Matvika
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The small farm down by the water on the north side is Matvika. The soil here is rich and fertile, and the farmhouses lie in a sheltered spot, safe from avalanches. Many different crops were grown here. One year, for example, they harvested a stunning 100 kilo of apricots, a crop that we perhaps might not expect to thrive on the banks of a Norwegian fjord. The nearest neighbours live a substantial distance away. There was no electricity, nor a telephone connection. So how could they signal to the neighbours that an accident had happened, that a child was about to be born, or that they needed help to save their crop of hay from the elements. When the people in Matvika needed help, they would signal to the opposite side of the fjord by placing a black blanket on the snow in winter or a white sheet on the roof in summer. They could alert the neighbours by placing a lamp in the window and turning it on and off, or they could light a signal fire outside their house. When the people across the fjord saw the signals they would not hesitate, but set out by boat to come to the rescue. The farmers were resourceful and self-reliant, but they were always ready to help each other. Next time, maybe they were the ones to be in a pinch. People lived in Matvika until 1961. Their main reason for abandoning the farm was that the dairy boat stopped calling. Moreover, rowing the children across the fjord to school had become too strenuous and risky, and being separated from the children who otherwise would be away during the school week was just too sad.