Do you trust me? Do you trust me?
And we're off. Woohoo!
BEN FOGLE: 'Imagine starting life all over again...'
Where is Ben? I'm needed.
Ben, you are needed.
'..leaving behind everything you know...'
Just a bicycle, suitcase, no money, that's all I had.
'..for something completely different...'
Number nine, let me take this off.
Number nine. Number nine. Number nine.
'I'm Ben Fogle, and over the next few weeks,
'I'm going to live with the incredible people
'who've done just that...'
I'm a born fighter, and that's what I do get a kick out of.
For a long time, I thought I was stupid.
But I'm a good salesperson, and I'm selling this mountain hard!
'..in some of the most remote places on Earth...'
There is no restaurants, there is no bars,
there is no nothing.
You know, we didn't think that we were gonna come up here
and not see humans for three to four months at a time.
'..and what it takes to live a new life in the wild.'
Whoo!
That is a quick way to take down a tree.
'This week, I'm in Norway...'
We're going to put you into work.
'..staying with artists Trond and Robert...'
I like to hug them.
All sorts of thoughts going on in my brain right now.
'..who made their move to the wilderness later in life.'
He phoned me and said, "I have bought a house."
And I said, "You are crazy."
"Yes, I bought the whole property." Wow. Without even asking you?
'And despite serious health issues...'
I'm having Lebanese sweets and dialysis.
I love the way you put it in that order.
I'm losing the ability to walk.
'..they're more determined than they've ever been.'
BEN LAUGHS
Life is wonderful. We have a wonderful life.
My journey takes me over 600 miles to Oslo, Norway.
It's then a drive of more than 100 miles northeast
towards the Swedish border,
into the vast forest-scape that dominates Scandinavia.
It's called the taiga.
This environment actually stretches all around the northern hemisphere,
multiple countries here in Scandinavia, all around Russia.
In fact, it's one of the largest forests in the world.
'As I get closer, the forest gets more dense...
'..and civilisation more scarce.'
Norway is a family favourite of ours to visit.
I even considered moving here myself when I was in my 30s.
Now, what I know about the two people I'm off to visit today
is that they made that move themselves
but in their latter years, which is pretty brave.
'From the road, it's a lengthy hike through the trees to find my hosts.
'And I stumble upon strange objects.'
Oh, wow.
That is quite something.
Hey-hey. I've come to the right place.
Oh, for sure, you have. Welcome.
So, we must have Robert?
Yeah. Hey. How are you?
Sorry. I'm a hugger. How are you? So nice to meet you.
And Trond? Hello. Hello. Welcome.
How are you? So nice to see you. Oh, the same.
The same. This is beautiful here.
69-year-old Trond grew up in these very woods.
His mum was a dressmaker and his dad an accomplished embroider.
Inspired by his creative parents,
he travelled throughout Europe as a painter,
where he met his now 61-year-old best friend.
Robert grew up in Lebanon with an equally artistic background,
designing graphics for television.
The friends met in 2001,
and it was their combined love of art and nature
that encouraged them to set up a gallery in a Norwegian town.
But 12 years later, the wilderness came calling,
and they moved themselves and their art deep into the woods,
buying 98,000 square metres of forest
with eight buildings for £122,000.
Have you done a lot of work here? Yes. Yes.
And we're still doing it. And we're still doing.
When we came, the house was autumn orange.
And I work in the arts,
so it was not possible for me to live in an orange house.
It was like I was going crazy.
So I said, like, "How much money do we have?"
And he said, like, "Oh..."
No. No money. We have no money. OK.
We were able to have a little money,
so we could take the cheapest paint we found
and painted the houses white.
So, we have been saving money now for 12 years
to be able to repaint the house.
Twelve years? Yes.
The wallet really was empty. Yes. It was completely empty.
But when you live here in the forest,
there is no restaurants, there is no bars,
there is no nothing.
And I don't need to have more than two trousers,
because when the one is dirty, I take the other.
And usually, I also make my own shirts out of old bed linen.
