Eduard and The Pulpit

Norway

“That which is loved is always beautiful.” Norwegian Proverb

Holy smokes, Ingeborg took me on a fun but treacherous hike recently. Definitely do not look down on this one if you are afraid of heights. Whoa, mama.

The final destination of our hike was called Pulpit Rock…and you are soon to find out why.

The hike was the longest one we have done so far…four hours round trip (plus an hour at the top looking at the view). The panorama was gorgeous.

This photo is not even halfway to the top and the views were stunning. I wanted to touch the clouds.

The hike up was great. It was cool weather and I'm happy to report that it was not raining. We took our time and enjoyed the views with each step.

The interesting and inspiring thing about this particular trail is that in 2013-2014, the Norwegian government hired many Sherpas from Nepal to lay all the stones to upgrade the path. Thank goodness for their hard work otherwise, this path would just be one big muddy nightmare.

While we were hiking along the stones, it reminded me of walking the thousands of hand-laid steps on the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.

This is a plaque along the way to honor them and their work.

After two hours of hiking, along with several breaks, we made it to the top.

Here it is…behold, the main tourist attraction. A ledge that is so high in the air that if you preached from up here, everyone for miles and miles would hear you from The Pulpit.

Yes, that's me, near but not too close to the edge with my arms in the air like a crazy person. I do not enjoy heights and it was so windy that I thought I would fly off the mountain.

This guy was nuts and breaking the rules so again I say, this is just another example of why women live longer than men.

After we took photos “near but not too close to the edge,” we sat down for a break to enjoy the view and to people-watch.

Just as we started unpacking the snacks from the bag, it began to rain but we didn't care - we were dressed for it. We still drank our hot tea and Inge ate some soup while the little droplets of rain plopped in our cups.

I was surprised at how many dogs made the trek. I saw at least seven during our hike.

After about an hour, we finished our snacks, packed up, and we started back down the mountain on the now slippery slope.

On our descent, we ran into a lovely, and shall I say strikingly handsome man named Eduard.

I know he will be reading this and I am positive that he is giggling with delight that I called him handsome. Whenever I would give him a compliment, he would smile, giggle, and say, “Keep it comin’!” Ah, what a doll.

Here’s the story.

Inge and I were about three-fourths of the way down the mountain and at a very steep point of the descent when we caught up to Eduard. He spoke to us first. I don't know exactly what he said because it was in Norwegian but it was nice that he reached out. Norwegians are typically very reserved so I was a little shocked to hear him speak to us but I am so glad he did.

After the pleasantries and a direct question in perfect English about US politics, we started to get to know each other.

When Eduard told us he was ninety years old, I swear to God, I thought he was joking. I barely made it up and down this mountain at 45 years of age. He earned my respect and admiration immediately. He is in fantastic shape which he attributes to playing tennis on a regular basis..and I would add his positive attitude and outlook on life. He even competes in a National Tournament and won this year’s competition in the 90+ category. What a guy. I found his profile on a Norwegian tennis website!

We decided to walk together for the remainder of the hike. Inge and I took turns walking with him. We asked him a ton of questions to hear more of his fascinating life stories and to keep our minds off the task at hand…getting down this damn mountain on a slippery path in one piece.

At one point Eduard and I traded sticks. I used his long tree branch and he took my trekking poles for more stability. It was a group effort.

At one point I suggested a rest because I needed one and I could tell he did too so we found a rock and “copped a squat” as they say to listen to more of his adventures. All we needed was a campfire and s’mores. He is a fascinating man with the most amazing tales. I would have loved to spend more time with him.

Once we made it to the parking lot at the bottom of the rather large hill, Eduard invited us into his camper van for a glass of orange juice and some fresh plums. He was the perfect host and he continued to share more stories about his life.

He was married for 64 years to a lovely woman named Unni. Sadly, Unni passed away six months ago. Eduard is on a little road trip alone around Norway but I am sure she is with him in spirit. He has a photo of her in the camper. She was beautiful.

Given that Eduard played a round of tennis that morning, drove the camper for several hours to Stavanger, and hiked this dang mountain, he seems to be managing it all very well.

Together he and Unni have four children (a son and three daughters) and seven grandchildren. They lived in many places around the world for his job including Washington D.C. in the US and Botswana in Africa.

He shared a humorous story about meeting the Queen of England and his most recent adventure of returning to his birth town of Vadsø in northern Norway as part of a special promotion through Widerøe, a Norwegian airline. Widerøe celebrated their 90th anniversary of being in business and offered free plane tickets to anyone turning 90 in 2024. Eduard just celebrated his 90th on Aug. 20th so he took them up on their offer. The airline sent a couple of journalists to document his trip. This story and the video he showed us of his vacation confirmed his age for me because I still couldn't believe it.

Read about the airline promotion here and definitely watch the commercial, it’s a hoot.

When Eduard was a young boy, Vadsø was bombed during WWII and his family was forced to evacuate and build a life elsewhere. Eduard is one of the few living members of the original community. I’m telling you, he is full of interesting stories. He is a walking history book.

Eduard is not only an inspiration but he was the highlight of our hike. Plus, he is up-to-date with technology and has been emailing us from the road on his iPhone. I want to hear more about his RV adventures!

He has many talents including crocheting. His mother taught him when he was young. The man can do anything. He scolded me when I asked if he knitted when I saw this cute potholder he was currently working on. He said in a funny tone, “Can’t you tell the difference between crocheting and knitting?”

Actually, no I can't, Eduard. My skill set is limited.

Age has nothing on this guy. I wouldn't be surprised if he lives another ninety.

And that my friends, is the story of how we met our new hiking pal, Eduard at The Pulpit. What a diamond in the rough.

I am so thankful to have a friend like Ingeborg who is so thoughtful and giving. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have any of these amazing experiences in Norway…and clothes to wear for these hikes and excursions. I only have “city clothes” with me since I was working in Paris. Except for the undergarments and the pants which I tossed in my bag at the last minute, these are her clothes and her mom’s hiking boots. Luckily, everything fit despite our difference in height.

Good Things List

1. Meeting Eduard and listening to many of his captivating life stories…I’m sure there are more in his treasure chest. I think he should write a book or give a Ted Talk.

Much love & gratitude from Norway! 🇳🇴Namaste 🙏

Don’t forget to like and share this post, please. Thank you.

To see more photos and videos from my adventures, follow me on social media. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), TikTok, and Pinterest, or connect with me on LinkedIn.

The outtakes.

The half-way point!