"It was saved from destruction by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments, which bought the materials in order to re-erect the church elsewhere. It was acquired by King Oscar II, who financed its relocation and restoration as the central building of his private open-air museum near Oslo ... In the 1980s, the modern replica was erected in Gol." ~ visitnorway.com

Our sleigh ride with Olav was such a treat...

we arranged a longer excursion...

at dusk...

which carried us past the Gol Stave Church...

a triple level basilica dating back to the 1200's...

 which was seized by the king during the Lutheran Reformation back in the 1500's only to be sold in the 1700's to help pay for the Nordic wars.  The link above is a good read about the fascinating life of this church.

By the time we returned to the hotel at 4:00 p.m. it was under darkness as the snow glistened in flickers of light from the torches.

Ren Man ventured out the next morning...

and captured more visions of white...

for you to enjoy in the warmth of your home.