Resovoir ?

MOG 2017

After a poor travel year in 2016 with no significant trips 2017 was a new opportunity. MOG2017 was in May and would traverse the west country.

Leaving work at 2pm on wednesday i met up with another couple of Morgans and we started the drive to molde. The actual event would not start until thursday but since it was close to 600km to get to the starting point we had decided to break the journey up and cover the distance over 2 days. As with many of the big morgan trips starting from Trondheim it was pissing it down with rain.

The drive to Molde took circa 3 hours and it rained constantly. The hotel we stayed at was called the sail and was aptly named as such as it was architectural designed to look like a sail over the ford.


The next morning was an early start, it was again pissing down with rain. The plan was to take a ferry across the fjord and then drive down the west coast through 221 mountain peaks. Unfortunately the weather was so bad we saw only 1 of the 221 peaks. That was somewhat disappointing but after 230 km we reached the meeting point where another 35 Morgans from the south of Norway would be joining us. When they finally turned up we had a lunch of wild meat stew and salad.

After lunch the rain had finally stopped roofs where removed and we started our trip to Fløro. The route was somewhat roundabout but it involved small narrow twisty roads over a mountain pass. Finally a great drive with roofs down through great scenery on great roads designed for morgans.

The hotel in Fløro was again right on the fjord edge. This would be the base for 2 nights. The next day there was no driving but a boat trip to a small island. The boat was a beautiful old lady made out of wood, unfortunately the weather again was awefull and what should have been a fantastic scenic trip on the fjord was  rarther a foggy and misty affair. The island was idylic and we were invited to view an artist gallery and visit the main building on the island that was now a working museum.

The next day started cloudy but soon turned into clear blue skies and sun. We drove towards Flåm around 250km but over 2 mountain passes. Blue ski, clear mountain roads and snow banks on either side reaching several metres in height led to a clearly magical drive. We also had a couple of ferry rides to cross the fjord and the boat was completely filled with morgans which was a sight to see.

Reaching Flåm

Wooden Car Festival 2015

Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of great food and the sound of a loved ones voice.

After 2 weeks of wonderful blue skies and a balmy 20C waking to find some of the heaviest torrential rain id seen in months was somewhat depressing. I didn't need a Morgan I needed an arc. However this was the weekend for the wooden car festival so in true British spirit it was out to the garage. My wife helped clean the car and while I was under it greasing the old ladies nipples my wife was polishing the gear nob. After suitable innuendos had been expressed by both parties and the 30 minute battle to put the roof on had resulted in scraped fingers and a good deal of grunting and swearing I was ready
to start the 400km trip to Nythun mountain hotel. Pulling out of the driveway and seeing my wife waving to me left me feeling somewhat guilty, but someone had to look after the kids, 'apparently'. Food, love, career and mothers, the four major guilt groups. However 10 minutes of driving later i felt like stripping naked painting myself blue and running around like a crazed Scotsman screaming FREEDOM.

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status is that deep down inside we all believe that we are above average drivers. Driving a Morgan though strips away any pretencions, when conditions are bad it can be somewhat scary. Poor visibility, mirrors that just don't seem to be able to reflect whats going on behind you and incredibly poor road conditions all lead to a heightened state of nerves. The road ran south through oppdal and then up to the mountain pass Dovre. Dovre is a natural divider and as i drove onto the mountain pass the weather abruptly changed, the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and blue sky was seen again. A quick coffee break and the road continued south to Sel where i took off

and took another mountain pass Valdresflya. I had never driven this way before but the scenic nature, and the raw wilderness have a tendency to make you feel small and sort out whats important in life. The road continued toward Fagernes and then up into the mountains to the hotel. The entire trip had taken in the order of 8 hours, arriving tired and cold i was warmed by the sight of 30 Morgans in the parking lot. A couple of beers, an excellent buffet  and i was ready for bed it had been a long day.