So... Seriously?
Yeah. Yeah.
So, I buy underwear from time to time.
From time to time.
I won't ask you how many pairs of underwear you have.
Oh, no. But fair to say, do you live quite a frugal life?
Other people would probably say we do.
But we have never felt that. No.
We make our own bread.
We go and pick fruits in the nature.
Life is wonderful. We have a wonderful life.
As well as foraging berries, the friends tend a vegetable garden,
and their water comes from a 60ft well.
It feels like a typical off-grid lifestyle
if it wasn't for the artwork that seems to dominate the surroundings.
So, this is our property.
Wow. It really is like a gallery in here.
You see here, there are some small hats, and they have a story.
They're not hats, actually.
They are brain warmers,
because we had a period in our life where we met a lot of people
that had really bad thoughts in their mind.
So I said to Mr Robert, like,
"My God, how shall we be able to warm up these brains?"
And then I started to create these brain warmers.
Can I warm my brain for a second? Yeah, for sure.
This suits you, Robert. I don't know if this is gonna suit me.
Oh, it's wonderful. You think?
It's great. I thought you didn't like orange.
THEY LAUGH That was the house.
Oh, that was the house. The hat is OK.
But this one here, this is actually the half of the fish.
So I hope the other part of the fish blows warm air into your brain
so you get good thoughts.
I think it's happening. Do you think so?
I think so. Do you feel it?
All sorts of thoughts going on in my brain right now. Wow.
Amazing. Great.
'Their house dates back to 1834.
'But it's surprisingly modern,
'with several additions made over the last 200 years.'
Did you both have to do a lot of work on the house
when you moved here? Don't ask.
That's a...? That's a yes?
Yeah. Yeah.
Everywhere, it was dark brown.
I cannot stand it. Do you have a problem with certain colours?
Er, how they put colours together. Oh, really?
He's allergic to some combinations. Allergic to some combinations.
Where am I staying? Am I staying in the main house?
No. We are going to show you your cute little bedroom.
The most lovely house on the property. Is it?
Yes. I love it.
'When they said house, they meant doll's house.
'I don't think they realise that I'm 6ft tall.'
Oh, it's... Mind your head.
I need to duck down a little bit.
Oh, I like this. That's beautiful. I'm gonna be very comfortable.
It's a beautiful room. I simply love it.
Thank you.
I've been thinking there's a lot of buildings, a lot of land here.
It's quite a lot for you both to manage.
It is, but when we have youngsters like you, then we know what to do.
We're going to put you into work.
'My first job is to help clear out an old shed
'which has become overgrown with weeds.'
There's quite a lot to clear here, Trond.
Yes, it's absolutely quite an amount.
'I wonder how Robert and Trond ended up having
'this huge wilderness property to look after.'
We were living in a place in another village,
and we were kind of tired of... of being there.
And we were travelling here, and somebody said, like,
"Oh, this property might be for sale."
I was going to open an exhibition of my artwork
on the other side of the... the biggest lake in Norway,
so Robert stayed home.
And then he phoned me and said, "I have bought a house."
And I said, "You are crazy. Have you bought a house?"
"Yes, I bought the whole property."
Wow. Without even asking you? Yeah. Yeah.
I said, "Fine, good.
"Then we have a new challenge. Let's go."
Wow. So, that was it? That was it.
How did that make you feel? Wonderful.
Because, like, yes!
Suddenly, I'm going back to my nature.
Suddenly, I'm going back to my childhood roles.
So I was really happy.
Do you want all these bits down?
All these bits, we need to take down.
'I always love getting stuck in helping my hosts.
'But Trond seems especially grateful.'
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Is a lot of the work here quite physical?
Yes. In many ways, it is.
And since I got my disease,
I... there is things that is a little bit more challenging
for me than other things.
What... You say you've got a disease?
Yes. I'm losing the ability to walk.
'I'm shocked to discover that Trond has CIPD,
'a rare autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system.
