Trondheim was a brief yet significant stop on our way to the western fjords and the stopover as much logistical as it was historical. To me the most exciting aspect of this old city was its Folk Museum, housing artifacts and buildings from Norway's past. Here I undertook to locate the small cabin where my great grandfather, Marten Konrad Holk was born. Of which cabin was his I was never quite sure, but after an exhaustive search on and in the entire grounds I can be certain that I at least set foot in whichever was once his. In some ways I was all the richer for the mystery.
JOURNAL ENTRIES
Terje Bratberg: Historian: June 23, 2015
“Arriving in Trondheim at 7:22 am off the train to cycling to May Johansen’s home for breakfast and coffee, and a two hour nap. It was a cold morning, and our muscles had a hard time climbing the steep hills–I had been misled to believe this city was ‘flat.’
With it being mid-summer, the folk museum was open much later than expected, and so we entered with ‘student pricing.’ Inside the museum we met a historian who was excited to learn of my ancestry. He walked Katy and I through the home most likely associated to my great grandfather, 36. Much of what Elmer had seen has since been put in their magazines / archives."
Posten & Sykkelsenteret: June, 24, 2015
“Two errands and the time between them: Katy and I awoke noon late, ate french toast, journaled, and then went out to take care of unfinished business.
I still have not received my phone, in fact it hasn’t even ‘cleared’ customs. The local post office (federal) helped some, but customs had already closed, so we will try calling them from May’s (pronounced ‘My’) phone tomorrow. After this we are on the road to Sneglebo, and my hopes of its recovery diminish.
Our second stop was to a local bike shop (2nd time) to fix Katy’s front bicycle racks. After I had them properly fitted, William (pronounced ‘vil’) busted out the metal grinder again, and proceeded to haphazardly hack away at the screws that were too long. Hot metal shards hit my face as I held the bike steady. William was a very nice man.
We also rode across many wonderful bridges, and saw a few stunning cathedrals. Tonight Katy made a most incredible and delicious pizza, and I was able to download topographical maps to her phone.”
