Crossing into the Arctic

 We have now officially crossed into the Arctic. The temps are not as severe as North Dakota moderated by the ocean I assume,  but it gets dark very early - 2:30 today. The darkness mid afternoon is weird. 

A couple of photos from the event. There is a marker and my iPhone says the marker was placed in the correct location. These sea folk recognize special crossings. In this case, a Norse guy dumps ice water down your back to mark those who are doing this for the first time. I was busy taking photos and unable to participate. 

Trondheim

We decided to take one of optional excursions to explore Trondheim. This exploration made use of an old-school wooden boat allowing a small group to travel the canals that extend throughout the city. The boat is uncovered and the trip goes rain (snow) or shine. It was raining, but that is not unusual for Norway. We were told to bring rain gear and they provided large ponchos. We decided this made for a more authentic experience.

Every experience we have had in Norwegian villages and cities has revealed well maintained and attractive homes and buildings. There must be areas that do not appear as affluent and well cared for, but somehow we never encounter these settings. I know little of architecture, but there is clearly more color and buildings look more modern. This is somewhat ironic given the long history of these locations. We have yet to see much of what we would describe as manufacturing. Trondheim is regarded as a technology center and several of the locations we have visited could be described as university towns. You hear guides describing an awareness that fishing and oil are the basis for the modern economy and they realize that the country must find other opportunities. 

One thing we have learned about several of the villages we have explored is that most have burned several times. This was due to the close spacing of the wooden structures, the use of wood preservatives such as pitch and turpentine, and the lack of open areas between buildings. 

Bergen to Kirkenes and Back

 We are taking a cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes in Norway and back. This voyage takes 11 days and stops in 34 different ports - half on the way North and half on the way back. Our ship, the Havila Pollux s a working boat carrying tourists on a long cruise, but also taking passengers and goods from port to port. 

The Havila ships were built to be environmentally friendly can run on battery power for four hours and uses liquid natural gas when the batteries become exhausted. The batteries are recharged using hydropower when the boats are stationary. 

The Havila ships are smaller and stay close to the coast line. Their size also means they can enter the narrow fjords of Norway.

Bergen

Our sea voyage begins and ends in Bergen. We had only a little time, but we did walk around a bit. Bergen is the second largest city in Norway.

Bergen has multicolored housing that is so unique to Americans and the buildings are modern. Since we often post photos with a coffee theme, the third image below is their Starbucks. 

The Bergem Fish Market is one of the "must sees". 

I have to throw the following image somewhere. Cheese is a big deal in Norway and now that we spend so much time in Wisconsin and have developed our own cheesehead cred, I have my own favorites. Brown cheese is new to me. I have had some on bread each morning for breakfast and I have become a fan.

We will be in Norway during the most contentious election in our experience. We voted before we left, but CNN is everywhere and we can follow any late developments. We do find U.S. politics a topic we often discuss with lunch and dinner companions and we have yet to encounter a Trump supporter among any international voyager we have met. Folks are just as baffled by the state of U.S. politics as we are.

Oslo to Bergen by Train

The train ride from Oslo to Bergen is supposed to be the most picturesque in Europe. We don't have enough experience to confirm, but the imagery was certainly spectacular. Perhaps earlier when the leaves were still turning or later with more snow would have provide some additional opportunities, but the trip was certainly better than another plane flight. The route runs from the coast to the coast so the images toward the middle of the following sequence will be at the higher altitude. This is not a tourist trip so all images were taken through the window at full speed. 

Oslo - Vigeland Park

Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) is regarded as Norway's most famous sculptor. We spent time walking through Vigeland Park which is a massive area focused on Vigeland’s statues. There are more than 200 statues in the park

Vigeland focused on creating nude images. So, the images in the park are anatomically correct. The rationale for his approach is that he intended his works not to reflect a given time period. The statutes reflect individuals of all ages - birth to death. The sculpture is controversial as possibly having Nazi influences.

We had a memorable experience while walking the grounds. A woman had climbed the wall that surrounded the massive fountain at the center of the park. There was an empty moat around the center part of the fountain and she fell headfirst into this moat while trying to take pictures. People immediately ran to her aid and she seemed very shaken but able to sit. Now when I hear stories of people falling over the edge of a canyon to their death, I have an image of exactly how that can happen. 

Norway - planes, trains, boats, and automobiles

We have endured the flight and seemed to fare better than other long trips. My feet recovered after a day and several Tylenol treatments. We are staying in Oslo for a day to recover and then taking the train to Bergen. This trip is different from other recent trips as we are not part of a group and Cindy did all of the planning while sitting at her command center in the corner of her couch. To this point, all of the details have been covered perfectly.

We are staying in an unusual hotel called the City Box. It is inexpensive but not in the category we have come to call the “Oh wows”. The lower cost seems a function of several alternatives to common expenditures. There is no front desk and you check in using the type of device we now use to check out at many stores. You are in the system and it prints key cards when you identify yourself. No key card - no entrance. No key card - no elevator. No key card - no electricity. There is no front desk. The rooms are small but nice. There is no mini fridge. There is no free breakfast. The strangest thing - there is no television. The Internet worked great.

Cindy was well prepared for this trip because of a recent outing to Italy with Lynn. Everything works from your phone. Everything is tap to pay. You pay for transportation with Ruter. Public transportation is somehow linked to your Apple Maps and everything is explained - take tram 11, walk to station xxxx, take tram 13. I was lost the entire time, but this is usually the case when anything requiring navigation is involved.