'His legs have lost sensation,
'and over time, he could lose his mobility.'
But that's no problem, because if you can't walk,
what can you do?
Yes, you can crawl, or you can roll. So where is the problem?
You're very philosophical.
When you get sick, when you get seriously sick,
it's so easy just to sit down and say,
"Oh, pity me, pity me, pity me."
Life has so many other qualities.
For sure, I have days where things are not functioning very well.
And for sure, I can get in a bad mood
or feeling like, yeah, things are a little bit heavy.
But then I think, like, "Nah, I cannot be here.
"I need to work. I live in the nature.
"I want to stay in the nature. This is my home."
Now I see why it's so useful to get people like me
to do as many jobs as we possibly can. Yeah.
And even the smallest thing for us is really a big help.
'Before I even got here, I felt uneasy
'about two older people living in this remote forest.
'And now I can't help but worry that they've taken on too much.'
I'm sorry I'm not helping you. Don't worry.
OK. Thank you.
Stop apologising. That's what my...
That's part of my role being here. Yeah. Yeah.
BEN FOGLE: 'It's mid-summer in the Norwegian forest.'
HE YAWNS
Morning.
'And getting to sleep wasn't easy.'
This takes a bit of getting used to.
It's almost light the whole night long.
Sun just sort of dips a little bit, and...
..before you know it, it's morning at two in the morning.
HE CHUCKLES
'My hosts, Robert and Trond, are in their sixties
'and look after nearly a 100,000 square metres of wilderness.
'And I'm having trouble finding them for breakfast.'
Knock-knock. Oh, hello. Hi.
Can I come in? Welcome.
Are you sure? Come in.
So, what are you actually doing now?
I'm having Lebanese sweets and dialysis.
I love the way you put it in that order.
How long have you been doing that for?
Well, a little bit less than two years. Two years.
It's called peritoneal dialysis. Mm-hm.
And it's different from the haemodialysis
that you do at the hospital.
I can do it at home.
I need to do it five times a day,
every three hours, for half an hour, 40 minutes.
That's quite... That's a big part of your day.
Yeah. Wow.
Can I ask why you need to do it?
Nobody knows, but it's the kidneys...
the kidneys have collapsed without any reason.
It's... Yeah, I have to deal with it.
Mm-hm. But psychologically, it was very difficult.
I'm sure.
It's... I cannot travel.
I cannot go long trips.
I need to be around the house.
Do you always do this on your own? Or does Trond help?
I don't need help to do this. I can do it by myself.
And the cake?
The cake, I do it also by myself. BEN LAUGHS
He helps eating. HE LAUGHS
So, the Lebanese cake is a nod to your heritage?
Yeah. It's called "knafeh".
Care to taste?
Can I taste a little bit of this one?
Is this Trond's that I'm going to be eating, or is this...?
Am I gonna get in trouble?
That's all yours. This is all mine.
OK. So, what's in this?
Cheese, vermicelli and a lot of sugar.
Oh, wow. It's absolutely delicious.
'Both Trond and Robert's health problems
'have been shocking to discover,
'especially as they're so far away from the nearest hospital.
'Luckily, Robert's medical supplies are delivered here
'without fail, whatever the weather.'
That's everything? That's an amazing service.
'I mean, I really do feel like I'm in a pretty wild part of Norway.'
And then when I think about the health challenges
that they both face, Trond, with his deteriorating hips and back
and the fact that at some stage, he's almost gonna be unable to walk,
and then Robert, with dialysis five times a day,
that's a huge impact on their lives out here.
I know that there's a huge amount of work that needs to be done here.
I've already experienced a little bit of that now.
But I'm wondering whether there are other people in the vicinity
who can help them with those really big tasks.
Come on, Ben. It's time to work. OK.
'For now, I'm more than happy to be their helper for the week.'
Oh, that's good. About there?
Yep. Excellent.
'And Trond is relieved to have a little respite.'
Like that? A little bit longer down.
There. Yep. That's good. If not, it will spread.
Mmm. Are you enjoying having an assistant here?
