Day19 Sunday 1st June Valer

 A morning forest walk. Mari Isak and Elaine set off for Alesund at mid day. Helen and HK drove us up to visit Eric ( also a local  farmer with 16 cows of a rare breed ) and his husband Roy ( a vet and soon to be artisan cheese maker)  .Eric and Roy have moved this week to graze their cows in the upper pastures  and to occupy their summer farm . Eric is a 13 th generation of farmers and he and Helen have known each other for 50 years. We were served home made cheeses and freshly made oat pancakes . It's a  farm  constructed using traditional methods. They have a generator to provide enough electricity for milking and cooling the milk but not mains for lighting. They cook on a wood fuelled  stove.

Eric and Roy outside their saeter 

Amazing beams ! 

Roaring fire draws everyone on a misty afternoon 

Huge dining table ( the Saeter hosts concerts and parties ) 

Cats in harmony 

The Saeter 

The milking barn 

Inspecting the cheese cellar cave at the bottom of the hill 

The woodstore

The milk is collected weekly , they have a quota agreement 

Afternoon tea by candlelight 

Cows and horse resting in the field at the bottom of the drive 

Eric and Roy's house in Valer under construction this summer 

It was a delight to meet Eric and Roy with Helen and HK (30 mins drive up into the hills beyond Valer)