18903 Norway Once More 



to my wife and our companions it was new ground. Fjord 

 We went not only to my old haunts, the fjords of ''"^ 

 the Hardanger, but also to the inlets of the greater ^^'^^ 

 but less picturesque Sognefjord to the north. From 

 Laerdalsoren we drove in the quaint stolkjaerre up 

 the long road past Mariestuen to the bleak summit 

 of the Dovrefjeld, the backbone of Scandinavia, 

 gray with reindeer moss and dwarf birches. We 

 also sailed up the deep and narrow Naerofjord, the 

 vertical walls of which hug each other so closely 

 that ships cannot enter in the season of snow for 

 fear of avalanches on either side. 



From the head of the Naerofjord we ascended for 

 luncheon to the neat little inn of Stallhjemskleven, 

 which commands one of the noblest views in Nor- 

 way — the dark and narrow Naerodal shut in by 

 abrupt mountains. Some thirty guests in all, 

 mostly American and British, had gathered there 

 that noon. But the host announced that as the 

 yacht of the German Emperor had anchored in the 

 fjord and the Kaiser had ordered luncheon for his 

 party, he must ask the rest of us kindly to wait 

 until the others finished. Majestdt and suite were 

 accordingly first cared for, next the marines who had 

 escorted them from the boat — hungry Anglo-Saxons 

 meanwhile sitting around outside, freely expressing 

 their opinion of Prussian etiquette and courtesy. 



When the imperial group at last entered the ne 

 drawing-room for coffee and cigarettes, we had an ^'''^''', 

 informal view of the Kaiser, who smiled upon us hjevukieven 

 with proper condescension. He seemed to me a 

 rather good-looking young fellow, enjoying self- 

 appreciation on a fine holiday. At home he had just 

 succeeded in "dropping the pilot," Bismarck, and 



C 345 1 



