Saturday 27 October 2012

Oslo - continued


\The Kon-Tiki

We took a ferry across the harbour to the Kon-Tiki Museum. Thor Heyerdal became famous for his epic journey across the Pacific Ocean on Kon-Tiki in 1947.  He believed that South Americans in pre-Columbian times could have colonized Polynesia. Using materials and the technology available in those times he built his boat. The journey was a magnificent feat but anthropologists have now discredited this theory. His excavations on Easter Island consolidated his reputation as a scientist. He followed up his Kon-Tiki voyage with expeditions on reed boats; he tried to re-create possible trading voyages of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The reed boats became water logged and had to be abandoned. The museum has the original Kon-Tiki and Ra 2, it was very exciting to see them as his voyages were very famous for years after their completion. He was a very fascinating person and tested his beliefs in all areas. It is a small museum but it was a very worthwhile visit and engaged us for a couple of hours.

Details about the Fram

We wandered towards the pier to catch the boat back; we passed the Fram Museum and decided to have a look. The Fram was built in 1892 and hailed as the world’s strongest ship. Extensive research had gone into the design so it wouldn’t be crushed by pack ice.  In its time it had sailed furthest north and south than any previous ship. It was used for three polar expeditions; first by Fridtjof Nansen, 1893-6, who researched how the Inuit survived in polar conditions and applied them to his expedition, Otto Sverdrup, 1898-1902 and Roald Amundsen 1910-12, the first man to reach the South Pole. You are able to board the Fram and wander over it the thickness of the hull and its unique shape was fascinating. There was also a temporary display on Scott’s expedition to Antarctica, he seemed grossly under prepared and relied too heavily on mechanical transport which hadn’t properly tested in the extreme cold conditions and was useless. It was a fair representation of Scott’s expedition but you couldn’t fail to see that the Norwegians were streets ahead in their research and understanding of what they were likely to encounter. We learnt a great deal from this visit.

Ibsen Museum

Back to the other side of the harbour again and off to another museum. We’re just about museum junkies but you learn so much from the small specific subject museums. So from adventure to literature, we headed for the Ibsen Museum. The museum is the fully restored apartment of Ibsen and his wife who lived there from 1895 to 1906 and 1914 respectively. Ibsen was rather vain about his appearance and writing; he had a portrait of his literary rival on the wall to inspire or was it to goad him to write better. Everyday Ibsen would walk to the Grand Café in the Grand Hotel, he had been a friend of Edvard Munch but they fell out when Ibsen paid a bill for him as Munch didn’t have the money on him. Munch was offended and never saw Ibsen again. You are given a guided tour of Ibsen’s apartment which is very informative plus they show an interesting film about his life the sessions alternate between Norwegian and English narration.
After this we decided that we had fitted enough into the day but as we wandered back to the centre we passed the Rådhuset (Town Hall) it was still open to visitors so we decided to have a look. The building was commenced in the 1920s but was officially opened in 1950; the delays were due to the Depression and war. It is a stark austere building that dominates the skyline; however the decoration and murals inside have an art-deco feel about them. The artwork depicts Norwegian history, on entering the building the lobby is filled with light and colour; the walls are decorated by a long list of Norwegian artists.  We enjoyed looking at the murals, and the various rooms, one named the Munch Room which displays some of Munch’s art. The carillon on the east tower plays a tune, often seasonally inspired music by Norwegian composers. The streets around the building are lined with restaurants, bars and shops.
After this we felt we had taken in enough for one day and our next big decision was where we would eat.  We tried to find a restaurant we had seen the previous day but it eluded us, we looked in at one with Norwegian cuisine but that didn’t really inspire us so ended up with Indian.

Munch Museum

The next day a short train ride took us to the Edvard Munch Museum. Apart from the National Museum the Munch Museum holds an extensive collection of his paintings. There is a permanent display and rotating displays of his other paintings. Puberty (1894) is a picture of a young girl sitting naked on a bed and expresses the vulnerable phase of the passage from childhood to adulthood which inspired the temporary display. Of course no Munch exhibition would be complete without another version of his painting The Scream which is placed with his paintings Anxiety and Despair.  Other motifs on display are the bewitchment of the dark forest and the allurement of water. It would be interesting to see what other paintings of Munch would be featured in 12 months time.
We went across the road from the museum to explore the Botanical Gardens it was a beautiful sunny day perfect to wander through the trees and flowers. Then we went back to the city centre to the Arkehus Castle and managed to get there before it closed this time. It was originally built as a medieval castle around 1300 to defend the capital. During the first half of 17th century the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style and surrounded by a bastion fortress then it fell into disrepair in the 18th and 19th centuries. It has since been restored. You can now wander from room to room which include the dungeon, Royal Mausoleum, Castle Church, and the Hall of Christian IV, Romerike Hall which today functions as a dining hall for official banquets and the Hall of Olav V. Each room has detailed information which makes the visit worthwhile.