Yes. I can tell.
'I just hope that I'm up to his standard.'
You just throw this over there.
Over there? Yeah.
You just throw it into the nature.
Not in the flowerbed. Not in the flower...
So you need to go and do that properly. I'll go and get it.
I'm sorry, sir. Don't worry. I can take it.
Excellent.
Happy? I'm very happy.
And still, there is plenty more to do in the garden.
Lucky me.
'I think Trond would agree that he loves to talk.
'But Robert seems to be the complete opposite.
'So far, I know little about his old life in Lebanon.'
Lebanon is another life. War, mostly.
From what age?
The first memory I have of the war is I was, like, maybe ten years.
We had school, and then there was bombing,
and we didn't go to school.
Remind me who the war was against?
The war in Lebanon was very different branches.
I was in South Lebanon,
so it was mostly Israel bombing Palestinian camps.
And we lived next to a Palestinian camp.
Mm-hm. My father was so panicking.
We were three children, and he didn't...
He was confused, like, if something happens,
would he be able to hold three and run?
Or which one would he leave at home?
So it was very, er...
Traumatic. For your father, very traumatic. Yeah.
How does that impact you in life? Do you...?
Do you still think back to that period,
or is that a part of your past that you try to forget about?
I think this remains there all the time.
It doesn't disappear.
Er... it's my life, it's my memories.
I was risking my life many times.
When I moved to Beirut, for example, and, er...
was planning to go one way, and then suddenly,
something tells me, like, "Go the other way."
And then there was a bombing.
Had you gone that opposite way... Yeah.
..do you think you would have lost your life?
Yeah. Wow.
And do you still have family there?
I have three sisters there.
Do you ever go? Do you visit?
I used to. Now I'm not...
I'm not able to leave Norway
because I'm on the waiting list for transplantation.
And just to go back to that, if you're on a waiting list,
presumably, you could get a call at any time of the day.
Yeah. I have my luggage ready.
I have a paper for the taxi that takes me to the hospital in Oslo.
And I need to be there within four hours.
Really? So if you get a call now,
you drop everything, and you have to be there within four hours.
There's a lot going on in Robert's head.
You know, he has the pressure of dialysis,
he's on the waiting list.
He has to be on four-hour notice to get to Oslo at any minute.
He can't travel.
You know, it's a lot of weight on his shoulders.
And Trond bears some of that weight.
But I hope that he gets from this
what so many people I've met over the years have found,
the calming nature that comes from the wilderness.
'This afternoon, Trond and Robert need my help
'for a different type of job.'
Be careful because the knife is sharp. OK.
And what are we actually doing, then?
We are going to colour yarn with the help of the sun.
'By combining various leaves and bark,
'the wool fibres can be dyed a variety of colours
'using solar energy.
'It just takes a bit of time.'
Are we kind of layering it? Absolutely layering.
'The dyed wool will eventually be used in their artwork.'
It feels to me like for every big physical job you have to do
just to maintain the property,
you sort of get to do one creative job.
It's all mixed together. No, in a way, it's...
And what about if one of you isn't feeling well?
What if one of you can't do your share?
Oh, it's a pity that you're not staying here for longer.
Because what I do if I'm feeling...
mostly me because I can sometimes feel a bit sad or whatever,
then I just tell people that today, I'm really sad,
and I'm in a really bad mood.
But you might help me, so things will change.
Can Trond be a bit grumpy sometimes? Yeah.
BEN LAUGHS I love...
"Yeah." I love that.
That's so Norwegian.
Do you get irritable? Oh, yes.
Oh, really?
How do you deal with an irritable Robert?
I stay away.
I stay away because I know it will go, it will pass.
OK. And since we're running a business together,
you need to kind of be able to read each other
without using words all the time.
You just need to look, and you see and you understand.
I mean, you've both been working together for a long time.
You must know each other pretty well?
I'm wondering how you would describe Trond.
No awkwardness here.
Can I sit? Of course you can, yeah. Come on.
