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00:00Do you trust me? Do you trust me?
00:02And we're off.
00:03Imagine starting your life all over again.
00:07Where is Ben? I'm needed. Ben, you're needed.
00:10Leaving behind everything you know.
00:12Just a bicycle, suitcase, no money. That's all I had.
00:16For something completely different.
00:18Number nine, let me take this off. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine.
00:22I'm Ben Fogel, and over the next few weeks,
00:25I'm going to live with the incredible people who've done just that.
00:29I'm a born fighter, and that's what I do get a kick out of.
00:33For a long time, I thought I was stupid.
00:36But I'm a good salesperson, and I'm still on this mountain hard.
00:40In some of the most remote places on Earth.
00:43There is no restaurants, there is no bars, there is no nothing.
00:47You know, we didn't think that we were going to come up here
00:49and not see humans for three to four months at a time.
00:52And see what it takes to live a new life in the wild.
00:59That is a quick way to take down a tree.
01:09This week, I'm in Norway.
01:11We are going to put you into work.
01:13Staying with artists Trond and Robert.
01:16I like to hug them.
01:20All sorts of thoughts going on in my brain right now.
01:23Who made their move to the wilderness later in life.
01:27And then he phoned me and said, I have bought a house.
01:30And I said, you are crazy.
01:31Yes, I bought the whole property.
01:33Oh, wow.
01:34Without even asking you.
01:36And despite serious health issues.
01:38I'm having Lebanese sweets and dialysis.
01:42I love the way you put it in that order.
01:44I'm losing the ability to walk.
01:46They're more determined than they've ever been.
01:53Life is wonderful.
01:55We have a wonderful life.
01:58My journey takes me over 600 miles to Oslo, Norway.
02:06It's then a drive of more than 100 miles northeast
02:09towards the Swedish border.
02:11Norway is a family favourite of the world.
02:41of Oslo to visit.
02:42I even considered moving here myself when I was in my 30s.
02:47Now, what I know about the two people I'm off to visit today
02:50is that they made that move themselves.
02:53But in their latter years, just pretty brave.
03:01From the road, it's a lengthy hike through the trees
03:05to find my hosts.
03:08And I stumble upon strange objects.
03:11Oh, wow.
03:17That is quite something.
03:21Hey, hey.
03:22I've come to the right place.
03:24Oh, for sure you have.
03:26Welcome.
03:27So we must have Robert.
03:29Yeah.
03:30Hey.
03:30How are you?
03:31Sorry.
03:32I'm a hugger.
03:32How are you?
03:32So nice to meet you.
03:33And Trond.
03:34Hello.
03:34Hello.
03:35Welcome.
03:36So nice to see you.
03:37Oh, the same.
03:38The same.
03:39This is beautiful here.
03:4269-year-old Trond grew up in these very woods.
03:46His mum was a dressmaker and his dad an accomplished embroiderer.
03:50Inspired by his creative parents, he travelled throughout Europe as a painter, where he met his now 61-year-old best friend.
03:59Robert grew up in Lebanon with an equally artistic background, designing graphics for television.
04:07The 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.
04:18But 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.
04:35Have you done a lot of work here?
04:37Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, 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 money, we have no money, okay, 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,
05:06to be able to be able to repaint the house.
05:0812 years.
05:09Yes.
05:10The wallet really was empty.
05:11Yes, it was completely empty, but, like, when you live here in the forest, there is no restaurants, there is no bars, there is no nothing,
05:20and 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 in a way, yeah, yeah, so I buy underwear from time to time.
05:36From time to time, I won't ask you how many pairs of underwear you have, but fair to say, do you live quite a frugal life?
05:42Other 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.
05:55As well as foraging berries, the friends tend a vegetable garden, and their water comes from a 60-foot well.
06:04It feels like a typical off-grid lifestyle, if it wasn't for the artwork that seems to dominate the surroundings.
06:14So, this is our property.
06:17Wow, it really is like a gallery in here.
06:20You see here, there is some small hats, and they have a story.
06:23They are not hats, actually, they are brain warmers, because we had a period in our life where we met a lot of people that just had really bad thoughts in their lives,
06:33Mm-hmm.
06:34So, I said to Mr. Robert, like, my God, how shall we be able to warm up these brains?
06:39And then I started to create these brain warmers.
06:43Can I warm my brain for a second?
06:44Yeah, yeah, for sure.
06:45Because there I...
06:46This suits you, Robert, I don't know if this is gonna suit me.