The Opera House

The next and our last day we enjoyed morning tea at the elegant Grand Café,  we sat outside as the weather was warm and sunny, plus if you were only having coffee and a cake and not lunch you were discouraged from sitting inside. The Grand Café was the famous haunt of Erik Ibsen. The café is part of the Grand Hotel which is where the Nobel Peace Prize winners stay; it is a very grand establishment. We then went to see the new Opera House which was opened in 2008, it has a white marble exterior sloping into the fjord at Bjørvika, and you can wander around it and onto the sloping roof which gives great views of the city and waterfront. There were people who disregarded signs which clearly stated you could not ride a bicycle, skateboard or rollerblades on the roof and there several people on bikes. Obviously even here there are people who don’t think the rules apply to them. It was unfortunate we just missed the English language tour of the interior of the building and we couldn’t avail ourselves of the next one as we were leaving in the afternoon.
We had lunch did a last minute wander around the shops maybe we might find something worth buying, but alas no. We went back to our hotel to collect our bags and we just had to cross the road to the bus stop for the airport bus. We were now on our way home.
Overall we really liked our trip to Scandinavia; Copenhagen was a great city very compact and easy to get around. We also enjoyed Malmö and Lund and wished we had stayed in the Skåne area for longer to explore other places. Bergen was picturesque and had much to see. The Hurtigruten trip along the coast of Norway, around the fjords was a standout and Oslo was also enjoyable.  We never noticed any beggars or really down and out people in Copenhagen; we saw some in Sweden but noticed more in Oslo. We guessed many could be coming over the border from Russia and central Asia. Another note Denmark is the cheapest of the three countries progressively becoming more expensive with Norway being on top of the list. As a guide a pasta, a glass of house wine and a coffee in an ordinary restaurant costs the equivalent of around $AUS110, whereas in Melbourne it would be between $AUS55-60. That said I’m not quibbling, I know Scandinavia is an expensive destination, you just go with the flow and enjoy.


Sunday 9 September 2012

Oslo - July 2012


Original Sculpture on Oslo Cathedral

On our first day in Oslo we went to look at the Oslo Cathedral as it was close to where we were staying. The Cathedral was consecrated in 1697. The pulpit was completed in 1699 followed by the altarpiece in 1700. Other interesting features such as the baptismal font, organ facade and the Royal gallery were built in the early 18th century.  The beautiful stained glass windows were created in the 1900’s. In 1930 a silver altar by Arrigo Minerbi was installed at the side. There have been many restorations of the church over the years the last being in 2010. The cathedral is an elegant building with little outside adornment, but there are a few of the original sculptures found placed on the outside walls.
After the short visit to the Cathedral we decided to go to the National Gallery. We knew that would take international and local artists. There are some beautiful landscapes especially from the 1800’s such as Harald Sohlberg’s Winter Night in Rondane. There is a whole room of Munch’s work, which includes The Scream (which was stolen a number of years ago and obviously been recovered) Munch a number of versions of this painting.
There was also an exhibition of Christian Krohg’s works and presented some of the main themes from his most important period as an artist, 1880-90. He saw art as a vehicle to enhance public debate rather than just as decoration in the homes of the upper class. His work Albertine to see the Police Surgeon put a current affair on the art agenda and engage the audience in a social issue. This was a very thought provoking exhibition.
I always find it interesting to discover painters from other countries which don’t always feature in art history books.
We managed to spend number of hours looking at the paintings. I find the smaller galleries like this more satisfying than the really large ones which can be overwhelming.  

Royal Palace

As it wasn’t too late we decided to walk up to the palace which wasn’t very far away from the gallery. They seemed to be having ‘renovations’done at the palace which made the visitors entrance difficult to find.   We had to have a guided tour but had missed the English one but could go on the next one and were told we would be given the tour information in English, which we could read.
The Royal Palace was commissioned by the Swedish King Carl Johan and built between 1825 and 1848. King Hakon VII moved in when he arrived in Norway in 1905 and it still is the official residence of the reigning monarch. On the tour we visited the ballroom, chambers used for the Council of State meetings, the formal reception room known for its frescoes of birds, the banquet hall and a number of other public rooms. The park around the palace is extensive and is open all year. The changing of the guard ceremonies occur throughout the day and are more informal and lack the theatrics we have seen elsewhere.
The next day we decided to take advantage of the tour of the Parliament.   Storting, Norway’s national assembly was constituted at Eidsvoll in 1814 but its roots are far older as far back as King Magnus Lagabøte (the Lawmaker) 1263-80 who had the existing body of law put into writing and in 1274 this compilation of codified law was applied throughout the realm and remained in force until 1660.
In 1807 the Scandinavian countries were swept up in the Napoleonic Wars with the countries taking opposing sides which affected the Union of Denmark and Norway. In 1813 the Danish Crown Prince came to Norway as vice-regent. He refused to accept the Treaty of Kiel which ceded Norway to Sweden. In 1814 he called together influential men in Norway with the purpose of discussing Norway’s future. From this meeting a liberal constitution was formulated.

The Storting Chamber

Like Sweden it is a one chamber parliament and has a system of proportional representation, elected members sit according to the area they represent not in party grouping. The President is proposed then elected by members of Parliament. Committees are formed to discuss issues. Parliamentary behavior is strictly controlled. No calling out, cat calls, clapping or bad language, which seems highly civilized compared with our bear pit.

The building itself was completed in 1866 and the style in an integration of elements derived from Italian and Scandinavian traditions.
We then went to the Nobel Peace Centre which has information about all the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. There was also information about Alfred Nobel, was a ‘renaissance’ man with interests and learning in a wide range of fields. He is known mainly for his invention of dynamite from which he made his fortune even though he never actually studied chemistry at university. Though his many other patents were not successful.