I think...
I think he is the most pure heart.
There is no hidden things going on.
It's what's in goes out.
A heart of gold.
And, Trond, I'm wondering how you would describe Robert?
I think Robert, one of his really nice qualities
is that he is able to calm me down
when my brain are thinking too creative, too quick and, like,
I can have 100 creative ideas at the same time.
To deal with somebody that have offered their life
to the arts isn't easy.
So he also... It's a nightmare.
He has really a good heart.
So I think there was something very good
when we met in Athens at that time.
It was meant to be... in a way, in the name of the arts.
Yeah, I think so. So he's just, er... perfect.
'I'm beginning to see that art looms large.
'It seems to seep into every aspect of their life.
'But there's also a co-dependency in their relationship,
'and not just because of their health issues.
'There's clearly huge affection for each other.
'Perhaps there's more to their relationship
'than they're letting on.'
The more I get to know them,
the more I understand that, actually,
at the heart of this is this really beautiful friendship.
I think it's fair to say there's probably more to that friendship,
maybe, then they want to tell me.
But I'm also aware of the cultural sensitivities.
You know, Lebanon and Norway, and...
It's not for me to ask what they don't feel comfortable saying,
but we all make our own impressions, and I think it's rather beautiful
that they have this extraordinary friendship,
and it's as tight as any other I've ever seen.
I don't need to know any more.
I just know that they're great mates.
Yep. Yep. A lot of orchids.
Beautiful. Mm-hm.
BEN FOGLE: 'I'm staying with artists Trond and Robert
'at their remote homestead in Norway.
'So far, I've been helping with the physical chores
'that have become too difficult for them.
'But today, I've finally been invited
'into their inner sanctum of Trond's art studio.'
Hello. Hey, Trond. Oh, good morning, good morning.
You're up early. Oh, yes.
Are you ready to work?
'Trond has assured me that we'll start with some beginner level work.
'By simply adding paint to a gel plate,
'we can try out various abstract designs
'that are then printed onto paper.'
Are you making this up as you go,
or have you pre-planned what you're doing now?
All my work is finished in my head before I start.
But as an artist, it's always really important to remember to experiment.
I mean, you've always been artistic, have you?
Yes. I had a period in my life where I wanted to be normal
because, like, everybody was so normal.
My friends, they were all farmers,
or they were working in the factories.
It didn't suit me at all,
because, like, normal for me is either a hairdresser or a waiter.
And then I start to think,
"Can I stand this for 40 years, in the head of people?"
And the answer was very easy. No.
And then I decided to go for the arts,
and I had kind of fully backing up from my parents.
So it was just to go.
And I never regret.
Let's try it, Ben. OK.
So, I put this like that? Yes. Yeah, almost.
You cannot move it.
See here, the plate? Yep.
And see here, the plate?
See, I thought it would look a bit nicer if...
if it was just a little bit off centre.
OK. OK. You are a little bit fashionista.
OK, that's fine. I'm a fashionista.
Look at me, you can see. Yeah, yeah. That's fine.
'I might be dressed like Trond,
'but I don't have the same belief in my artistic talent.'
Yep. Shall we try it to see? Yep.
So, I now lift off from there? Yes. Lift off.
Wow! Oh, yes.
Is that...? Did you want that bit there?
Yep, yep. Did we want that bit?
Do you see, it's like a fish? Yeah, I do.
How did you do that?
Is that just luck? No.
BEN LAUGHS Happy with those.
Will they go up in the gallery? Can I see the gallery?
Yes. Let's go there. Yeah.
'Trond and Robert actually have two galleries.
'By opening their doors to the public during the summer,
'they earn just enough to keep going.
'The old barn has also been turned into an art and culture centre.
'But it feels more like a museum.'
On this first wall here, this is my family history.
So, are all of these your family? Yep.
Here is my grandmother, and she has become a pillow.
Of course she has. What was her name?
Beata. Are you on the wall?
I'm here. Oh, look.