Saturday dawned and what a start, beautiful scenery and the perfect blue sky. Unusual for the wooden car festival there was absolutely no driving involved today. Instead after a fantastic breakfast and several cups of coffee we were picked up by a buss and driven to a local slate quarry
















Here they had produced roofing tiles for many years but world economy had made this an infeasible business and it was now closed down. However they where building a museum to show how the tiles had been fabricated but that was still somewhere in the future. It was an interesting trip and with the added bonus of a 2km walk around the site we where suitably exercised to hop on the buss and travel to a local brewery.


The brewery was situated at a small local farm. Typically making 5 different types of beer (2
seasonal). We had lunch at the farm and the opportunity of sampling the 3 all year beers. By the third beer i was in fine form, each was exceedingly tasty and tasted better than the previous, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder and after 3 beers i was seeing a great deal of beauty in the surrounding nature and at the bottom of the glass.

Time came and we had to stagger back onto the buss for the trip back to the hotel. A brief siesta with a couple of glasses of wine led into the formal dinner. 5 courses each with a wine. Each course was superb, especially the cheeses and desert. By the end of the experience we had just enough energy to walk up the small hill to the barn which hosted a small bar and coffee.

Next day also dawned with fantastic weather. 30 Morgans drove out of the hotel at around 10am and down a long windy road with some of the biggest pot holes, bumps, sheep and hugh pile of manure the local farmer had so kindly spilt all over the road. We drove down to Fagernes and then NW along a picturesque lake to a cheese manufacturer. We donned the most sexy of entire, before being shown around the plant and being able to sample 4 or 5 of the cheeses. As a gift we received one of the cheeses which had a passing resemblance to a light Parmesan.

Back into the cars and then a drive round the other side of the lake coming to a farm that made its own rakfish. As far as i can understand this is some type of rotten fish, a speciality that is often eaten at Christmas. Unfortunately time was ticking by and i had to leave by 2pm to make the journey back to Trondheim and be back at a reasonable hour. The drive back took the same route as was equally awe inspiring.








Many people think Norway is a bad country for a Morgan with the long winters and snow. For a good 4 to 5 months the cars are packed away for the winter. However Norway also has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world with mountain roads designed for Morgans. This was another fantastic trip with the Norwegian Morgan club and considering the amount of food and drink consumed on this gourmet tour i think it will be a week or so before i dare place foot on the scales.

 

MOG 2015

MOG 2015 was held in Trondelag this year, my home county a little North of Trondheim on a small island called Inderoy. A fine fjord hotel had been reserved for the members and close to 40 Morgans where expected to arrive from across Norway. The furthest afield was from Kristandsand over 700km away.

For weeks i had high hopes of good weather, however Mark Twain once said when ill luck begins, it does not come in sprinkle but in showers. When i left work it was, for a better description, absolutely pissing it down and continued to do so for most of the weekend. A short 2 hours later i arrived at the hotel having found new ways water could stream into the car. My left leg was absolutely drenched as was most of the inside even though the roof had been on. I drove into the car park and was heartened to see the hotel had arranged a lot of spare parts for the 40 arriving Morgans all neatly piled up in the corner of the car park.


As i had been part of the organizing committee  i arrived a little early to see if any assistance was required but ended up enjoying a beer and a glass of wine while waiting for the cars to arrive. One after another they turned up and started filling up the car park all with roofs on until our intrepid president of the Norwegian Morgan society turned up with the roof down. It seems you do not have to visit the madhouse to find disordered minds, our club is the mental institution of Norway as shortly after a second Morgan arrived also with the roof down. People started piling into the hotel finding rooms and ordering drinks. At 7 we all met for dinner and a few more drinks, which would become a
predominate theme during the weekend.

Next morning dawned, breakfast was consumed and we all piled out of the hotel to start the days trip. Unfortunately heavy rain, Lucas electronic, and old cars do not mix and there where many cars turning the engine with little result. However after half an hour all the cars roared into life and we could eventually start the days trip.  As we left the hotel many guests popped outside to see, photograph and video close to 40 Morgans. There were many drivers that revved up the car a tad more than necessary as we left, but who can blame them. The noise and the ever extending row of morgans in front of me sent shivers down my spine, there is something really magical being in a morgan traffic jam.