06:48Oh, it's wonderful.
06:49You think?
06:50It's great.
06:51I thought you didn't like orange.
06:54That was the house.
06:56Oh, that was the house, the hat is okay.
06:57But this one here, this is actually the half of the fish.
07:01So, I hope the other part of the fish blows warm air into your brain, so we get good thoughts.
07:08I think it's happening.
07:10Do you think so?
07:11I think so.
07:12Do you feel it?
07:13Can you notice?
07:14There are all sorts of thoughts going on in my brain right now.
07:17Wow, great, great, great.
07:21Their house dates back to 1834.
07:25But it's surprisingly modern, with several additions made over the last 200 years.
07:32Did you both have to do a lot of work on the house when you moved here?
07:36Don't ask.
07:38That's a yes.
07:40Yeah.
07:41Everywhere it was dark brown.
07:43I cannot stand it.
07:44Do you have a problem with certain colours?
07:46How they put colours together.
07:48Oh, really?
07:49Some...
07:50He's allergic to some combinations.
07:51Allergic to some combinations.
07:53To some combinations.
07:54Where am I staying?
07:55Am I staying in the main house?
07:57No.
07:58We are going to show you your cute little bedroom.
08:02The most lovely house on the property.
08:05Is it?
08:06Yes.
08:07When they said house, they meant doll's house.
08:13I don't think they realised that I'm six foot tall.
08:17Ooh, it's...
08:18Mind your head.
08:19I need to duck down a little bit.
08:22Oh, I like this.
08:24That's beautiful.
08:25I'm going to be very comfortable in here.
08:26It's a beautiful room.
08:27I simply love it.
08:30I've been thinking there's a lot of buildings, a lot of land here.
08:33It's quite a lot for you both to manage.
08:35It is, but when we have youngsters like you, then we know what to do.
08:41We are going to put you into work.
08:44My first job is to help clear out an old shed, which has become overgrown with weeds.
08:50There's quite a lot to clear here, Trond.
08:53Yes, it's absolutely quite an amount.
08:59I wonder how Robert and Trond ended up having this huge wilderness property to look after.
09:04We were living in a place in another village, and we were kind of tired of being there.
09:13And we were travelling here, and somebody said, like, oh, this property might be for sale.
09:19I was going to open an exhibition of my artwork on the other side of the biggest lake in Norway.
09:27So Robert stayed home.
09:28And then he told me and said, I have bought a house.
09:31And I said, you are crazy.
09:32Have you bought a house?
09:33Yes, I bought the whole property.
09:35Wow.
09:36Without even asking you?
09:37Yeah, yeah.
09:38And I said, fine, good.
09:40Then we have a new challenge.
09:41Let's go.
09:42Wow.
09:43So that was it?
09:44That was it.
09:45That was it.
09:46How did that make you feel?
09:47Wonderful.
09:48Because, like, yes, suddenly I'm going back to my nature.
09:52Suddenly I'm going back to my childhood's roads.
09:55So I was really happy.
09:59Do you want all these bits done?
10:01All these bits we need to take down.
10:03I always love getting stuck in helping my hosts.
10:06But Trond seems especially grateful.
10:12Is a lot of the work here quite physical?
10:17Yes, in many ways it is.
10:20And since I got my disease, I...
10:23There is things that is a little bit more challenging for me than other things.
10:27You say you got a disease?
10:29Yes, I'm losing the ability to walk.
10:33I'm shocked to discover that Trond has CIPD.
10:37A rare autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system.
10:41His legs have lost sensation.
10:43And over time, he could lose his mobility.
10:47But that's no problem.
10:48Because if you can't walk, what can you do?
10:50Yes, you can crawl.
10:51Or you can roll.
10:53So where is the problem?
10:54You're very philosophical.
10:56When you get sick and when you get seriously sick, it's so easy just to sit down and say,
11:02Oh, pity me, pity me, pity me.
11:04Life has so many other qualities.
11:06For sure, I have days where things are not functioning very well.
11:09And for sure, I can get in a bad mood or feeling like, yeah, things are a little bit heavy.
11:16But then I think like, no, I cannot be here.
11:19I need to work.
11:20I live in the nature.
11:21I want to stay in the nature.
11:22This is my home.
11:23Now I see why it's so useful to get people like me to do as many jobs as we possibly can.
11:29Yeah, and it's even the smallest thing for us is really a big help.
11:36Before I even got here, I felt uneasy about two older people living in this remote forest.
