This morning we traveled the final leg to meet our German friends. Once through Roros the road was varied with some good sections and some really quite bumpy sections. Also, in places, the local sheep decided to make driving more challenging by sitting down in the middle of the road. We guessed that the roadway was warmer than the nearby grass.

Before long the paved road turned into a 15 km section of gravel. Approaching the designated meeting place (for which we only had GPS coordinates) we peered from the truck looking for any signs of our friends when suddenly Romy and Muriel waved at us from the forest edge. Amazing what technology can do. We traveled 600 miles for this meet-up and we only had GPS coordinates as a destination.

The first challenge after the inevitable greetings was to try and fit our truck into the camping spot that Wolfgang and Romy had picked. The first attempt on the official track, came close to adding some pine tree bruises to the side of our camper so an alternative approach was required, lets just make our own short section of track - a much more successful tactic.

We spent much of the afternoon simply sitting around chatting. But did venture out for a period of mushroom hunting. This was a new experience for Nina and I as these mushrooms looked like things we would never have considered eating - nothing like what we think of as mushrooms. But we collected a good supply and back at camp Leon and Wolfgang spent time preparing and cooking them for dinner. Dinner also included blue-berry biscuits cooked in a pan with the blue berries that were also collected during the mushroom hunt.

As you can see from the photos, Muriel entertained herself by styling Wolfgang's hair into plaits.

Our camping is called Kroken, there is a sign at the entrance with that name on it. Has a pit toilet and a nice nearby river. It is set in a forest of thin straight pine trees.

Post script - Norwegian Road Tolls

The information from the tourist office about road tolls has sparked some interest from readers. I have been advised by A Norwegian friend that the information is partially correct. If you don't pay, the operator will send you a bill by mail. That processes is now being applied to vehicles with European license plates not just Norwegian.

I have also been questioned by some other friends as to the nationality of the young lady at the tourist office.

One friend suggested she was South African as they recognized the advice as being in line with the way drivers treat toll payment in Johannesburg.

Another friend suggested that maybe she was from Key Peninsula (an area in Washington state) for a similar reason.

Seems like ignoring tolls might be a wide spread phenomena.