Our morning expedition in Bergen was called A Taste of Norwegian Farm Life. This was a small farm just outside of Bergen. Ǿvre Eide Farm on Jorval Lake was located on mountainous terrain and had some horses and sheep. They also had some buildings with sod roofs. The roots of the farm date back to the 16th century.
The first horse to which we were introduced was a Norwegian Fjord horse. It is believed that the Fjord is one of the world’s oldest horse breeds and that they migrated to Norway and were domesticated over 4000 years ago. They were used as war horses by the Vikings and have also been used as farm animals in western Norway for hundreds of years.
Fjord horses tend to be very strong and agile. They are not as small as the Shetland Pony, but they are still relatively smaller than most other horse breeds. They are always of a dun color. I felt that this particular horse and I bonded immediately since we were both small and blonde. But it could have just been because her breed tends to be quite friendly.
Another one of the girls working at the farm brought a lovely Shetland Pony by to say “hi”. He was 30 years old and still looked quite healthy and youthful. He was taken to an area where he could hang out on his own for a while outdoors.
The last horse to which we were introduced was a Dole horse. This is a Norwegian horse breed that was likely descended from the Friesian. The breed is used mainly for agricultural purposes. I thought this particular fellow was quite handsome with his braided mane.
After being introduced to the horses, we were taken to meet some sheep. These were Spælsau sheep which consist of roughly 22% of the sheep in Norway. They are a Norwegian breed that has been domesticated since the Iron Age.
This sheep breed gives both milk and meat of good quality. The wool has two layers. The underlying layer keeps the sheep warm while the outer layer helps protect the underlying layer against the wind and rain. The wool from Spælsau sheep, which is long and glossy, tends to have a beautiful shine. It was used in old Norwegian tapestries during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Viking ship sails were also made from Spælsau yarn. In clothing it is light, stable, and absorbs very little moisture.
The sheep were much more interested in the food the girls were offering them than in us. One of the males was apparently quite dominant and tended to butt the others out of his way. Their interaction was fun to watch.
After watching the sheep being fed, we were taken to an indoor area often used for weddings. Here we were given some fruit juice as a greeting. I had raspberry. Then we were seated and fed some almond pralines and some pastries with berries and cream while sipping coffee, tea or hot chocolate.
After we had our fill, a couple of the girls showed us their traditional national costumes. These were called “bunads”. The color and style of the bunad was based upon where the mother of the girl was from. Each one is specially made for the female, in Norway, of Norwegian materials, and is supposed to last a lifetime.
When we returned to the ship, we had about 45 minutes before I needed to leave for the afternoon excursion. But I was feeling pretty full from the pralines, pastries, raspberry juice and hot chocolate, so just had a small salad before heading off from the ship again.
I was really liking this part of Norway. It was around in this area and a little further north that my Norse Viking ancestors came from. I have always loved mountains and water. Put me in a location with a mountain on one side and a lake, river or sea on the other and I am content. Up until this point I had felt that it was most likely from my Scottish, Welsh and Swiss ancestry. But obviously, the Norse ancestry has a part in it too.
Next time – Touring Bergen and Bryggen