11:42And now I can't help but worry that they've taken on too much.
11:47I'm sorry, I'm not helping you.
11:49Don't worry.
11:50OK.
11:52Stop apologizing.
11:53That's what my...
11:54That's part of my role being here.
11:56Yeah.
11:57Yeah.
12:09It's midsummer in the Norwegian forest.
12:12Morning.
12:16And getting to sleep wasn't easy.
12:18Oh, this takes a bit of getting used to.
12:22It's almost light the whole night long.
12:26The sun just sort of dips a little bit.
12:29And before you know it, it's morning at 2 in the morning.
12:37My hosts, Robert and Trond, are in their 60s and look after nearly 100,000 square metres of wilderness.
12:45And I'm having trouble finding them for breakfast.
12:49Knock, knock.
12:50Knock, knock.
12:51Oh, hello.
12:52Hi.
12:53Can I come in?
12:54Welcome.
12:55Are you sure?
12:56So what are you actually doing now?
12:58I'm having Lebanese sweets and dialysis.
13:02I love the way you put it in that order.
13:04How long have you been doing that for?
13:06A little bit less than two years.
13:08Two years.
13:09It's called peritoneal dialysis.
13:11Mm-hmm.
13:12And it's different than the hemodialysis that you do at the hospital.
13:15I can do it at home.
13:17I need to do it five times a day.
13:19Mm-hmm.
13:20Every three hours for half an hour, 40 minutes.
13:26And that's quite...
13:27That's a big part of your day.
13:28Yeah.
13:29Wow.
13:30Can I ask why you need to do it?
13:33Nobody knows, but it's...
13:35The kidneys...
13:37The kidneys have collapsed without any reason.
13:41It's...
13:42Yeah.
13:43It's...
13:44I have to deal with it.
13:45Mm-hmm.
13:46But psychologically, it was very difficult.
13:48I'm sure.
13:49It's...
13:50I cannot travel.
13:51Mm-hmm.
13:52I cannot go long trips.
13:54I need to be around the house.
13:57Do you always do this on your own, or does Trond help?
14:00I don't need help to do this.
14:01Mm-hmm.
14:02I can do it by myself.
14:04And the cake?
14:06And the cake, I do it also by myself.
14:10He helps eating.
14:11He...
14:12I love it.
14:13So, the Lebanese cake is a nod to your heritage?
14:15Yeah.
14:16It's...
14:17It's called knafe.
14:18Do you need to taste?
14:19Can I...
14:20Can I taste a little bit of this one?
14:22Is this Trond's that I'm going to be eating, or is this...
14:24Yes.
14:25Am I going to get in trouble?
14:26That's all yours.
14:27This is all mine.
14:28Okay.
14:29So, what's in this?
14:31Cheese, vermicelli, and a lot of sugar.
14:35Oh, wow.
14:38It's absolutely delicious.
14:42Both Trond and Robert's health problems
14:44have been shocking to discover,
14:46especially as they're so far away from the nearest hospital.
14:52Luckily, Robert's medical supplies are delivered here,
14:55without fail, whatever the weather.
14:59That's everything?
15:00Yep.
15:01That's an amazing service.
15:04I mean, I really do feel like I'm in a pretty wild part of Norway.
15:08And then, when I think about the health challenges that they both face.
15:14Trond, with his deteriorating hips and back,
15:18and the fact that at some stage he's almost going to be unable to walk.
15:23And then, Robert, with dialysis five times a day.
15:27That's a huge impact on their lives out here.
15:31I know that there's a huge amount of work that needs to be done here.
15:34I've already experienced a little bit of that now.
15:37But I'm wondering whether there are other people in the vicinity
15:40who can help them with those really big tasks.
15:43Come on, Ben. It's time to work.
15:47OK.
15:49For now, I'm more than happy to be their helper for the week.
15:53Oh, that's good.
15:54About there?
15:55Yep.
15:56Excellent.
15:57And Trond is relieved to have a little respite.
16:00Like that?
16:01A little bit longer down.
16:02There, yep. That's good.
16:03If not, it will spread.
16:08Mm.
16:09Are you enjoying having an assistant here?
16:10Yes.
16:12I can tell.
16:14I just hope that I'm up to his standards.
16:17You just throw this over there.
16:20Over there?
16:21Yep.
16:22You just throw it into the nature.
16:24Not in the flower bed.
16:26Not in the flower bed.
16:27So you need to go and do that properly.
16:29I'm sorry, sir.
16:30Don't worry.
