At the Rekkedal Gjestehus

 November 6, 2022

Saebo is a tiny village on the Hjorundfjord, nestled in the shadow of the Sunnmore Alps.  We didn't get to explore it at all, but got onto a bus for a short ride to the farm.  I did spot a pretty church though, and was able to zoom in on it as I was getting on the bus.

Rekkedal Farm has been in the same family for twenty generations.  On the ten minute bus ride we were provided interesting narration by Svein, who was from the nineteenth generation.  He and his wife live in the large house on the farm.  There are no animals there anymore, but they have made it into a venue of sorts.  Though it is called a guest house, I don't think that there is lodging, but rather dinners and receptions.

This old barn from the 1880s was restored in 2002.  There was a cellar and wine storage added at that time, using wood from a 17th century church.  This is the main venue for serving guests.  Notice the interesting support beams made from curved birch trunks.

It was in this room that we were served a delicious four course luncheon at this beautifully set table.  Karin herself made many of the items from local ingredients.  She explained each course as she served it.

First up was a smoked salmon with spring onion appetizer, on a bite of crisp toast

The family loves to go to Italy, and considers it their second home, so they served two types of Italian wine.

Throughout the meal Svein continued to tell us interesting things about the old home place.

Karin explained that deer run freely about the place and they have to be hunted to keep the population down.  She didn't say which of them is the hunter in the family, but she did make the deer pate.  She looked like she had boundless energy, and seemed to love to serve.

Next up was a meat and cheese plate.  The meat at the top was pork.  On the left was sheep sausage, and on the right was reindeer.  The cheeses were local but I can't recall the names.

Lastly, we had carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert.  And I had another cup of coffee that I would highly regret during the night.

Once dinner was finished we were free to walk around the property.  The big yellow house is where the family currently lives, so obviously we didn't go in there.  

There was an older family home that had been occupied by several generations at once.  Somehow I didn't get a photo of the outside, but the photos below are from that home.

Though we didn't have walls built around them, the bed below reminds me of the beds that my dad built for us when I was a kid.

A small tree lined river rambled through the property.  Behind the barn and near the water was this old mill house for grinding grain.  It was constructed around 1600.  In 1960 it burned, but they were able to salvage most of it.  You can see the charred timbers. 

Below is a small, weathered building that was constructed in 1590, and has served as a sleeping shed, storage room and more.  It has been moved about the property several times.

The red building below was used for curing, drying and storing both meat and fish.  Built in 1840, it has also been used for weaving and storing cloth items.  It is currently set up as a snug house.

The photo below is of the shaggy, grassy roof of the nearby woodshed.  On that building was posted a sign about some significant artifacts that have been found on the property, dating back to 500 AD.  

I never heard any discussion about the grass on the roofs but I believe it is there for insulation. 

Soon we reboarded the bus and headed back to our boat waiting at the harbor.