The Nobel Peace Centre

The Nobel Peace Centre had two temporary exhibitions one featuring women in Afghanistan, Veiled Rebellion  and the other Infidel  photos by Tim Hethrington on US soldiers Korengal Valley in Afghanistan.
There was also a number of very interesting books in the bookshop.
From a very sobering experience we went off to Arkhus Slot, it was 4.00pm and we thought it would be open until 5, no it was closed. That is one thing very interesting in Norway we found a number of museums and attractions open late and close early. I can understand this in winter, but in summer!

Thursday 26 July 2012

Hurtigruten- continued


The day after crossing the Arctic Circle marker there was a crossing the line ceremony, a poor relation to that which was performed on passenger ships when they crossed the equator. There was a ‘poor man’s’ Neptune who baptized those prepared to join in with ice cubes and water. The reward for participating was a free glass of Cloudberry wine which was unusual, it being free, as there is nothing free in Norway.
Our last day on the Nordkapp involved two excursions; the first was a bird safari. The weather was windy and freezing as we were taken around islands where large numbers of birds nest during the summer, because of this nobody is allowed on the islands. It was wonderful to see such an array of birds, puffins, gannets, razorbills just to name a few. We even managed to see a few sea eagles circling and some seals popping their heads out of the water. Trying to capture any of this on camera, especially with my little point and shoot was well-nigh impossible, though I did get a couple of shots of a large group of birds on some rocks. I couldn’t include any of them in a CV for the next David Attenborough programme.
Sami mother with baby carrier
It was good to get back to the warmth of the ship after standing outside in the Arctic wind for so long. Late afternoon we had another excursion called the ‘Taste of Lapland’ it was totally set up for tourists but the Sami couple explained about their life and customs of their people.
The area between Tromso and Kirkenes is called Finnmark which is home to 75,000 people and 150,000 reindeers in an area the size of Switzerland. The Sami people are from four different countries, Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway and up to 700 years ago only Sami people lived in this area. They, like many indigenous people have been discriminated against by forced conformity and forbidding the use of their language, however in Norway there has been a more recent acceptance of their culture and there is a Sami Parliament and their language is taught in schools.
Samis are the only people who are allowed own and farm reindeer. The families who are involved in this move from summer to winter grazing. There are many islands on which the reindeer graze. Reindeers are good swimmers and can go from their summer grounds to winter quite easily on their own but in the reverse situation they are weaker and the Norwegian navy is enlisted to transport them. In the Kjorlfjord area there are 5000 reindeers in summer owned by 9 families.
The Sami now are thoroughly modern and use their traditional dress for celebrations and festivals. Some of them still produce many products from the reindeer and other traditional handicrafts to sell.
Reindeer shedding winter coat
On our excursion we learnt how they made the traditional shoes and reindeer coats for winter and many aspects of their cultural background. All very interesting. We actually got up close to a couple of reindeer which look rather moth eaten as they were shedding their winter coat. An interesting fact about reindeers is that both male and female have antlers  but the female loses hers when she gives birth and then the male grows his, also the antlers  are not symmetrical and each reindeer has its own pattern of antlers, but each year they grow in that same pattern.
We arrived at Kirkenes our last stop and where we left the ship. Kirkenes is close to the border of Russia and very much a frontier town. As we would be flying to Oslo in the evening we decided to take a final Hurtigruten excursion, a bus trip to the border and along the river and taking in scenic lookouts on the way. The signs around the town are in both the Roman and Russian alphabet as many Russians come across the border to buy products to take back to home to sell. I was curious as to what they would buy as Russia couldn’t be more expensive than Norway. It seems that salamis and clothes are the main products of these transactions.  The border control issue was very interesting as Norway as part of the EU signed the treaty for open borders but with Russia there are obvious problems with this with the illegal traffic of arms and nuclear material so both sides control the border. Still I’m sure no border is really impervious to criminals.
Norwegian-Russian Border
We were able to leave our luggage at a hotel after the excursion then went and had some lunch. The choices of places to eat were minimal and so was the menu at the café we went into, a time warp ‘country 60’s’ Australia. It thought it was hip but wasn’t and the girl taking orders destroyed any chance of class by chewing gum. The question is, ‘Was the barrier across the stairs which led to the downstairs toilet to stop children falling down there or customers jumping to their death out of boredom?’
After lunch we decided to explore the town, which by this time left only one museum open, the others being open for just a couple of hours earlier in the day. We found the Borderland Museum without too much trouble, after all the entire town is quite small, so it would take careful planning to get lost.
The Borderland Museum exhibits were mainly about World War 2 and gave a very human understanding of what the people and the town went through during that time. Also there was a permanent exhibition of the Sami artist Savio. He had a hard life as he was orphaned as a young child and was being brought up by his uncle who also died, shortly afterwards. He had recognizable artistic talent and was able to study in this area. He produced some delightful woodcuts featuring Sami life. Tragically he died of tuberculosis at the age of 36. The museum engaged us for quite some time and surprisingly for such a tiny place it had a rather nice shop and some interesting books in English.

Mothers in the war Monument 
 We used the rest of the time to check out the crummy and only souvenir shop and the various monuments in the town and we were done. We then went back to the hotel which was minding our baggage to wait for the airport bus. We were now off to Oslo.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Hurtigruten- The world's most beautiful sea voyage.