The trip for the day was close to 80 km visiting national heritage sites, farms and museums. The road although very wet wound through some lovely country side on small narrow roads. Our first stop was Stiklestad, this is where King Olav the holy died after converting Norway to Christianity (by the sword). We were shown around by a guide but the rain was so heavy we eventually retired to the basement where they had a small exhibition instead of tramping around outside. A rather cosy fire in the visitors center also attracted a fair share of morganeers. After an hour of so most of us were relatively dry although my left leg was still quite soggy, however it was time to drive onward.

The next stop was an old farm for lunch and for a brief instant it actually stopped raining, some of the clouds cleared and blue sky was seen. The lunch was spekemat. Basically dried meets, bread and salad which was very nice. The farm specialized in deer so we also had some deer stew which was exceedingly good !

On the second floor in one of the buildings the beginnings of a museum was under way with many exhibits showing the life and history of the working farm over the last several decades.

After a couple of hours munching away it was finally time to leave. There where no planned activities so people could go for a solo drive or just return to the hotel. Not to far away id learned there was a brewery which seemed a perfect destination. Unfortunately i drove the wrong way, since my wife was not with me "guiding me" this was quite surprising as my sense of direction is impeccable. I ended up on what seemed to be a 7 km continuous pot hole which with the returned rain, the soggy leg and the back jarring suspension was an experience in its own right. However i finally found the brewery and bought a couple of rather delicious local ales. 

The drive back to the hotel was enjoyable with some lovely scenic country roads and for a short time the rain even eased off.

After returning to the hotel a few drinks and then a formal 4 course dinner with a wine menu i was well and truly ready for bed. One of the delights of traveling on these Morgan trips is not having young children waking you up at the crack of dawn but it seems the body clock gets attuned and even without a 5 year old jumping on me i still woke up way to early.

The next morning was a somewhat slower start. Many foggy and tired heads consumed coffee and prepared for the days trip. The final touring day would see us drive the golden route. A picturesque route with many small local farms and businesses. The first stop was at a farm that produced and slaughtered its own meat. 

The farmer had also just invested heavily in a distillery at the farm and had just casked the first batch of Aquavit. The cask would be ready 6th of November so no samples where available for purchase for later consumption. However we where given a guided tour around the farm and distillery which was pretty interesting. At this point we had our first car casualty with one of the older models have issues with the clutch cable. This was fixed in short order by a wealth of people will tools and experience and the car was on the road again in short order.

The next stop was a short drive down to the local harbour to see the view and invest in a much needed ice cream. The harbour had a few locals and tourists walking around so when 40 Morgans passed through the sleepy hamlet and parked up it created quite a stir. Many pictures and locals examining the cars in depth as well as a host of questions left little time to enjoy the view and appreciate the natural beauty of the surroundings.

 The final part of the journey was a drive to one of the most beautiful bridges in Norway. Unfortunately my photography skills leave much to be desired especially when trying to take a picture one handed while driving at speed. It was however an impressive engineering feat and quite spectacular.

The final party of the days journey had us stopping in a small village to look at some famous artists work. Somewhat ironically they where transitioning between exhibitions so the walls where largely bare although there was a very large mound of wood right in the middle of the exhibition hall that left me scratching my head and wondering what the world was coming to. The village was however exceedingly pretty with some wonderful scenery to admire.

We returned to the hotel for yet more drinks and dinner. The next morning was an early start for many since alot of the cars had traveled from Oslo over 500km away. 

Some final words of wisdom with regards to MOG2015. Remember life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass it's about learning to drive in the rain ! 

MOG 2014

Thursday morning i woke with a feeling of anticipation. This was the weekend that the Norwegian Morgan society would be meeting in Molde. The event was for 4 days at a luxury hotel, involving fine dining, and driving trips to maximize the senses. Although my wife and children couldn't attend the event as Morganeers they would be driving a separate car and be staying at the hotel. Due to new laws it wasn't legal to drive with small children in the back of the Morgan any longer.

At 10am i waved good buy to my wife and kids as they started there trip to Molde. The plan was to stop every hour and allow the kids out for a break and have an ice cream. Id start a little later with the rest of the morgans traveling from Trondheim.

