Meet Trollhaugen Tours - Cindy and Magne Hatlevik
(aka: the Lady and the Troll)
Magne, a native of Fosnavåg, Norway, grew up on an island on the west coast of Norway. Born with an adventurous spirit, Magne could be found biking, hiking and skiing the mountains of Norway.
In 1976, his adventures took him to Minneapolis. "Where are the mountains?" Magne recalls his first impression of Minnesota. Mountains were not to be found, but he soon felt right at home amongst many Norwegian Americans. Magne's two sons, Per and Hans also live in the Twin Cities.
Cindy, grew up in North Dakota in a small community with a strong Norwegian heritage, knowing that if it was Christmas, there most certainly would be lutefisk and lefse on the table!
After moving to Minneapolis in the late 1980's, Cindy was delighted to take part in a multitude of Norwegian language and cultural opportunities. "Learning to speak Norwegian was on my bucket list." Cindy remembers. She laughs, "I signed up for classes at Sons of Norway, and that turned out to be just the beginning of things to come!"
Magne and Cindy met at Mindekirken, the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church in Minneapolis where they are still very active members. "Too many church committee meetings....marriage was inevitable!" Magne says with a slight grin. They were married in September of 2005 during a regular church service in the presence of family and friends.
Almost immediately they turned their passion for travel, adventure and all things Nordic into Trollhaugen Tours. "With our cultural knowledge and travel experience, it seemed like a natural next step in our lives.", says Cindy. Magne agreed, sharing the Norwegian expression: "Ute på tur, aldri sur.", loosely translated "Out on a trip, never mad."
If you agree, check out our website and see what Trollhaugen Tours has to offer you!
Tusen Takk!!