We were now on our way along the coast of Norway. We are travelling all the way from Bergen to Kirkenes. The Hurtigruten is a passenger cargo ship and ‘time and the Hurtigruten wait for no man,’ so we have been told, the ship will not wait for anyone who is late and it would be your responsibility to meet the ship at the next port. We settle down that night to the hum of the engines looking forward to the coming journey.
The idea of an express coastal service had been proposed but many thought it impossible, especially in the winter. Captain Richard With had been keeping accurate notes on courses, speeds and times taken to sail the route. In 1893 the communication revolution along the coast of Norway commenced. The Coastal Express had ships especially constructed for their operation, with refrigerated compartments and roll on and off facilities. Early on tourism was conceived as forming a basis of the operation. The journey is from Bergen to Kirkenes and it is possible to hop off and stay at various ports along the way.  Many companies were initially involved in the operation along the coastal route. Now it’s under the Hurtigruten (Fast Route) Company and is marketed as ‘The world’s most beautiful sea voyage.’

Greigrangerfjord

The ship stops at many ports but many for only 15 – 30 minutes. There are many organized excursions available and it is one way we could see a lot more on the way. We sailed into Greigranger Fjord and saw some wonderful scenery which included the Seven Sisters waterfalls and the larger one on the opposite side called the Courtier who ‘flirts with them. On our first full day we took the excursion to Geirangerfjord.  The fjords are Norway and are all along the coast, they are formed when the glaciers receded from the land mass towards the coast, and they cut great valleys through the mountain ranges. Geirangerfjord is UNESCO listed and the views were absolutely spectacular. High mountains are typical of this fjord and this felt as we drive up Ørneveien (Eagle Road). Descending we come to a series of hairpin bends which was like the Great Ocean Road on steroids, and we arrive Trollstigen Pass. Here are rugged mountains which are loved by mountain climbers.
We had a number of stops to admire the scenery each one proving to offer interesting views along the way. We continued to the town of Molde where we had dinner as we caught up with our ship the ‘Nordcapp.’
Daylight lasts virtually the whole night as we proceeded further north it lasts longer into the night until we reach the Arctic Circle and it becomes the Midnight Sun. Whole the sun is shining you don’t feel tired, midnight arrives and you don’t realize it and feel like staying up, but common sense takes over.

Nidaros Cathedral - Trondheim

The following day we arrived at Trondheim and had about a three hour stopover. The town has 175,000 people and has some interesting historic buildings. As we had such a short time there we thought we would go on the historic city walk. We enjoyed the walk but were disappointed that we didn’t have enough time around the Cathedral and surrounding museums to do them justice.  Nidaros Cathedral has been extensively restored due to numerous fires and devastation. The church was originally built in the mid-13th century. According to legend St. Olav is buried there and his grave is part of a pilgrim trail. Also a number 19th and 20th century Norwegian kings have been crowned in the Cathedral.

We made sure we were back on board before the warning signal. We were back to watching the passing scenery each day which could be quite hypnotic. Regular announcements were made pointing out interesting land formations, towns, waterfalls etc. We would go out on deck not wishing to miss the next ‘postcard’ opportunity to pass us by.

Arctiv Circle Marker

On day four we crossed the Arctic Circle which was marked on a rock. We were now officially in the land of the midnight sun. We landed at Bodø, with a two and a half hour stay. Bodø is the administrative centre for Norland County. The town has widespread trade links. Unfortunately it was a Sunday which is quiet enough in the capital cities in Scandinavia so this small town was even quieter with nothing very much open. We went to the Norland Museum which was quite small but very interesting. They had exhibits about the Lofoten Fisheries, coastal birds, the Sami, silver treasure from the Viking era found only a few kilometres from the museum. Also there was an extensive exhibition relating to Bodø’s experiences during World War 2.  The town had been completely destroyed from German attacks. A number of photos from those times were displayed as well as relating to everyday life. Bodø was completely rebuilt and has a very interesting modern cathedral. We soon used up our time on this quiet Sunday afternoon and scurried back to the ship.

Just a 'few' Huskies

Our next stop was Tromsø with another 2½ hours in port I wanted to go on the excursion to the Tromsø Wilderness Centre on Kvaløya Island.  We travelled in a minibus for about 25 minutes through a tunnel blasted through the mountain rock which was quite long and had a round-about which was a surprise to find  in a tunnel. Finally up a bumpy farm track we arrived. We had come to see and learn about huskies. We first saw a film about the Iditarod dog sled race, the longest one in the world from  Anchorage to Nome in Alaska which is 1049 miles in 10-17 days. Teams start out with 12 to 16 dogs and 8 dogs must finish.  At check points along the way dogs are assessed as to their condition by a vet and if deemed unfit to continue are then driven to the finish. We were then allowed to go and pat the 250 dogs. These dogs are cross breeds of Alaskan huskies and three other breeds, selected for speed, stamina and strength. All the dogs were eager to get patted and were friendly. We saw some puppies and were allowed to hold and pat them. They showed us how the dogs were attached to the sled and the various roles they had. The leaders were the experienced females as they are the most intelligent (not surprising), then younger females to learn from the leaders, followed by the young males as the wheel dogs they guide the sled as it turns, finally the older males are the grunt, they do the real pulling. It was very informative. We were given information about the area and where we were in relation to where we arrived. A  long concrete bridge from the mainland to the island was pointed out and it only took two months to build.  I’m sure they would still be doing long drawn out feasibility studies in Australia and we still wouldn’t get a bridge after 10 years.

