Trond Helle walks right past all the Christmas decorations in the grocery store in Arendal.
– I’m not a Christmas guy. But maybe I should take an onion like that, he says and puts a small swivel with glitter in the trolley.
A LITTLE GLITTER: Trond doesn’t decorate much for Christmas, but brings a bit of glitter. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
– Merry Christmas, Trond! How’s it going out there? asks a guy in the store.
Trond lives as the only man out on the island of Merdø, south of Arendal. Now he is on the mainland to buy everything he needs for Christmas on his island.
Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
He looks down at the ribs in the fridge.
– Perfect for one person, Trond says happily and puts it next to the Christmas decorations.
After a good round, the shopping list is checked off, and Trond throws sunflower seeds at the meat tit too.
Now he is going home, but he has a little longer to go than the others in the queue around him.
TRAVEL ROUTE: Unlike the others in the shop, Trond must take the boat home to the island. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
Christmas card from England
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” plays on the radio in the pickup. Trond turns in front of a white picket fence by the quay. He has neither a permanent place for the car nor his boat which is there.
– People just let me stand here, they are very nice to me, says Trond and goes to check the mailbox.
CHRISTMAS CARD: On the mainland, he has to check the mailbox. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
– There was a lot here! Christmas card from England, it was nice.
He eases the four shopping bags into the boat and sets course for his beloved island. Trond points between white and red houses, to the island’s only yellow one – that’s where he lives. People come to the other houses in the summer, but Trond is completely alone during the winter months.
ALONE: Several people spend the summer months on the island outside Arendal, but in the winter Trond is alone. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
This year it will also be Christmas Eve alone.
– I think that’s perfectly fine, I choose it myself. I was invited to my sister’s, but I have to return to my boat late at night. It’s a bit difficult, and I try not to drive in the dark, says Trond.
Another life
From the living room window, Trond looks out over the mainland. When it gets dark, all the lights from the houses 800 meters over on the other side of the water flash.
Just right far away, Trond thinks.
– It’s a lovely feeling of being alone.
– Before there was a real community here, now it’s just me.
Around 1900, there were 26 inhabited houses on Merdø, with 144 people.
But after the era of sailing ships ended a few years later, the then important outport island became less and less inhabited. The school was closed and eventually also the post office in 1975.
THE YELLOW HOUSE: Among the empty houses, Trond’s yellow house stands. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
For the past 11 years, Trond has lived permanently on the island and run Merdø Kro, which is very popular in the summer. With all the guests and those living in their summer resorts, there will be a lot of life on the island. But when winter comes, it becomes completely quiet.
At that time, Trond is so tired after all the work that he thinks it’s only good. Then he has the island all to himself.
– I am privileged to be out here, says Trond.
– I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t here.
White, old window frames in the living room frame the sea outside, which hits the beach a few meters from the yellow house.
Trond is sitting at the living room table, where the new Christmas decorations have also been placed. On his hand he has tattooed a compass rose, similar to the one from 1654 that is carved into the rock at the island’s highest point.
THE COMPASS ROSE: The tattoo pays tribute to the island. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
He wanted a different life, and fought hard for the job at Merdø Kro. In addition, he acts as supervisor of the museum on the island, maintains the area and looks after people’s cabins.
– I go on the same walk almost every day, I never get bored. I have found peace in my life, and enjoy being in my own company, otherwise I wouldn’t be out here. When I sold the house and moved here, the good life started.
FINDING CALM: Trond finds peace out here in nature. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
But Trond also needs social replenishment, and goes in by boat to Arendal on Fridays. Here he drinks beer and plays table curling with friends.
– I have a sailboat lying in the harbor there, so if there are too many beers, I just spend the night in the boat. And I have to every Friday. My motto is “I’m not going to have a boring day”.
GOOD MOOD: Trond doesn’t mind being alone on Christmas Eve. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
Eggnog and floor wash
In the room next to the kitchen, the pork chops are to be prepared. The son comes to visit on Christmas Day, and then chef Trond serves his own wild sheep.
He puts on an apron and runs the saw through the leg.
COOK: He is a trained chef and is concerned that the Christmas food should be good. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
The wild sheep roam freely on the island, and it can be a few days between each time Trond sees them. The process of getting hold of them, transporting them over to the butcher by boat, and then preparing the meat, takes quite a bit longer than buying pork chops at the store.
– But it’s worth it, it’s absolutely delicious meat, says Trond.
Although the 60-year-old isn’t particularly fond of Christmas decorations, and it was with the one glittering swivel, he puts a lot of effort into the Christmas food.
Trond thinks he would have decorated more if there had been more people there on Christmas Eve. But the food must be good anyway – even if it’s for one person.
GET A VISIT: Trond gets a visit from his son on Christmas Day, and thus won’t be alone all Christmas. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
Ribba will be seasoned well a few days before Christmas Eve and he will make rice cream with mixed berries for dessert. He hasn’t had the floor washed yet, but three bottles of homemade eggnog are ready in the fridge.
– It is fresh produce, so it must be drunk up at Christmas.
– That’s what we call snacks.
He wants an expensive coffee machine for Christmas, and is considering taking a last trip over to the city to arrange a present for Trond, from Trond.
He won’t be completely alone on Christmas Eve either, the cat Aslak keeps him company. Otherwise, he should take it easy and let NRK hum and go a little in the background on the TV, if it can be done.
COMPANY: He also has the company of the cat Aslak. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
– I use the mobile network for everything here, including TV. It’s a bit bad, so it stops every now and then, but I don’t have a bad time.
Railway app
Trond puts on his jacket and takes the fishing rod out the door. It may be that he can get hold of a Christmas cod too if he is very lucky.
There are clear traces of Trond in the landscape of the island. Only small stumps are left in the ground in many places after he has cleaned up the dense forests. It has taken a long time, but he is taking it one day at a time.
IDYL: It is not a crisis that the fish are not biting, when the surroundings look like this. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
At the jetty, the sun has almost set, and the mainland on the other side is bathed in evening sun.
Trond drives the small boat out to the best fishing spot, and waits as long as he likes.
Even though Merdø is “the world’s most beautiful island”, only one man lives there all year round, Trond Helle. This year he will celebrate Christmas alone. Drone. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones / Dagbladet Show more
– Should have had one of 4-5 kilos by now.
– You don’t get your fill of railway games, but it was an honorable attempt.
Trond turns the wheel and aims at the yellow house again.
Fortunately, he has ribs, pork chops, plenty of eggnog and an entire island to himself.
2023-12-24 04:45:51
#Trond #Trond