 At 11am i drove to Stjordal to meet up with the other 2 Morgans, owned by Karl and Hans Kristian. When they arrived we started our trip to Molde. There now exists a very good direct motor way for most of the way but we decided to take the old road which runs by the fjord and is very twisty. The weather was blisteringly hot and we could drive in more or less shirts. Unfortunately i had forgotten to put on any sun cream and by the end of the day i was to end up with a very red face and a burnt noise but the drive was excellent.

After about 2 hours of great driving we pulled to a stop. There where two main reasons for this firstly we where lost and seemed to be driving over a mountain in the wrong direction. It was a great drive with fantastic views but we where adding a good hour to the journey. Secondly my breaks had basically stopped working. I could press the peddle all the way to the floor and only the last 20% actually gave any breaking effect and that was only light breaking at best. I examined the break fluid and checked for leaks both seemed fine. We decided to proceed but slowly, get down the mountain and to the ferry place where we would investigate further. Low gears and possible hand break where my back up. We eventually reached the ferry landing, the hood was popped and a thorough examination was taken but nothing could be seen that was leaking or wrong. After 20 minutes of poking around the ferry arrived and we had to drive on. Miracles of miracles brakes where back to normal with full pressure. I talked to a mechanical expert later that evening and the conclusion was the car had got so hot that water in the brake fluid had started to boil and reduced the effectiveness of the hydraulics, solution replace the break fluid as soon as possible.

Since we had driven the wrong way my wife and children arrived at the hotel a couple of hours before we arrived. This was the first time the children had been at a nice hotel and they where suitably excited about having individually packed, shampoo, soap and Toblerone available in the room. As we drove into the Morgan parking area directly at the entrance i was greeted by 2 children charging towards me screaming papa. Quite a nice welcome!

After investigating the hotel for an hour the children went out for pizza and i joined the other MOG members for a glass of wine and a chat on the patio next to the fjord. This was followed by an informal dinner at the hotel with a spicy Bacleoue. A couple of beers and i hit a brick wall, after driving all day the stress of failing brakes and a couple of beers i was dead tired and retired early to bed.

Next morning arrived and we where greeted with an overcast sky, the weather forecast was for sun later so all would be good. After breakfast  we prepared the cars and another check of the brakes showed they where fully functional. The drive started at 10pm and 50 Morgans drove out. Two buses decided to stop and let us all out so we could all drive together which was jolly nice of them. One unfortunate member (one of the 3 of us that had driven down from Trondheim)  had decided to  fill his car with diesel directly before the start and was waiting for the repair van to come and fix the issue. This unfortunately meant he was out for the day.

The first part of  the drive had us driving little country roads towards Bud. A little over an hour later we arrived and parked up. At Bud is an old fort with fantastic views out over the Atlantic ocean. A short stop allowed us to clamber around the fortifications and admire the views. After half an hour we clambered back into our cars and headed down the Atlantic road towards Hustad.

The next stop was a bit of surprise we parked up next to a building in the countryside that looked like an old farm.  A number or ancient tractors in various states of decay stood outside and we all stood around wondering what we where doing here. A short time later a coach arrived we all clambered in and where driven 700 meters into a mountain. At this point we found out that we had arrived at a working mine for marble. Inside we found part of the mine flooded with ground water and took boats out further into the mine looking at the various caves lighting and rock formations. This was just awesome and all my photos completely failed to produce anything reflecting the real marvel of this trip. After the boat trip we took lunch in a large cavern where we where served Sod, a Trondelag delicacy of soup with various meets and vegetables floating around in it. The whole mine experience was truly a superb experience and completely unexpected.

Once out of the mine we continued for a short time to a small village where we parked outside a shop that specialized in wool products. A cunning side trip, 50 odd Morgan drivers and passengers visiting a wool shop in a traditionally cold country. What proceeded was a frenzy and not to be sexist but it seemed all the wives and girl friends disappeared into the shop in a determined effort to empty the entire stock while the men stood around outside with slightly panicky expressions observing the frenzy with a cup of coffee and some cake. We where only there about half an hour but if that shop took less than $25k dollars in that time id be very surprised. Some of the braver men ventured inside to have a look and ventured out again with a slight shell shocked expression. Bags where loaded and stored and we where off again.

