There is such an old saying. I understand it thus: when they send a person somewhere far, i.e. they punish. Three weeks ago, in a rainy dark autumn, I experienced such a trip myself.

And it was like this: it was Saturday, my stepdaughter called and asked to take her boyfriend to prison in the evening. He had come on a visit to her for one day, on Saturday morning, and in the evening he had to be delivered back. I have already written that my husband always comes to the help of his children and not only, especially when it concerns travel by car. He asked me whether I would go with him. Of course! I am always interested in new routes in Norway! We looked at the map, somewhere “inland,” 170 km one way.

Why I wrote “inland.” Because there are many roads in Norway that are well, very picturesque!!! And they run along the coast, though narrow and winding, but sturdy, and in many places well lit. And my husband says: “the main thing is that there should be enough battery charge in the Tesla for the way back.” And I think to myself: “Why does he reason like that? In Norway everywhere, at any filling station, one can use electric sockets….”

We left home at 18.30. Somewhere after an hour we were already on the main direction. A dark, winding two-lane road. True, on both sides every 2 metres along the verges special red sticks with reflective strips are set. In Norway in the autumn–winter period they put out such sticks everywhere on narrow roads. Without them it is impossible — one can easily slide into a ditch at best, and at worst crash into a dark rock or fall into water or into an abyss.

In general we drove and drove… The road is narrow, visibility poor, dark-black, a fine rain drizzles, on both sides of the road forest and rocks, rarely one or two houses may appear, and that’s all. And so for 2.5 hours. In some places the radio in the car fell silent. And not a single petrol station! And naturally nowhere to charge with electricity either.

At last a sign appeared with the name of the kommune and several houses by the road. “Our lad” says that the prison is located in this kommune. A small kommune with a population of 1200 inhabitants. Well, and here I with my simple question: “And so? Do all 1200 people guard ‘you’?” He laughed. “No,” he says. “They have a little factory where they make plastic cups.”

Here my stepdaughter thoughtfully uttered: “I wonder how much it costs to buy a house here?” (she dreams of buying housing). I joke, I say: “Here — free.” (they laugh) I say: “First, buy a helicopter!” (they laugh again) Probably Norwegians don’t joke like that.

We drove through the kommune. Again dark and narrow. Our lad says that we’ll be there soon. This “soon” appeared about 40 minutes later. “By the forest, at the edge” wooden little houses appeared, a kind of “holiday camp.” I ask: “And how many of you ‘holiday’ here?” — “28 people.” “A Pioneer detachment,” I thought. “Do they lock you up for the night?” — “No” (he laughs). We’re not dangerous! I was then too shy to ask what he was guilty of, but the other day the stepdaughter said they’ll let him out soon, and he’s sitting because he drove a car without a licence.

We returned home at 1.30 at night. The battery in the car showed a red strip — there was charge left for 30 km…. “Happy END”