Today we visited the land of fairytales. Steinar Bryn, our guide here in Lillehammer and during our upcoming time in the Balkans, took us to Hunderfossen, a park just north of the city. He prepared us for the journey by saying that, when we finished at the park, we would feel refreshed and energized. Indeed, Steinar’s tour through the park provided plentiful opportunities to revisit stories from childhood and to remember the joy of playing.

The park is full of activities, from bubble-blowing and go-carts (kids get to drive mini Mercedes) to rides and short videos. We met a giant but friendly-looking troll statue on our way in to an exhibit showcasing a variety of scenes from fairytales. A ride through a castle transported us through more Norwegian fairytales – stories about contrary wives, stubborn princesses, a three-headed troll and more.

Several displays reminded me of stories in the picture books of my past, bringing many smiles to my face. The most magical part of the park, however, was the setting. There I stood, surrounded by green, rolling hills, pots of colorful flowers, kids laughing as they played on toys, and an atmosphere of leisure. Steinar, who has years of experience working with ethnic groups in conflict, said he often brings dialogue groups to the park in order to provide a release from the intensity of a dialogue session.

I felt a sense of peace, sitting outside a fairytale castle and gazing at the beautiful land around me. As we begin our sessions with the International Summer School students who come in from the Balkans tomorrow, I am thankful to have the peace of this day in my memory. Our work will get more intense from this point on, and now I feel ready.

Ingrid sitting outside of the castle.

Jenn and Kyle play a game of chess at Hunderfossen.