Of Bogg and Sodd

The Fellowship of Ghosts by Paul Watkins

You only have to take a walk round the labyrinth of an IKEA outlet to witness the wonderful talent the Scandinavians have for naming things with a monosyllabic label that raises a smile to the ears of English speakers!  (Yes, I meant to mix my metaphors there!!).  As a prelude to my Norwegian road trip with my son Barney I did a little online search to see if I could find something, other than the trusty Lonely Planet guide, to act as a gazetteer that would help us get into the country, it's landscape which is so tied to its geology etc etc. I found little except an expensive and comprehensive tome but in searching on Abeboôks I did stumble on 'The Fellowship of Ghosts' by Paul Watkins.  It was a cheap copy and has turned out to be a gem.

In this lively chronicle, Watkins recounts his solitary travels around mountains and fjords, describing the reality and retelling the myth of the magnificent landscape.  And it is wonderful, beautiful in its uniformity and permanence; we have travelled many roads, passed through many tunnels and boarded several ferries whilst peeling off the miles and miles of beautiful forest clad mountains falling sheer to fjords.  It can be this wild .......... with a land area of some 380,000 square kilometres and a population of 5 million.  (For comparison in the UK we have some 250,000 square km and a population 65 million)

I'm not normally good with travelogues but Watkins, who has several novels to his name, has woven history, folklore, anecdote and reflection - and also including something on the Vikings (who fascinate me because I feel I may have some Scandinavian roots) as well as the attempts by Scott and Amundsen on the North Pole - into a colourful account of majestic Norway and its hardy people.  Barney read it whilst we were travelling and loved it and will pass it on to his brother who is quite a picky reader it has to be said.

It probably helps if you are a climber, or at least a roamer of the countryside and enjoy travelling but if not I would like to think you might try this book if only to find out what or who Bogg and Sodd are!