To Arendal they came

Well we are 3 days into Norway. The hills are steep and the prices are steeper. We have discovered the only way to cope is to laugh at both; "cycle up that, I don't think so", " can of Coke, 5 quid? How reasonable!". We spent our first lunchtime sitting in McDonald' leaking rain from our gloves, jersey, trousers etc.
This country is in another league every way. It's tough, shockingly so compared with all the previous countries, and we,re not as fit as we thought we might after the previous 2222km. But the payoff is that it is beautiful. Small elegant harbour towns at the end of drop dead fjords and forests. The quay full of people coming in to do their grocery shopping in speedboats. Usually being driven by a 7 year old. It is a friendly and modest country. Only evidence of the oil money seen so far was a wedding party in Risor fitted out in Louboutins. And that was just the groom. We asked him as he set off on his commandeerd harbour ferry where the bride was. He replied they were going to " pick her up". We believe they had no idea who she would be and were simply going to raid the out islands till they found a comely wench. Old habits die hard round here.