Two days off meant a trip up north. Destination: Røros.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, little Røros was once a thriving mining town full of copper, smelt, and promise.
While word of a heat wave in New York circulated my twitter feeds and emails, the temperatures in Røros dropped steadily and I found myself in sweater, scarf, and jacket in the middle of July.
The majority of my time was spent exploring and hiking in the towns strangely obliterated outer landscapes. Hours upon tranquil hours walking on trails leading through UNESCO protected slag piles, deserts formed during the Ice Age, what was once forest since cut down for fuel or poisoned by sulpher and mine related activity. Eerily quiet, extremely peaceful.
On the final leg of my journey back to the farm, the bus driver would tell me of the horrible events that occured today in Oslo and Utøya. To say I was shocked and horrified is an understatement. My heart is broken for the people of Norway. Luckily, I am of course fine and following some email correspondence it seems everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting or getting to know in this country seems to be as well.