Hurtigruten- Norway

We were now on our way along the coast of Norway. We are travelling all the way from Bergen to Kirkenes. The Hurtigruten is a passenger cargo ship and ‘time and the Hurtigruten wait for no man,’ so we have been told, the ship will not wait for anyone who is late and it would be your responsibility to meet the ship at the next port. We settle down that night to the hum of the engines looking forward to the coming journey.
The idea of an express coastal service had been proposed but many thought it impossible, especially in the winter. Captain Richard With had been keeping accurate notes on courses, speeds and times taken to sail the route. In 1893 the communication revolution along the coast of Norway commenced. The Coastal Express had ships especially constructed for their operation, with refrigerated compartments and roll on and off facilities. Early on tourism was conceived as forming a basis of the operation. The journey is from Bergen to Kirkenes and it is possible to hop off and stay at various ports along the way.  Many companies were initially involved in the operation along the coastal route. Now it’s under the Hurtigruten (Fast Route) Company and is marketed as ‘The world’s most beautiful sea voyage.’
The ship stops at many ports but many for only 15 – 30 minutes. There are many organized excursions available and it is one way we could see a lot more on the way. We sailed into Greigranger Fjord and saw some wonderful scenery which included the Seven Sisters waterfalls and the larger one on the opposite side called the Courtier who ‘flirts with them. On our first full day we took the excursion to Geirangerfjord.  The fjords are Norway and are all along the coast, they are formed when the glaciers receded from the land mass towards the coast, and they cut great valleys through the mountain ranges. Geirangerfjord is UNESCO listed and the views were absolutely spectacular. High mountains are typical of this fjord and this felt as we drive up Ørneveien (Eagle Road). Descending we come to a series of hairpin bends which was like the Great Ocean Road on steroids, and we arrive Trollstigen Pass. Here are rugged mountains which are loved by mountain climbers
We had a number of stops to admire the scenery each one proving to offer interesting views along the way. We continued to the town of Molde where we had dinner as we caught up with our ship the ‘Nordcapp.’
Daylight lasts virtually the whole night as we proceeded further north it lasts longer into the night until we reach the Arctic Circle and it becomes the Midnight Sun. Whole the sun is shining you don’t feel tired, midnight arrives and you don’t realize it and feel like staying up, but common sense takes over.
The following day we arrived at Trondheim and had about a three hour stopover. The town has 175,000 people and has some interesting historic buildings. As we had such a short time there we thought we would go on the historic city walk. We enjoyed the walk but were disappointed that we didn’t have enough time around the Cathedral and surrounding museums to do them justice.  Nidaros Cathedral has been extensively restored due to numerous fires and devastation. The church was originally built in the mid-13th century. According to legend St. Olav is buried there and his grave is part of a pilgrim trail. Also a number 19th and 20th century Norwegian kings have been crowned in the Cathedral.
We made sure we were back on board before the warning signal. We were back to watching the passing scenery each day which could be quite hypnotic. Regular announcements were made pointing out interesting land formations, towns, waterfalls etc. We would go out on deck not wishing to miss the next ‘postcard’ opportunity to pass us by.
On day four we crossed the Arctic Circle which was marked on a rock. We were now officially in the land of the midnight sun. We landed at Bodø, with a two and a half hour stay. Bodø is the administrative centre for Norland County. The town has widespread trade links. Unfortunately it was a Sunday which is quiet enough in the capital cities in Scandinavia so this small town was even quieter with nothing very much open. We went to the Norland Museum which was quite small but very interesting. They had exhibits about the Lofoten Fisheries, coastal birds, the Sami, silver treasure from the Viking era found only a few kilometres from the museum. Also there was an extensive exhibition relating to Bodø’s experiences during World War 2.  The town had been completely destroyed from German attacks. A number of photos from those times were displayed as well as relating to everyday life. Bodø was completely rebuilt and has a very interesting modern cathedral. We soon used up our time on this quiet Sunday afternoon and scurried back to the ship.
Our next stop was Tromsø with another 2½ hours in port I wanted to go on the excursion to the Tromsø Wilderness Centre on Kvaløya Island.  We travelled in a minibus for about 25 minutes through a tunnel blasted through the mountain rock which was quite long and had a round-about which was a surprise to find  in a tunnel. Finally up a bumpy farm track we arrived. We had come to see and learn about huskies. We first saw a film about the Iditarod dog sled race, the longest one in the world from  Anchorage to Nome in Alaska which is 1049 miles in 10-17 days. Teams start out with 12 to 16 dogs and 8 dogs must finish.  At check points along the way dogs are assessed as to their condition by a vet and if deemed unfit to continue are then driven to the finish. We were then allowed to go and pat the 250 dogs. These dogs are cross breeds of Alaskan huskies and three other breeds, selected for speed, stamina and strength. All the dogs were eager to get patted and were friendly. We saw some puppies and were allowed to hold and pat them. They showed us how the dogs were attached to the sled and the various roles they had. The leaders were the experienced females as they are the most intelligent (not surprising), then younger females to learn from the leaders, followed by the young males as the wheel dogs they guide the sled as it turns, finally the older males are the grunt, they do the real pulling. It was very informative. We were given information about the area and where we were in relation to where we arrived. A  long concrete bridge from the mainland to the island was pointed out and it only took two months to build.  I’m sure they would still be doing long drawn out feasibility studies in Australia and we still wouldn’t get a bridge after 10 years.

Monday 9 July 2012

Bergen - continued

Day 3.  Not content to just do the funicular we decided to go to another close mountain, Ulriken which is accessible by cable car. It is easy to catch the special ‘tourist’ bus there which leaves every half hour from near the fish market. We arrived in time to catch the 10 o’clock bus out, definitely not as popular as the funicular. I had read that there were a number of walks around the area that were worth doing.