16:31I'm going to take it.
16:32Excellent.
16:33Happy?
16:34I'm very happy.
16:36And still, there is plenty more to do in the garden.
16:41Lucky me.
16:45I think Trond would agree that he loves to talk.
16:49But Robert seems to be the complete opposite.
16:52So far, I know little about his old life in Lebanon.
16:58Lebanon is another life, war mostly.
17:01Mostly.
17:02From what age?
17:04The first memory I have of the war is I was like maybe 10 years.
17:11We had school and then there was bombing and we didn't go to school.
17:16Wow.
17:17Remind me who the war was against.
17:18The war in Lebanon is very different branches.
17:23I was in south Lebanon.
17:25So it was mostly Israel bombing Palestinian camps.
17:29And we lived next to a Palestinian camp.
17:33Mm-hmm.
17:34My father was so panicking.
17:36We were three children.
17:38And he didn't...
17:41He was confused.
17:42Like if something happens, would he be able to hold the three and run?
17:49Or which one would he leave at home?
17:53So it was very...
17:55Traumatic.
17:56For your father, very traumatic.
17:58Yeah.
17:59How does that impact you in life?
18:00Do you still think back to that period or is that a part of your past that you try to forget about?
18:07I think this remains there all the time.
18:11It doesn't disappear.
18:15It's my life.
18:16It's my memories.
18:18I was risking my life many times when I moved to Beirut, for example, and was planning to go one way and then suddenly something tells me like go the other way and then there was a bombing or...
18:34Had you gone that opposite way?
18:36Yeah.
18:37Would you...
18:38Do you think you'd have lost your life?
18:39Yeah.
18:40Wow.
18:41And do you still have family there?
18:43I have three sisters there.
18:45Do you ever go?
18:46Do you visit?
18:47I used to.
18:48Now I'm not able to leave Norway because I'm on the waiting list for transplantation.
18:56And just to go back to that, could you, if you're on a waiting list, presumably you could get a call at any time of the day?
19:04Yeah.
19:05I have my luggage ready.
19:07I have a paper for the taxi that takes me to the hospital in Oslo and I need to be there within four hours.
19:17Really?
19:18So if you get a call now, you drop everything and you have to be there within four hours.
19:26There's a lot going on in Robert's head.
19:29You know, he has the pressure of dialysis.
19:31He's on the waiting list.
19:32He has to be on four hour notice to get to Oslo at any minute.
19:37He can't travel.
19:38You know, it's a lot of weight on his shoulders.
19:41And Trond bears some of that weight.
19:44But I hope that he gets from this what so many people I've met over the years have found.
19:52The calming nature that comes from the wilderness.
19:59This afternoon, Trond and Robert need my help for a different type of job.
20:04Be careful because the knife is sharp.
20:06Okay.
20:07And what are we actually doing then?
20:09We are going to color yarn with the help of the sun.
20:14By combining various leaves and bark, the wool fibers can be dyed a variety of colors using solar energy.
20:21It just takes a bit of time.
20:24Are we kind of layering it?
20:26Absolutely layering.
20:28The dyed wool will eventually be used in their artwork.
20:33It feels to me like for every big physical job you have to do just to maintain the property,
20:39you sort of get to do one creative job.
20:42No, in a way it's...
20:44It's all mixed together.
20:45And what about if one of you isn't feeling well?
20:48What if one of you can't do your share?
20:51Oh, it's a pity that you are not staying here for longer.
20:54Because what I do if I'm feeling mostly me because I can sometimes feel a little bit like sad or whatever.
21:02And then I just tell people that today I'm really sad and I'm in a really bad mood.
21:07But you might help me so things will change.
21:11Can Trond be a bit grumpy sometimes?
21:13Yeah.
21:15I love it.
21:16I love it.
21:17Yeah.
21:18I love that.
21:19That's so Norwegian.
21:20Do you get irritable?
21:21Oh, yes.
21:22Oh, yes.
21:23Really?
21:24How do you deal with an irritable Robert space?
21:28I stay away.
21:29I stay away because I know it will go, it will pass.
21:32Okay.
21:33And since we are running a business together you need to kind of be able to read each other without using words all the time.
21:40You just need to look and you see and you understand.
21:44I mean you've both been working together for a long time.
21:47You must know each other pretty well.
21:49I'm wondering how you would describe Trond.
21:56No awkwardness here.
21:58Can I sit?
21:59Of course you can.
22:00Yeah.
22:01Come on.