This time we drove the Atlantic road, one of the top 10 roads in the world classified as a must drive experience. The sky was now blue the views spectacular and the roar of 50 engines reverberated around the country side.  We drove over the most famous bridges to the delight of the tourists all parked up to take photos and then turned around and drove back over the same bridges. A short stop for a couple of photos and we started the drive back to the hotel.

Arriving back we had about an hour or so to relax take a beer and prepare for a formal dinner.



Everyone dressed up and we had a three course meal of smoked whale for starters, traditional cod for main course followed by cake and ice cream for desert. A decent wine menu accompanied the meal and the conversation flowed as did the speeches. My Norwegian although good still struggles when in a very nosy environment but it was an enjoyable evening and some time in the early hours i retired to bed.





The next day surfaced and started with a boat trip across the fjord to a little museum on an island, my wife and children joined me for this trip since there was no driving. The museum basically showed how people used to live and work fishing on the island. Ten men and one women living in a cabin smaller than one third my living room puts things into perspective and makes you really appreciate that a lot of the complaints and moaning i generally hear are really first world problems and we should wake up every day and kiss the ground we walk  on for how lucky we really are. We returned to the mainland to find out lunch was a hugh selection of shell fish. Unfortunately i'm very allergic to shellfish so it was just a giant table of poison for me. We decided to take the kids to a local cafe where we enjoyed a light lunch.

After lunch we took the second car and drove back to Bud so the children could have some time to clamber round the fortifications and ware themselves out for an hour or two. We had bought some massive cakes at the cafe and enjoyed munching through those perched next to some massive cannons and enjoying the view out over the fjord. Eventually it was time to return to the hotel. The kids went out for Chinese food and i joined the Morganeers for the final meal of the event. This time we clambered into coaches and where driven up a mountain to a little cabin with spectacular views over Molde. We enjoyed a good lamb stue and a few glasses of wine along with some final speeches. One particular entertaining speech was how fjordmog now had a facebook site. Conversation stopped at my table and several of the members scratched there head and wondered what they where going to do with that info. Taking this in context a lot of the members are pretty elderly and have no inclination or desire to start with facebook. I on the other hand immediately logged on and became a member of the group.

After dinner we started the walk down the mountain using a nature trail. If we walked straight down it was only 4kms. However half way down we stopped at a little cabin where beer and wine had been piled up so we could enjoy a final dram enjoying the endless nights with views over Molde and the Atlantic.The evening finished with a final tramp through the forest to our hotel.

Next morning greeted us with crystal blue sky's and blistering heat. Since we were in the area i decided to drive back a different way and drive a road called Trollstigen or the Trolls ladder which is an amazing road up a mountain. I thought it would only take an extra hour but my wife said it would take much longer. Being a typical man i scoffed at such a notion and pointed out it was only a little longer pointing at the map and explaining it was only an additional inch or so. In all fairness she was completely right and i was completely wrong as i turned up home 6 hours later than planned. It was however an amazing drive.  followed a few other Morgans that where heading back to Oslo that way and drove down to the local ferry. About an hour later i was greeted with the view of Trollstigen and what a road it was. Hairpin turns all the way up a mountain passing waterfalls and coming out on a plateau with mountain tops covered in snow.

I At the top of the road they had built a magnificent viewing point so people could look back at what they had driven up. A short stop to take photos and and admire the view and then i waved good buy to my fellow morganeers and



started the drive down Trollstigen. Due to earlier brake problems i put the car in second gear and rolled down the road until safely at the bottom. This i can say was very nerve racking but i returned to the base safe and sound and then started my way home traveling to Dombos, over Dovre Fjell and then onto Trondheim. I arrived home at about 9pm after a spectacular weekend. As usual there is only one way to celebrate such a great weekend, a glass of red wine and something good to read


MOG2015 will be held by the members of Mog Of Hell in Trondheim. Looking at the spectacular success where out of the 3 main organisational members one drove us the wrong way over a mountain, the second filled his car with diesel and the third drove over a mountain without breaks it should be a roaring success !