I started the first day at school in a pink busserull,
which is traditional, because I hated the blue,
and the watch of my sister because mine was broken.
I was not bullied at all (!)
'Trond's connection to these woods goes back generations.
'His mother was born just 400 metres away,
'and his grandmother went to school in what is now his house.
'I wonder what triggered him to leave his life in town
'and return to his childhood home.'
The whole of this village was, like, on this kind of machine.
What's it called? Walking chairs.
Zimmer frame or the wheelchairs. Yeah, yeah.
And the steps of people was like this.
And I said to Robert, like, "I cannot stay here any longer."
And why? What...? What was it?
You see your future in front of you. You see your future.
Suddenly, it was, "This is the future."
And it was like, our brains are not that.
My God, we are still far away from being there. Let's move.
I'm curious. How old are you both in here right now?
Six? Six.
HE LAUGHS
I don't know what about you, but I feel like I'm six.
But what was it then about a kind of more rural life
or a more wild life that appealed to you?
Because I had this kind of...
I needed... without explaining it, this need to go back to the nature.
This need to be surrounded by the trees and the flowers
and the butterflies and the humblebees and the mosquito,
even if I hated it from time to time.
I just needed to be there. It was kind of a missing part.
'There's clearly a link between Trond's desire to return to nature
'and his memories of being six, when he roamed these very woods.
'And now he wants to share these feelings through his art
'and by inviting people into the forest,
'creating an art trail through the trees.'
This is maybe the most beautiful thing in the whole art park.
And I like to hug them. BEN CHUCKLES
It's my proof that nature tells you that it doesn't matter who you are.
What matters is that you can love each other for whom you are,
even if you are a spruce and a birch tree.
They should actually not be able to love each other, but they do.
I feel I need to hug. You absolutely have to hug them.
'Maybe art can change the world. Trond certainly thinks so.
'And for his current project,
'he wants to build a village of human-sized ants nests
'to encourage people to be part of nature.
'Even if it means sharing it with the insects.'
And people can come from all over the world
and bring their sleeping bags
and just be in the nature in small little nests.
Wouldn't that be great?
Yeah. What, so next time I come here,
I'll be able to stay in one of your human ant nests?
Maybe. Who knows?
'If I'm being honest, I don't really know
'how to build a human-sized ant nest,
'so I'm relieved to find Trond has other helpers.'
Hi, Odd, nice to meet you.
Vidar. Hi, Vidar. I'm Ben.
This is my really great art team here in the valley.
And usually...
Usually, they do as I say.
THEY LAUGH
Would you both describe yourself as artists?
Do you like art? No.
No? No. No. No.
I'm a good helper for Trond. You're just...
You're a helper. Yeah.
And you have the vision.
Absolutely. So, I present the drawings,
and I present the ideas that I have for how to do things.
And they say, "No, this will not function."
So we do it another way. I said, "OK."
Because I need to be also a little bit open-minded,
because they know more about kind of things,
structure of things than I do.
It's important, also, to listen to others,
even if it can be very hard for me sometimes, I admit.
BEN LAUGHS Do you enjoy helping Trond?
Yes. I think it's exciting.
That's also why I like to work with this art team,
because I can have the wildest idea, and I see it in their eyes
that they think, like, "He's a little bit crazy, but, OK."
Do you think he's a little bit crazy?
A bit. A bit.
He has a lot of ideas. Yes.
I talk with Robert, and he says, "How is he?"
He's 24/7... Thinking.
Constantly. Constantly thinking.
THEY LAUGH Yep. So, that's how it is.
'Robert and Trond only have a handful of neighbours.
'So they're incredibly lucky that Odd and Vidar
'are happy to lend a hand when needed.'
What's really reassuring, neighbours can be on call
just in case, you know, imagine mid...
mid-winter here with Trond's limited mobility,
if something happens with Robert,
and they suddenly need to get somewhere,
they can't get to the car.