22:02I think he is the most pure heart.
22:08There is no hidden things going on.
22:11It's what's in goes out.
22:15A heart of gold.
22:18And Trond, I'm wondering how you would describe Robert.
22:22I think Robert, one of his really nice qualities is that he is able to calm me down.
22:31When my brain are thinking too creative too quick and like I can have 100 creative ideas at the same time.
22:38To deal with somebody that have offered their life to the arts isn't easy.
22:43It's a nightmare.
22:44So he also has a really good heart.
22:48So I think there was something very good when we met in Athens at that time.
22:53It was meant to be in a way in the name of the arts.
22:58Yeah, I think so.
22:59Yeah, I think so.
23:00So he is just perfect.
23:03I'm beginning to see that art looms large.
23:09It seems to seep into every aspect of their life.
23:13But there's also a co-dependency in their relationship.
23:17And not just because of their health issues.
23:20There's clearly huge affection for each other.
23:23Perhaps there's more to their relationship than they're letting on.
23:28The more I get to know them, the more I understand that actually at the heart of this is this really beautiful friendship.
23:35I think it's fair to say there's probably more to that friendship maybe than they want to tell me.
23:42But I'm also aware of the cultural sensitivities.
23:46You know, Lebanon and Norway.
23:49And it's not for me to ask what they don't feel comfortable saying.
23:54But we all make our own impressions.
23:56And I think it's rather beautiful that they have this extraordinary friendship.
24:02And it's as tight as any other I've ever seen.
24:07I don't need to know anymore.
24:08I just know that they're great mates.
24:10Yup, a lot of orchids.
24:13Beautiful.
24:27I'm staying with artists Trond and Robert at their remote homestead in Norway.
24:31So far, I've been helping with the physical chores that have become too difficult for them.
24:38But today, I've finally been invited into the inner sanctum of Trond's art studio.
24:46Hello.
24:47Oh, good morning, good morning.
24:50Are you all?
24:51Up early.
24:52Oh, yes.
24:53Are you ready to work?
24:54Trond has assured me that we'll start with some beginner level work.
24:59By simply adding paint to a gel plate, we can try out various abstract designs that are then printed onto paper.
25:06Are you making this up as you go or have you pre-planned what you're doing now?
25:10All my work is finished in my head before I start.
25:13But as an artist, it's always really important to remember to experiment.
25:18I mean, you've always been artistic, have you?
25:21Yes.
25:22I had a period in my life where I wanted to be normal because, like, everybody was so normal.
25:28My friends, they were all farmers or they were working in the factories.
25:33It didn't suit me at all.
25:35Mm-hmm.
25:36Because, like, normal for me is either a hairdresser or a waiter.
25:39And then I started to think, can I stand this for 40 years in the head of people?
25:45Mm-hmm.
25:46And the answer was very easy, no.
25:48And then I decided to go for the arts.
25:51And I had kind of fully backing up from my parents.
25:56So it was just to go.
25:58And I never regret.
26:01Let's try it, Ben.
26:02Okay.
26:03So I put this like that.
26:04Yes.
26:05Is that okay?
26:06Yeah, almost.
26:07You cannot move it.
26:08See here the plate.
26:09Yep.
26:10And see here the plate.
26:11So I thought it would look a bit nicer if it was just a little bit off-center.
26:15Okay.
26:16Okay.
26:17You are a little bit fashionista.
26:19Okay, that's fine.
26:20I'm a fashionista.
26:21Look at me, you can see.
26:22Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
26:23That's fine.
26:24I might be dressed like Trond, but I don't have the same belief in my artistic talent.
26:29Yep, shall we try it to see?
26:31Yep.
26:32So I now lift off from here?
26:33Yes, lift off.
26:37Wow!
26:38Oh, yes.
26:40Is that what...
26:41Did you want that bit there?
26:42Yep, yep.
26:43Did we want that bit?
26:44Do you see?
26:45It's like a fish.
26:46Yeah, I do.
26:47How did you do that?
26:48Is that just luck?
26:49No.
26:51I'm happy with this.
26:53Will they go up in the gallery?
26:54Can I see the gallery?
26:55Yes.
26:56Let's go there.
26:57Trond and Robert actually have two galleries.
27:02By opening their doors to the public during the summer, they earn just enough to keep going.
27:07The old barn has also been turned into an art and culture centre.
27:12But it feels more like a museum.
27:15On this first wall here, this is my family history.
27:20Are all of these your family?
27:22Yep.
