her cheerleading practice. So I continued alone, and Terje would pick me up later.
I planned to have my coffee and a couple of pastries out at The Leap. When I came an old couple with their daughter and granddaughter were there already. I walked out towards the cliff with my camera and the elderly man started to talk.
"Do you know the story of this place?" he asked.
"No, I don´t, but I have been walking wondering about St.Olav and the fabulous jump he must have done"
"Oh, that old legend. I was not thinking about that!" The man smiled while the group invited me to sit down together with them with my coffee. "It must have been a hundred years ago, or probably more" the man continued. "A lumberjack was on his way from the timber forest with his horse and a sledge filled with timber. The days are short here in winter you know, and darkness came too fast for the young farmer. He mistook the way and both he and his horse fell down the cliffs"
Beauty holds a fatal tale.
The man continued to talk about old Johan who used to live on a small farm up near St.Olavsspranget, at Holstvollen. On my way back to meet Terje I took a detour and passed Holstvollen, now almost falling down, hidden behind a fast growing forest.
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Yesterday I got another text from Øystein:
"Found another gem in Bymarka today, Schölberghytta" with a photo attached.
Now I know what to search for next!
