Three fortresses, two farms and a burrito

"The island is first mentioned in 997, when the king, Olav Tryggvason, rowed out here, with two heads."
That got my attention.
"The head of the local king, his worst enemy, and the king's slave. They were put on stakes, facing Trondheim, so that all would know who ruled."
I had travelled to Munkholmen because it promised a fine view of the city from the water. I had not expected that the history of the place would be so interesting.

Also, it looked badass

Not many people had come out on the tour; a lot of local families had come to have picnics on the shore. But it was fascinating; from viking executions to Catholic power base, a fortress for repelling Swedes and a German flak emplacement.

Star shaped battlements for fighting with swords, round walls for guns. Things you learn.

The boat ride out, the tour and the ride back took most of the morning, so I had lunch at the Dromadar Kaffebar (best coffee in Norway!) for some lunch. There was a path uphill from there, and something strange on the map, so I wandered up to have a look.

Pretty good view from up there

It was a second fortress, recently opened to tourists. A strange experience; no ticket needed to enter, no information inside. Just a bunch of people having picnics.

Just... in a fortress

Norwegians, it seems, love picnics in fortresses. Considering the fortresses have all the best views, I can't fault them on that.

Back in town, I hopped on the number 8 bus out to the folk museum, an outdoor establishment founded by a rich Swiss couple. They have relocated historical buildings from all over Trondelag and have a traditional town, two farms and two churches set up around a high hill that was once a strategic fortress.

A typical post-reformation church with a modern era Norwegian man

One of the farms (the 'rich' farm) featured a house which was used only for wedding celebrations. I would liken this extravagance to a modern family in a landlocked country owning a boat; they don't use it very often, but that's not the point.

Inside was some amazing traditional Norwegian decoration, against a not-so-Norwegian white background (the artist was Dutch)

There was a fire a few years ago and they had to restore it.

But the best thing I learned there was the origin of the Scandinavian/Baltic cry of 'Skål!' when drinking.  It literally means 'Bowl!'

This is a Skål

At weddings the guests would all bring baskets of food. One of the women in the household would have to keep track of who brought what and make sure nobody was served their own food (a major insult). The man of the house was responsible for providing the beer, which he brought up from the cellar in large jugs and poured into a bowl or Skål which had cups floating in the beer. When a guest wanted another cup, he would call for the bowl.

There were also buildings and such

The museum's tavern came well recommended (online) and I stopped in for dinner. I had a reindeer burrito, with a kind of potato pancake instead of a tortilla. It was... pretty good.

That morning, out at Munkholmen, the tour guide had given me a nice tip.

"The statue of Olav Tryggvason, in the middle of town, has next to him a small lump. It is the head of Haakon Jarl. Most people miss it."

I know I had.

Can you see it?