Ulriken Mountain

We arrived very enthusiastic to do a bit of hiking, after fueling ourselves with a coffee we investigated possible routes. Choices: easy, demanding or very demanding. Well not knowing how they really graded the trails we decided easy. Next problem was although there was a general map there with the different trails marked there was nothing specific. I asked at the kiosk about the tracks and how to follow them around. The advice was, ‘They only give you destinations, there are coloured poles to follow and it doesn’t matter which way you go, you’ll have a nice walk.’
That wasn’t the instructions I was hoping for but, we can follow the poles, keep the T.V. tower in sight and we should have no problems. When we set out, initially, the trail was obvious and the green poles were easily seen. As we proceeded along the track it became less obvious and it was difficult to tell which was the main track and which were side-shoots. We scrambled here and there, over rocks only to face sheer drops. As we continued we decided that many of the tracks we were following were mountain goat tracks because the only foot prints we could see were those of mountain goats not fellow walkers. The most disappointing thing was that even though we were following mountain goat tracks we never saw one not even in the distance.
We were not impressed with the poorly marked tracks, coloured poles were hard to find and most had barely visible paint on them, no arrows for direction it was basically very poorly organized for such a popular area.
Our short easy walk took on a whole different perspective and by the time we finished it was quite late. We had lunch at the restaurant on the mountain, then back down to catch the bus back to town. By the time we returned every museum was closed.
Day 4.  This is our last day in Bergen and we decided to go to a couple of small museums as we check in for the Hurtigruten at 3.00 pm.

Rozenkrantz Tower


First we went to the Rosenkrantz Tower, it was built in the 1560’s by the governor of Bergen Castle, Erik Rosenkrantz at the command of King Frederik II but there had been a massive fortified tower here erected by King Magnus Lagabøte (the Lawmaker) in 1270. He codified many of the laws some of which seem quite enlightened considering the era they were written.  The present tower was the amalgamation of earlier structures. In 1944 it was badly damaged when a German munitions boat exploded. Restoration work has highlighted the medieval character of the tower. The displays and information in each section was very informative.  
Håkon’s Hall was built between 1247 and 1261 by the king. It was the largest building of the royal residency in the 13th century when Bergen was the political centre of Norway. It was mainly used for grand occasions and was also damaged by the 1944 explosion. It also has been restored and is used today for grand occasions and concerts.
Lastly we went to the Bryggen’s Museum and it has many interesting displays based on archaeological finds in the Bryggen area. The oldest buildings foundations from the 12th century are on display on their original site. Many artifacts and displays showing commerce, shipping, handicrafts and daily life in the Middle Ages are on display and were very interesting.
From here we went to collect or bags and made our way to the wharf to check in for the next part of our trip, up the coast of Norway to Kirkenes on the Hurtigruten one of their passenger cargo ships that plies the coast of Norway every day. Hurtigruten means fast route, it will take seven days to make the journey.

Bergen - Norway

Day 1. Bergen was established by King Olav Kyrre in 1070. Trade was concentrated around the Vagen area and the town grew from there. It grew through the Middle Ages and was a trading centre for much of northern and central Europe and England.
Bryggen - Bergen
From our hotel in the centre of town we walked in the direction of the harbour. The famous fish market was in full swing, all types of seafood on display from giant crab claws to whale meat which looked a distinctly unappetizing black. Next to the fish market a number of stalls were selling a variety of salami made from reindeer, elk and whale, they were offering samples for tasting. I tried the whale but it was not tasty, or maybe I was being prejudice as I’m not in favour of whaling. The promenade between these two markets was full of tourists. Across the road in the square were more stalls selling scarves, beanies, mittens in Nordic patterns and the never ending variety of souvenir t-shirts.
We continued on our way down to the Bryggen, where historic wooden buildings line the shore. Most of the buildings now house cafes and souvenir shops. The souvenir shops all sell much the same merchandise, elks, elks and more elks in any form you like followed by trolls. Though to be fair it is no different from souvenir shops in Australia being replete with kangaroos and koalas in all forms possible.  There were also varying forms of knitwear in Nordic designs, however though the quality is good it would be the case of ‘Would I love it in the morning?’ when looking at them.
Even though we didn’t drive the train from Oslo to Bergen we were feeling rather tired after exploring the town and decided to find a place nearby along the waterfront. We found a restaurant called ‘Zupperia’ which had a menu that tempted us. It was a little busy but even accounting for that the service was extremely slow, though the meal when we eventually got it was good.