You know, there are so many worst-case scenarios,
and for me, it's very reassuring to see that they've got Odd
and the other neighbour so close,
who are not just willing to help with the art but also,
you know, are kind of neighbours who are checking in.
Where is Ben? I'm needed.
Ben, you are needed. Coming.
So, I don't get it in my head. So, this needs to...
Go into that one.
I'm too short for this. THEY CHUCKLE
OK.
Hooray.
I just have to stand here for the next year, do I?
Part of the art? Oh, this could be an artwork.
Yeah. Like a natural parasol for you.
But, actually, to tell the story of the flies, instead of a parasol,
it would be a giant fly net going all the way down.
Now you put me to an idea. BEN LAUGHS
Now you really put me to an idea. BEN LAUGHS
Do you see? It's infectious, this art thing.
Art really is everything to Trond and Robert, but so is nature.
I can't imagine them doing this anywhere else.
There are so many things conspiring against them
when it comes to their health,
and yet here, nature is giving back to them.
It's giving them this tremendous canvas.
Not just to carry on creating and being inspired,
but also when it comes to giving them space,
giving them time, giving them energy.
Giving them sort of optimism, I suppose.
'After a morning of hard work,
'Trond has promised to take me for a swim.'
Ben. It's time to go to the lake.
Oh, look at this.
You've got wheels. For sure.
When my legs are out of order, I use this one.
BEN CHUCKLES
'It's just a short walk to a stunning lake
'that Trond used to come to as a child.
'He would fish in the summer and ice skate in the winter.
'It sounds idyllic.'
What's the sign there say? "Here, we are swimming.
"The one that is comfortable without swimwear."
BEN LAUGHS
You're pulling my leg, I know. No. You have to.
You can go naked. I'm gonna... Do you know what?
I've got children, and they get so embarrassed.
Why?
How did you do the upbringing of your children?
BEN LAUGHS
I'm more embarrassed because you are tanned,
and I am whiter than a cream cake.
BEN LAUGHS
I think you're... you're kind of beached.
Can I just remind you how shallow it is here? I'm swimming.
BEN LAUGHS
'Watching Trond splash around in the lake,
'I can see why he claims to feel six years old inside.'
Does this remind you of your childhood?
Very. Very, very, very.
Because I had many years where I wasn't here, actually.
Which is kind of a little bit sad story,
but it's a part of my life.
Why were you not here?
Er, my father and uncle,
they drowned in this lake, out there, in '81.
In this?
In this lake. They...
They drowned.
Yeah. Yeah.
It was in October, so they were out.
They had been here, putting yarns for fishing.
And they were coming up to pick up the yarns.
And then probably, without knowing, we don't know,
but one of them probably got a heart attack or something
and fell over.
And the other was trying to rescue. So they both drowned.
I'm so sorry to hear that. That is awful.
Yeah, it took a while before I wanted to go here,
because I felt like... I didn't want to go into the water.
So, what...?
I mean, I wouldn't blame you
for never wanting to come anywhere near the lake, let alone get in.
It started, actually, with one summer
that I decided I'm going to dip my toe in the water.
So I did that. And then it was up to the knee.
And then two years after, I could walk,
and then suddenly, one day, I felt like, I try.
And I just said, like, "I just need to do it,"
because I need to kind of progress.
And now, you know, we're in this amazing lake,
getting cold, washing, it's kind of... it's kind of...
you're using this to nourish you,
and yet it took something so precious from you.
Mm.
I never thought about it that way.
But, er... it did.
I hope that's a beautiful thought rather than...
I hope you don't take that... Yeah, for sure. No, no, no.
But I hadn't thought about it the way you said it.
So a big thank you to you for that.
Because then I'm still one step more cured, in a way,
for what happened, so that's good.
Kind of feel a bit bad that I sparked that emotion.
It shows it's still very raw.
I don't know that I could have
the same forgiving relationship that Trond has.
But I think in terms of this layering of his relationship
with the natural world and...
..the landscape that he has chosen to make his own,
I think that speaks volumes.
That he is not only willing to forgive it but to embrace it.