27:23Here is my grandmother and she has become a pillow.
27:27Of course she has.
27:28What was her name?
27:29Beate.
27:30Are you on the wall?
27:31I'm here.
27:32Oh, look.
27:33I started the first day at school in a pink busserull, which is traditional because I hated the blue.
27:39And the watch of my sister because mine was broken.
27:42I was not bullied at all.
27:45Trond's connection to these woods goes back generations.
27:49His mother was born just 400 metres away.
27:52And his grandmother went to school in what is now his house.
27:57I wonder what triggered him to leave his life in town and return to his childhood home.
28:04The whole of this village was like on this kind of machine.
28:07What's it called?
28:08Walking chairs.
28:10The zimmer frame on the wheelchairs.
28:13Yeah, yeah, yeah.
28:14And the steps of people was like this.
28:16And I said to them, like, I cannot stay in it any longer.
28:21And why?
28:22What was it?
28:23You see your future.
28:25You see your future.
28:26Suddenly it was, this is the future.
28:29And it was like, our brains are not there.
28:32My God, we are still far away from being there.
28:35Let's move.
28:36I'm curious.
28:37How old are you both in here right now?
28:39Six.
28:40Six.
28:42I don't know what about you, but I feel like I'm six.
28:45But what was it then about a kind of more rural life or a more wild life that appealed to you?
28:51Because I had this kind of a need that, without explaining it, this need to go back to the nature.
28:58This need to be surrounded by the trees and the flowers and the butterflies and the humble bees and the mosquito,
29:07even if I hate it from time to time.
29:09I just needed to be there.
29:11It was kind of a missing part.
29:15There's clearly a link between Tron's desire to return to nature and his memories of being six when he roamed these very woods.
29:24And now he wants to share these feelings through his art and by inviting people into the forest, creating an art trail through the trees.
29:33This is maybe the most beautiful thing in the whole art path.
29:39And I like to hug them.
29:42It's my proof.
29:44The nature tells you that it doesn't matter who you are.
29:48What matters is that you can love each other for whom you are, even if you are a spruce and a birch tree.
29:55They should actually not be able to love each other, but they do.
29:59I feel I need to hug.
30:01You absolutely have to hug them.
30:03Maybe art can change the world.
30:11Trond certainly thinks so.
30:13And for his current project, he wants to build a village of human-sized ants' nests to encourage people to be part of nature.
30:23Even if it means sharing it with the insects.
30:26And people can come from all over the world and with their sleeping bags and just be in the nature in small little nests.
30:34Wouldn't that be great?
30:35Yeah.
30:36Well, so next time I come here, I'll be able to stay in one of your human ant nests.
30:40Maybe.
30:41Who knows?
30:43If I'm being honest, I don't really know how to build a human-sized ant nest.
30:48So, I'm relieved to find Trond has other helpers.
30:52Hi, Odd. Nice to meet you.
30:54Vidar.
30:55Hi, Vidar. I'm Ben.
30:56This is my really great art team here in the valley.
30:59And usually, usually they do as I say.
31:05Would you both describe yourself as artists? Do you like art?
31:09No.
31:10No, I'm an artist.
31:11I'm a good helper for Trond.
31:13You're a helper and you have the vision.
31:16Absolutely.
31:17So, I present the drawings and I present the ideas that I have for how to do things.
31:22And they say, no, this will not function, so we do it another way.
31:25I said, okay.
31:26Because I need to be also a little bit open-minded because they know more about kind of things, structural things than I do.
31:34It's important also to listen to others, even if that can be very hard for me sometimes, I admit.
31:42Do you enjoy helping Trond with these?
31:44Yes, I think it's exciting.
31:46That's also why I like to work with this art team, because I can have the wildest idea.
31:51And I see in their eyes that they think like, he's a little bit crazy, but okay.
31:56Do you think he's a little bit crazy?
31:58A bit.
31:59A bit.
32:00He has a lot of ideas.
32:01Yes.
32:02I talk with Robert and he says, how is it?
32:06He's 24-7.
32:08Thinking constantly.
32:09Constantly thinking.
32:11Yeah, so that's how it is.
32:14Robert and Trond only have a handful of neighbours.
32:19So, they're incredibly lucky that Ord and Vida are happy to lend a hand when needed.
32:27What's really reassuring, neighbours can be on call just in case.
32:32You know, imagine 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.
32:42You know, there's so many worst-case scenarios.