View of Bergen from Floien Mountain

Day 2.  We headed straight to the funicular this morning and already there was a long line which quickly got much longer after we arrived. The line moved steadily and it wasn’t long before we had bought our ticket and was on our way up to the Fløien one of the seven mountains that surrounded the town. At the summit we had a great view of the town and the harbour. The day was cool and especially so on the summit so a nice hot coffee was in order. We then walked around and then we walked back down to the town.
We decided to go to the Art Gallery but on our way there was a very good street performer in the square and we stopped and watched for a while and before we knew it the time had got away from us. Still we continued to the gallery thinking we would find a place for a quick lunch on the way. We decided to have a quick lunch at the museum. We then went to buy the ticket and it was quite expensive but would be valid for the next day also as it was entry into the four Art Museums. There was only two we were interested in which was not the place we had lunch. We walked around and eventually found the entrance, it was not obvious, and by this time we would have just over an hour to view anything. We decided we would wait until the next day to make a decision.
I felt there must be some small interesting museum that we could get value out of the short time available as most places close at 4.00pm. First we went to Bergen’s Cathedral. For more than 900 years people have worshipped here. The first church was dedicated to ‘Olav the Holy’ Norway’s patron saint and according to records a church had been built here by 1150. It had been damaged by fire twice in the 13th century and King Magnus had donated money which enabled the Franciscan friars to build a beautiful church.  When the Lutheran Reformation was introduced in Norway the old cathedral was in ruins. The first Lutheran bishop of the area claimed the Franciscan church as the Cathedral.   
We managed to get a very quick look inside as the doors were closed at 4.00pm.  We were able to see the wonderful stonemasonry in the entrance, beautiful windows and portraits of almost all the bishops of Bjørgvin since the Reformation hang there. Aspects of the church were restored in the 1880’s but the Vestry and The Chapter House were completed at the same time as the Cathedral in 1301.
I looked at our information wondering if anything else would be open after 4 o’clock when I saw a museum had an open sign displayed outside. I popped my head in to enquire and found they were open until 5 o’clock.  This was the Hanseatic Museum.
The Hanseatic League originated in Germany. They traded throughout Europe with bases in Bruges, London, Novgorod and Bergen. The Hanseatics were the German merchants in Bergen from 1360-1754. They laid down regulations for their offices internal activities. Its religious needs were met at St Mary’s Church in Bergen. Office staff was required to remain unmarried and celibate. They worked and lived on the premises in rather Spartan conditions. Their living quarters were unheated due to risk of fire. Meals and socializing were in assembly halls with kitchens. The museum was very interesting giving an insight into trade of this area as well as the merchants involved.

Thursday 5 July 2012

On the way to Bergen- Norway


We caught the train from Stockholm to Oslo mid-afternoon and settled in for a 6½ train journey. We had packed some rolls from breakfast for lunch but by the time we were hungry again  the  kiosk style bistro on the train had run out of anything worthwhile to eat, so we ended up sharing a packet of twisties and a chocolate muffin, hardly a balanced meal. Although the journey wasn’t too tiring we were glad to hear the announcement of our imminent arrival. However, we were all shuffled off our train before we actually arrived at Oslo Central and transferred to buses for an half an hour trip into the city. The one good thing about being in this part of the world in summer is that it doesn’t start getting dark until around 11.00pm, so arriving in a strange city at 10 o’clock at night it was not so arduous for finding our hotel. After settling into our room we enquired if it was possible to get any food at gone ten at night. We were pointed to the pizza place at the next corner and managed to make it 10 minutes before the kitchen closed. By the time we finally settled down it was close to midnight. I put the alarm for 6.00am as we were catching the 8.20 morning train. The journey to Bergen is quite scenic and is worth doing during the day          
I had chosen a hotel close to the station to make it easier to get to the train on time. We were up, packed, though we hadn’t really unpacked, breakfasted and gathered our belongings and proceeded to the station. I like to get to the station early as central stations in European cities are large and it often takes a little time to work out what platform your train leaves from. This is one time being cautious was definitely a good idea. I looked at all the train departure boards and our train did not appear on any of them. We wandered around for a while the minutes seemed to fast tick away. I managed to find a railway employee and showed them my ticket.
‘Go to the bus next to platform 19,’ they said. So off we go and luckily we found it without too much trouble. There were two lines of people neatly corralled behind two signs, one of them saying, ‘Bergen.’ It was all very well organized and we werequickly placed on the bus, many confirming, yes this was for Bergen.
Then we were off. We figured that it had taken us around half an hour to get into the city the previous night so perhaps it would be around the same amount of time. We watch the clock, look at the roads and we seem to be going a lot further. Not actually knowing why we are being bussed or where, we speculated maybe the bus was going to Bergen or if not where.  Down the main highway marked to Bergen, turned off here and there and then after just over an hour we went into a town through the narrow back streets and then dumped off at the station Hønefoss. There we all were like abandoned waifs. Where we were in relation to Oslo or anywhere else in Norway, we had no idea. A number of buses followed ours and dumped more unsuspecting travelers, all waiting like us for the train to Bergen to arrive.
Relieved to see the train, everyone got on quickly and now we were truly on our way. At first the scenery was fairly ordinary but as we climbed into the hills the view was more spectacular. Mountains dotted with snow, ravines, waterfalls, lakes, rivers everywhere you looked. The display in the train gave our altitude and outside temperature, reaching over 900 metres and down to 7ºC.
We arrived in Bergen around 3.00 pm and managed to find the hotel using two rather inadequate maps. Then we were off to explore the town.   

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Stockholm - continued

Stockholm from Sodermalm
We decided to a ‘Hop on, Hop off’ Harbour tour which we often find quite interesting, we decided to get off at the island of Södermalm. It is supposed to be the most youthful and bohemian island in central Stockholm. We walked along the coast then up the steps on the granite cliff face. We wandered around and came across Katarina Church which is situated on historic grounds, the Holy Cross Chapel was built on this site in 1320 and there is an association on this site with Stockholm’s Blood Bath of 1520, when many influential people were beheaded, burnt and buried here. A chapel was built in the 1580’s but it soon became too small. A new baroque church was designed in the 17th century. The church was infamous for the witch trials held there in 1675-76.
In 1723 the church as well as 500 houses was burnt in the great fire of the area and much of the church restored. Further restoration took place in the 1950’s but in 1990 it burnt again and so much was destroyed. The building itself was restored but the interior is a blend of old and new which works really well.

