At Hjelle, at the eastern head of the lake, a fine mountain-road has been engineered, and this traverses the wild and romantic Vide Valley.
The view looking backward from Vide "sæter" is magnificent. The narrow valley is hemmed in by mighty and steep mountain forms, and Stryns Lake, green with glacier water, is seen far below, while across the lake rises the huge mass of Skaalan and its glacier as a background to the picture.
Sincerity, honesty, and freedom from conventional cant are the chief national virtues of the Norwegians, although inquisitiveness is rampant in this district. The outer forms of politeness are often very little observed.
On arriving at an inn, the traveller is seldom welcomed by the host or hostess, and on his departure he may not even then see them. This omission may leave on the traveller the impression of neglect, but it arises partly from the people's national unobtrusiveness and simplicity of character. Also, as the innkeepers are nearly all peasants, and their chief business is farming, this apparent neglect may thus be accounted for, and some allowance be made.
On meeting with a stranger, it is the custom with the natives of this district, and considered by them to be the height of politeness, to ask such questions as the following: "Stranger out on a journey, I suppose?" "And where do you come from, I wonder?" "And what kind of business do you follow?" "And what do they call you where you come from?" These rather inquisitive questions are always put very politely, and they are usually answered in the same vein.
This apparent inquisitiveness is really but a conventional manner with them, and means only an introduction to a friendly chat, in much the same way that some people in our own country begin a conversation by commenting on the weather.
Among themselves these primitive peasants salute each other on meeting with "Godt mod" ("Keep in good courage," or "good heart"); and if a neighbour should be at work; "Gud velsigne arbeidet" ("God bless your work"), or, on coming into a room where the family are at their meal, the salutation is, "Gud velsigne maden," or "signe maden" ("God bless your food").
Many of the peasants in this district, especially the older ones, wear to this day quite a picturesque costume. It differs in some respects from the dress of those in other districts. The men wear knee-breeches of a coarse grey cloth ("vadmel") and white, thick stockings, a red coat with a very high collar, and a tall, stiff felt hat.
The women wear a close-fitting red or green vest or bodice, elaborately trimmed with silver braid back and front, and white sleeves. Those who are married wear a tall cloth cap, generally black, and somewhat resembling in shape an elongated fireman's helmet.