32:44And for me, it's very reassuring to see that they've got Ord and the other neighbour so close who are not just willing to help with the art, but also, you know, a kind of neighbours who are checking in.
32:59Where is Ben?
33:00I'm needed.
33:01Ben, you are needed.
33:02Coming.
33:05So I don't get it in my head.
33:06So this needs to...
33:07Go into that one.
33:09I'm too short for this.
33:11Yes.
33:14Okay.
33:15Hooray!
33:17I just have to stand here for the next year, do I?
33:19Part of the art.
33:20Oh, this could be an artwork.
33:22Yeah.
33:23Like a natural parasol for you.
33:26But actually, to tell the story of the flies, that instead of a parasol, it would be a fly, a giant fly net going all the way down.
33:36No, you put me to an idea.
33:37No, you really put me to an idea.
33:42Do you see it's infectious, this art thing?
33:48Art really is everything to Trond and Robert.
33:52But so is nature.
33:54I can't imagine them doing this anywhere else.
33:56There are so many things conspiring against them when it comes to their health.
34:02And yet here, nature is giving back to them.
34:06Giving them this tremendous canvas.
34:08Not just to carry on creating and being inspired.
34:12But also when it comes to giving them space.
34:19Giving them time, giving them energy.
34:23Giving them sort of optimism, I suppose.
34:26After a morning of hard work, Trond has promised to take me for a swim.
34:43Ben!
34:46It's time to go to the lake.
34:49Look at this. You've got wheels.
34:51For sure, when my legs are out of order, I use this one.
34:58It's just a short walk to a stunning lake that Trond used to come to as a child.
35:03He would fish in the summer and ice skate in the winter.
35:07It sounds idyllic.
35:09What's the sign there, say?
35:11Here we are swimming.
35:13The one that is comfortable without swimwear.
35:16You're pulling my leg right now.
35:19No, you have to.
35:21You can go naked. I'm gonna...
35:23Do you know what? I've got children, they get so embarrassed.
35:26Why?
35:28How did you do the upbringing of your children?
35:30I'm more embarrassed because you are tanned and I am whiter than a cream cake.
35:48I think you're kind of beached.
35:50Can I just remind you how shallow it is here?
35:53Yeah!
35:57Watching Trond splash around in the lake, I can see why he claims to feel six years old inside.
36:06Does this remind you of your childhood?
36:08Very.
36:10Very, very, very.
36:12Because I had many years where I wasn't here, actually.
36:15Which is kind of a little bit sad story, but it's a part of my life.
36:19Two.
36:20Why were you not here?
36:22My father and uncle, they drowned in this lake out there in 81.
36:30In this?
36:31In this lake.
36:33They drowned.
36:34They drowned?
36:35Yeah, yeah.
36:36In October.
36:37So they were out.
36:38They had been here putting yarns for fishing and they were coming up to pick up the yarns.
36:44And then probably without knowing, we don't know, but one of them probably got a heart attack or something and fell over.
36:52And the other was trying to risk you.
36:55So they both drowned.
36:56I'm so sorry to hear that.
36:58That is awful.
37:00Yeah, it took a while before I wanted to go here because I felt like I didn't want to go into the water.
37:08I mean, I wouldn't blame you for never wanting to come anywhere near the lake, let alone get in.
37:15It started actually with one summer that I decided I'm going to dip my toe in the water.
37:21So I did that.
37:23And then it was up to the knee.
37:25And then two years after I could walk and then suddenly one day I felt like I try.
37:32And I just said like, I just need to do it because I need to kind of progress.
37:38And now, you know, we're in this amazing lake, getting cold, washing.
37:46It's kind of, you're using this to nourish you and yet it took something so precious from you.
38:04I never thought about it that way.
38:08But, um, it did.
38:12I hope that's a beautiful thought rather than, I hope you don't take that.
38:16No, no, no.
38:17No, but I hadn't thought about it the way you said it.
38:21So, a big thank you to you for that.
38:24Because then I'm still one step more cured in a way for what's all happened.
38:30So that's good.
38:31I'm going to feel a bit bad that I sparked that emotion.
38:39It shows it's still very raw.
38:41I don't know that I could have the same forgiving relationship that Trond has.
38:45But 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.
38:59I think, I think that speaks volumes, that he is not only willing to forgive it but to embrace it.
39:05It's my final day staying with Robert and Trond.
39:13And it's also opening day for their gallery.
39:17So, whilst I'm still here, they're putting me to work.
39:19This one.
39:21You need to check that there is no flies.
39:23OK.
39:24I will make sure.
