Riding the Rails to Røros, Norway
New routes to new lessons to a good view ("mia kali thea")
Two days earlier at the National Gallery in Oslo, I had seen some paintings of Røros by Norwegian artist Harald Oskar Sohlberg showing some of the wooden buildings and the Røros church. His artwork along with enthusiastic recommendations from locals provided the motivation to visit.
Now what to do? I had less than 8 hours to explore the town and I wanted to wander the streets and visit the mining museum. I walked around for another hour or so until I recognized that I needed to get warm inside somewhere. I found the visitor’s center which had all the facilities and friendly advice I needed. They recommended Trygstad bakery for a refreshing historic option as it's one of the oldest bakeries in Norway. I enjoyed my cappuccino and people watching for a delightful hour ending the time with a chat with a local resident about the area and a couple more recommendations of what to see.

City Hall, Røros, NorwayI set out again to wander the old town and at the end of one alley, I stopped to take a picture of a building and I heard a voice from behind tell me it was the city hall building. After a few minutes of conversation, it turns out that my "tour guide" is none other than the mayor of Røros, Mr. Hans Vintervold, who has held the office for several terms and who clearly enjoys serving the community. I love this kind of serendipitous meeting! The city was preparing for a big dogsled race the next day and then for the very large crowds of the winter market that weekend. It would have been fun to see those events but I feel I got a more personal look at the town on this day before all the festivities.
I pressed on through the old town, across the river and to the old smelting building which is now the museum. What a wonderful museum! I used the audio tour as my guide through the intricate dioramas.
Time flies and I still had more to see more in town so I prioritized exploration and photography over stopping for lunch. I did buy a Trygstad sandwich to eat on the train ride back to Trondheim though—a delayed delicious gratification to go along with the beautiful scenery out the window.
Where did I find Mia Kali Thea that day?
'so many specific views during the day but I like the view of planning another visit to Røros!