… this year like last year… on St.Olav’s Day 29th July

29th Juli St. Olav received his death wound at Stiklestad 986 years ago. In expectation of  the 1000 year indication we will wander the pilgrimage path for the third year on a row. We look forward to the day with great expectations. It will be a beautiful day! This time there will be some news alongside the path. We will not reveal what that is… Come with us and you’ll have a great time wandering the Pilgrimage path together with other pilgrims!

Dugnad

Big happenings sometimes happen without big publicity  So is the case with the Pilgrimage path this spring  We have built fences at the precipies. Good stepping stones are laid to get a seadier grip for the foot. Wires to hold on to at some rocky parts of the path. The volunteers together with Jørgen have done a brave amount of work. Neste steg er betre merkingar frå Kvamsøy og innover. Path signs with ipictogrammes are put up.
We look foreward to inviting you to the Big Pilgrimage 29th July!

More information will come.

The day was beautiful!

29. July will be written in the history book of Balestrand. The word pilgrim comes frå ‘peregrino’ which means to be foreign, to be in a foreign place. Forty pilgrims were walking into a good fellowship. We became friends in course of the four and a half kilometre’s of walking. We got suitable weather for walking …. the day shone over tall fur trees, majestic oak trees, heather clad rocks and over joyful pilgrims. Nothing felt more correct than singing ‘An die Freude’ …. The wandering got some spice es from culture and botanic, as well as meditational whiles. The highlight for us in charge was the unveiling of a new sculpture….. More about that in the next ‘Pilgrimage News’ … Follow, follow!
The goal for the Pilgrim walk is the Kvamsøy island with the church from 1280 and the sculpture ‘The worry tree’. Follow the next Pilgrimage news!!

Don’nt ever loose the want to walk.
I get the best thoughts while walking,

What if…..

What if all the leaders of the world joined us in the Pilgrimage to Kvamsøy island in Balestrand on St. Olav’s Day? That would be sensational! Till now no statesmen are inlisted….
But what if you came! May be you will consider a tour to Sonefjord area and Balestrand that day and join us in the pilgrimage.

We hope for a sunny day…. we have had enough of rain so far this spring and summer…! However… we will be given good and suitable weather this day. Last year’s pilgrimage was sunny! Whereever the sun will shine, we guarantee that we will do our very best to make a memorable day.  The very top of the experience is the rich nature! The stones on the path lie there ready for your foot to tread. The giant trees form the right surroundings for the path and the fjord makes one reflect over the wonder of the universe. After a 120 metre boat ride to the Kvamsøy island we enter the most special church there is: The medieval stone church dated back to 1180. In this ‘cathedral’ there will be a Pilgrimage service with much music and the top is Eyolf singing gregorian songs. Thereafter a ceremony at the Worry tree.

Next Pilgrimage News will come with detailed programme for the day.. Just a word in the end:

You are unique
only you
are you
Without you
the space will be empty
We have all
got our place
in the big room.

Welcome to Pilgrimage Balestrand on St Olav’s Day 29th August 2015!

Do you join the Pilegrimage in Balestrand? The nature in this area is unique. This is the place for reflection and for healing of your soul and mind. The Pilgrimage wandering,  the boat ride across to the world’s smallest island with its own church, a Pilgrim Service in this little church dated from 1180 and a ceremony at the sculpture The Worry Tree. All these elements give nourishment to your mind and body. It might be best recharging of your batteries.

29th July is the date for this event. The Pilgrimage path is five kilometre long and leads through varied West Norwegian nature, and takes about tree hours, included pauses for information and meditation.

Detailed programme for the day comes in next ‘Pilgrimage news’ on this website.
The photoes show a special section of the Path, the Kvamsøy church on the island and the Worry Tree with Pilgrims from the last year’s Pilgrimage.

sun from east woke the day…

… it is Good Friday and most people go up into the mountains to get ‘Easter sun tan’ and challenges from the vast snow. A few of us went for the Pilgrimage wandering in the silent forest alongside the fjord. Yet the group was small, we had a great tour. The path lay there, like last year, with clear signs of being a path for people. Nature spoke to us through the slim tall pine trees, through leaf trees still naked, but here and there seeing signs of green shoots soon to appear. Moss clad stones and dry needle carpet underneath the trees told about the perfect creation for reflection and health. The old noble birch trees and the Viking oak spoke to us ‘small folks’ and told us to use our senses; listen to the breathing of the forest and the birds’ singing while making their nest for their new family. We could read the  written history on the dry pine trunks. How blessed we are to be able to sense and store in our minds and in our hearts, these pearls from the big Creator …..
Thank you for the companyship on the wandering on the Pilgrimage path! Welcome back and join us on the big event, The Balestrand Pilgrimage on 29. July!

Do you come with us?

In 2013 the Pilgrimage wandering was a short one, because the path was not completed. In fact, it was The Day the idea of a path in this area was born. Good Friday 2014 was a big event: this was the day for the first pilgrimage ever on the new path, all the way to Kvamsøy island. This year Anno Domine 2015 we want to do the wandering again. This will be the third year, now we are creating a tradition….
The weather forecast is good, good and suitable weather for wandering. If you want to walk together with other pilgrims, you are heartly welcome. We start at 120o.
We hope and pray for a simple and goodwandering. A pilgrimage for reflection and peace.

Award yourself time for thought
for wondering over the universe
give yourself a moment to breathe
amidst the bustling daily lift
find solace during the late evening
to find peace in soul and mind

Smal glimpses….

The film gives some glimpses of Pilgrim wanderings in Balestrand.
You’ll also see a small review of the Pilgrimage to Kvamsøy 29. Juli 2014…. St Olav’s Day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDOR5D5GWfw

We reached the destination!

We went on a path together. One after another… and another …. from the beginning to the goal. This goal was the Worry Tree on the Kvamsøy island. We all managed to complete the pilgrimage…. 
We had each our thoughts whilst wandering….
We were still sometimes…listening to the sounds of nature. We were pondering about the coloured play we heard along the path…. How small we felt looking upwards to the fur tree tops.
We sang together in the old Kvamsøy church.  We all listened to the same words….. as well as to the tones that filled the whole room. 
Deilig er jorden….’Wonderful is the earth’ ….mostly used as a Christmas carol … today it became our Pilgrimage procession song…… on he path to The Worry Tree.
Sacred time is the word best covering the mood of this moment and of this day.

Thank you for sharing this day with us….