'It's my final day staying with Robert and Trond.
'And it's also opening day for their gallery,
'so whilst I'm still here, they're putting me to work.'
This one? You need to check that there is no flies.
OK. We are good?
I will make sure.
'There's also a little gift shop
'which sells small items the pair make during the winter.'
How many people come here?
During the summer season, we have between 1,200 and 1,500 visitors.
Wow. That's a lot of people coming.
It's a lot of people coming, yep. So we work quite hard.
'Trond is in charge of this part of the business.
'And as always, he wants everything just so.'
And you see here, there is a soap that's on a diagonal.
Not good, as you see.
As you see here,
the distance between this one and this one, no good. OK.
'Robert runs a cafe inside their house.
'It seems to have the smallest menu in Norway.
'There's just tea, coffee,
'home-made jams from foraged fruits and waffles,
'made with a secret recipe from Trond's grandmother.'
Does it ever get stressful for you? Yeah, all the time.
All the time.
Even if I have one customer, I get stressed.
'With such high standards comes a lot of work.
'I can't imagine what it must be like for just the two of them.'
What happens, actually, when you need to have your dialysis
if there are lots and lots of people here?
Trond tries to hold them in the barn...
Mm-hm. ..until I finish with the dialysis.
I've got this image now of you distracting people,
trying to keep them just for that extra 15, 20 minutes.
For sure. He has no problem talking.
You surprise me by saying that (!) THEY LAUGH
Hi. Hey. Hello.
Right, so, is everyone coming into the gallery?
Gallery first, then waffles.
The famous waffles. Gallery first, then waffles.
The famous waffles. OK.
I will explain a little bit to you here
about a little bit of the items we have here on the wall.
Come in. Come in.
'The tour has something for everyone.
'An amazing mixture of art, Trond's personal history
'and artefacts showing the local heritage of the Forest Finns,
'an ethnic group of Norwegians that Trond descends from.'
All of these tools used once to work the land.
All mixed in with new art, old art.
They've sort of turned everything from practical tools
into a form of art themselves.
Love that.
These are Trond's summer socks, knitted by his fair hand.
These are the brain warmers.
So, these are...
These keep you happy. Nice.
'Despite my hard sell...' Some waffles.
'..I think everyone is keen to sample the famous waffles.'
Look at that. With the secret recipe.
Even I'm not allowed to know. OK. Thank you.
And I'm gonna go and get some jams for you all.
I'm really glad that I have seen them both
in a sort of social situation.
Cos Trond in particular holds court
and loves being the centre of attention.
But also, to see the dynamic between him and Robert.
'Robert working quietly behind the scenes,
'proudly making the waffles.
'And, you know, they really are an amazing team.'
And above all, they're using art to inspire others
and to bring people out from Oslo and other parts of Norway
to come and immerse themselves
in their unique world here.
'It's time for me to leave.
'I've been inspired by my week with Trond and Robert.
'Although my artistic skills haven't improved very much.'
Hey. Hello.
I'm afraid it's time to go.
No. Yes.
Already? Give me a hug.
Oh, for sure.
Thank you so much. You're welcome.
Robert, thank you so much. You're welcome.
What a fun week. You've surprised me.
Oh? You've made me work hard.
Yes. You've made me laugh.
That, too. My God.
So, what will you remember us from, then?
Art.
And not the nature? No. I think... But that's the thing.
You have curated this beautiful life that balances both.
And I can't tell you how much I'm gonna think about you.
Will you let me know as soon as you have that beautiful new kidney?
Absolutely. Yeah.
Thank you very much.
Keep being yourselves.
For sure. It's been so much fun.
Bye, now. Safe journey back home.
Bye. Bye.
'I'm in Montana...'
In the wintertime, we have avalanches and deep snow.
'..living on an extreme mountaintop.'
Can you endure another five winters? No. Probably not.
'Will this extraordinary family overcome the odds?'
Our journey started, but, boy...
HE LAUGHS
..it wasn't the journey we thought it was.