Over the hill to Solvorn
Nice breakfast, even if a seagull pilfered some of it.
Tiden går … “Time passes”
On my way from Sogndalsfjøra to Solvorn.
What are all the wooden structures in the river for?
Yaaaay tunnel!
Note the coating of litter and pine needle scum being held back by the scoop.
Crazy warning and potential album cover.
Almost to the church! Well, another day of travel, for me.
Another local cat spotted! This one wasn’t interested in saying hello.
Land of fancy manes!
Care for a nap in the drizzle?
I do enjoy my funny filter effects.
This is modern world, people.
Note the pin on Réunion island, east of Madagascar.
Local cat, ready for pets!
Nordic flowers!
“The world is beautiful, if only you see it from the right angle.” Angle = kanten, Cats = katter. Bit of a pun.
Translation apps tell me the name of this sculpture is “beachgoers”. I think it’s more like “seafarers”…
Detail of “strandsitjarar”. Note the much more pronounced weathering on this figure relative to the other: She’s facing the corrosive sea.
Detail of “strandsitjarar”
After you see this church, go see Gaupne Old Church. Collect them all!
“Two stone axes, dating back to the Paleolithic Period, are the oldest traces of human life found in the area.”
The May 17 itinerary is adorable.
Picture of Ornes in 1938.
Picture of Solvorn in 1915.
Tents, beds, and chickens, this way in Eplet.
I am INCLINED to like this farm.
One of the rules: “Don’t climb while other guests are eating breakfast.”
This would never have occurred to me, until I read the sign and thought “Hmm, what an intriguing idea…”
Kinda creepy being in here alone with all these empty beds.
This one starts with an interesting time jump. We don’t see any of the immediate aftermath of Van confronting his pointlessly evil brother, Folken. In fact it appears to have been put on hold, and his brother switches sides anyway, joining them in the city to prepare for a war with the big evil wizard even though Van still loathes him.
We get some nice dialogue between Folken and Hitomi, where she comes across as extremely clever:
Hitomi goes on a jog through town, trying to settle her emotions. She comes to a stop near the central fountain at sunset, panting and sweaty. Folken sees her from an archway and wanders up, and they talk about Van for a while. Then:
You aren’t scared of me?
I’m the man who used the Intensified Luck Soldiers to try to kidnap you.
I can’t say I’m… okay with it.
But…
But?
If I were scared of you, you’d be on your guard, right?
I don’t want that.
If you don’t trust people, they don’t trust you.
My seeking refuge here may be part of a plot, you know.
Even if it were, I think you’d return that trust.
It might not come across clearly, though.
(To himself) So that’s your power…
Between this and other scenes we could build an idea of Hitomi’s social strategy that’s frankly a bit too complicated for this show, but still visible: Her trust and earnestness combine with her magnetism as an adorable but harmless tomboy, and she draws powerful people into her orbit by encountering them in unexpected contexts, and then trusts or approves of them, and they’re compelled to try and be better people so they can maintain that approval.
Like I said, a bit too complicated. It’s too much to unpack, from a suitcase that’s too small to hold it. For example, if Hitomi dressed like princess Millerna, men and women alike would either be less inclined to trust her or take her seriously, or too busy flirting with her, or all three. The fact that she doesn’t is essential to her character. But is Hitomi actually aware of how her specific physical appearance is making people react? According to the show, absolutely not. She’s too un-calculating to be thinking that way. And yet, the dialogue above shows her being very deliberate with her feelings…
Anyway, the second half of the episode is a big battle and a lot of extras get incinerated, and Van and what’s-his-face prince guy – Allen? – fight as a team, but the whole time they’re apparently thinking about protecting Hitomi, and she has some wackadoo vision about that, and lectures them both about not being so bloodthirsty for her sake. Then she wishes she was home, and a big portal opens up, and …
Oh come on, was it all a dream? Is she back in the school infirmary, like Alice waking up from her nap? Tune in next time…
Pretty decent episode.