39:26There's also a little gift shop, which sells small items the pair make during the winter.
39:33So, how many people come here?
39:36During the summer season, we have between 1,200 and 1,500 visitors.
39:42Wow, that's a lot of people coming.
39:44That's a lot of people coming.
39:45Yep, so we work quite hard.
39:47Trond is in charge of this part of the business.
39:51And, as always, he wants everything just so.
39:55And you see here, there is a soap that's in the diagonal.
39:58Not good.
40:00And you see here, the distance between this one and this one, no good.
40:04OK.
40:06Robert runs a cafe inside their house.
40:09It seems to have the smallest menu in Norway.
40:12There's just tea, coffee, homemade jams from foraged fruits.
40:16And waffles.
40:18Made with a secret recipe from Trond's grandmother.
40:22Does it ever get stressful for you?
40:24Yeah, all the time.
40:26All the time.
40:27Even if I have one customer, I get stressed.
40:31With such high standards comes a lot of work.
40:34I can't imagine what it must be like for just the two of them.
40:38What happens, actually, when you need to have your dialysis if there are lots and lots of people here?
40:44Trond tries to hold them in the barn until I finish with the dialysis.
40:52I've got this image now of you distracting people, trying to keep them just for that extra 15, 20 minutes.
40:58For sure.
41:00He has no problem talking.
41:02You surprise me by saying that.
41:05Hi.
41:07Hi.
41:09All right, so is everyone coming into the gallery?
41:12Gallery first, then waffles.
41:14The famous waffles.
41:15I will explain a little bit to you here about a little bit of the items we have here on the wall.
41:28Come in, come in.
41:30The tour has something for everyone.
41:32An amazing mixture of art, Trond's personal history and artefacts showing the local heritage of the forest Finns,
41:39an ethnic group of Norwegians that Trond descends from.
41:44All of these tools used once to work the land, all mixed in with new art, old art.
41:54They've sort of turned everything from practical tools into a form of art themselves.
42:03I love that.
42:04These are Trond's summer socks knitted by his fair hand.
42:09These are the brain warmers.
42:11So these keep you happy.
42:15Despite my hard sell, I think everyone is keen to sample the famous waffles.
42:21Look at that.
42:23With the secret recipe, even I'm not allowed to know.
42:26I'm going to go and get some jams for you all.
42:28I'm really glad that I have seen them both in a sort of social situation, because Trond in particular holds court and loves being the centre of attention.
42:44But also to see the dynamic between him and Robert, Robert working quietly behind the scenes, proudly making the waffles.
42:52And, you know, they really are an amazing team.
42:57And 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.
43:14It's time for me to leave.
43:20I've been inspired by my week with Trond and Robert, although my artistic skills haven't improved very much.
43:27Hey!
43:29I'm afraid it's time to go.
43:32No.
43:33Yes.
43:34Give me a hug.
43:35Oh, for sure.
43:36Thank you so much.
43:37You're welcome.
43:38Robert.
43:39Thank you so much.
43:40You're welcome.
43:41What a fun week.
43:42You've surprised me.
43:44Oh.
43:45You've made me work hard.
43:46Yes.
43:47You've made me laugh.
43:48That too.
43:49My God.
43:50So what would you remember us from then?
43:52Art.
43:53And not the nature.
43:54Well, I think, you know, but that's the thing.
43:56You have curated this beautiful life that balances both.
44:01And I can't tell you how much I'm going to think about you.
44:04Will you let me know as soon as you have that beautiful new kidney?
44:07Absolutely.
44:08Yeah.
44:09Thank you very much.
44:10Keep being yourselves.
44:11For sure.
44:12It's been so much fun.
44:13Bye now.
44:14Safe journey back home.
44:15Bye.
44:16Bye.
44:21Next time, I'm in Montana.
44:23In the wintertime, we have avalanches and deep snow.
44:27Living on an extreme mountaintop.
44:30Can you endure another five winters?
44:32No.
44:33Probably not.
44:34Will this extraordinary family overcome the odds?
44:37Our journey started, but boy, it wasn't the journey we thought it was.
44:47And you can join Ben again next Thursday at nine.
44:49I can tell you Jane McDonald in Brazil tomorrow at eight, but I can't tell you what she'll
44:54be singing.
44:55That's a surprise in brand new from pole to pole.
44:57And if you fancy another adventure with Ben, don't forget you can stream new lives in the
45:01wild on five.
45:02Next, the murder of Joanna Yates.
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