Parliament House

In the afternoon we went on a guided tour of Parliament House. For centuries Sweden had a Parliament of the four Estates in society: nobility, clergy, burghers and peasants. In the mid 1800’s this was replaced by a two chamber parliament, whose members were elected by a limited selection of the male population. Universal suffrage did not come into being until 1921. In 1971 the Riksdag (Parliament) switched to a single chamber, made up of 349 democratically elected members. There is proportional representation and members of parliament sit in the chamber according to their constituency and not Party. The Speaker is elected from the members of the chamber then he proposes who he considers for Prime Minister and the members vote on his proposals. The Prime Minister is not necessarily from the majority Party. The Prime Minister then chooses his Cabinet from who he thinks will be best for the job, and are not Parliamentarians. This is the Government, who has to present to Parliament who then votes on various proposals or bills. As a Constitutional monarchy the King is Head of State but he has no other function, he doesn’t sign any documents related to the Government.
Wares that could be sampled at Skansen
Our last full day In Stockholm we spent firstly at the Nordic Museum which proved to be very interesting as it focused on social history. We had an audio guide which we were told would take us about 45 minutes. We took considerably longer. Exhibits included the progression of interiors, fashion, customs etc. We found it very informative. We had lunch at the café there then decided to go to Skansen the outdoor museum a bit like Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. Skansen is the world’s first open air museum is situated on a 30 hectare hill and was created by Artur Hazelius in 1891. The idea was to establish a miniature Sweden, showing how various people lived and worked during different eras. There are around 150 historic buildings from various parts of the country. There are ‘ye olde shoppes’ as well old crafts being demonstrated using techniques from bygone days. Of course all these wares are for sale, but are definitely not cheap. Many would have been nice to have but not suitable for carting half way across the world.

Spire of St. Clara

Our last day in Stockholm was definitely low key; we had ‘museumed’ and ‘churched’ ourselves out. As nothing opens until 10 and it being Sunday so it’s even later and quieter we didn’t rush out. We bought a few bits and pieces and there was just one more church to see which was close to our hotel, St Clara which was part of a convent founded by King Magnus Ladulas in 1280. The convent was dissolve in 1527 during the Reformation. In the late 16th century the church of St Clara was erected by King Johan III on the site of the convent. In the 17th century the tower was added to and was given a new spire. As seemed to be inevitable for many churches and buildings a fire destroyed the steeple, roof, windows and many fittings in 1751.Restoration started immediately and a new roof, steeple, new spire, organ façade and loft constructed. The exterior of the church with its spires looks very impressive and the ceiling decorations inside are tasteful.
We then went back to our hotel to collect our bags to start the next part of our adventure, on to Norway.

Stockholm - June 2012

We arrived in Stockholm close to mid-afternoon. We found our hotel easily, chosen especially as it was close to the railway station. After we divested ourselves of our luggage we explored some of Stockholm.
We made our way to Gamla Stan, the Old Town, we crossed one of the bridges and found ourselves in Riddarholmen (Isle of the Nobility); the elegant buildings of the former Riksdag (Parliament) and several palaces are testament to this. The Riddarholmskyrkan ( Riddarholm Church) dominates the island with it’s an intricate façade with a tall lattice work cast-iron spire. The church was built in connection with a Franciscan monastery which was founded in 1270 by King Magnus Ladulas and was completed in the 14th century. The kings of Sweden have been buried here for the past 500 years their tombs showing various degrees of grandeur on the walls there are hundreds of coats of arms of the Knights of the Order of the Seraphim. The floor of the church contains about 200 graves. The church is now just a museum with the last regular service held in 1807.

Gamla Stan

We crossed the next bridge into the Old Town with its maze of medieval cobbled streets. Antique shops housed in 15th and 16th century buildings many various shops which seem to be dominated by souvenir shops selling the identical merchandise and cafes. The area has a wonderful atmosphere even though it is quite touristy. We visited the German church which is in the heart of this area. The history of the German congregation in Stockholm is interesting. We discovered there was an organ recital early evening so we decided to attend the have dinner. We thoroughly enjoyed the music which was by different composers most we didn’t know but the music was delightful.
We went for dinner at the rather good restaurant that served Scandinavian food and had reindeer which was cooked beautifully and melted in the mouth, it was not unlike kangaroo being a dark and very lean meat.
Even though we hadn’t really done that much for the day other than training it here from Malmö we were extremely tired and was glad to get to bed.
Changing of the Guard
We were now revitalized to tackle our first full day here. Off to the Royal Palace and as we arrived the changing of the guard ceremony had started which was quite interesting but there was a full blown ceremony at midday with more troops and military band, real theatre, which I think all these ceremonies have now become. The guard is conscripted from a number of army, navy and air force units each year and is not an honorary force and is an important part of Stockholm’s military readiness. Although Sweden was once a military power in the Northern Europe, it has not been involved in a war since the early 19th century.
The Royal Palace is built on the site of the original Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) castle which was begun in 1692; however a fire in 1697 followed by a poor economy delayed its completion until 1728. King Adolf Fredrik took up residence there in 1754 and it is still the official residence of the Swedish monarch. It is one of the biggest palaces in the world (over 600 rooms) still inhabited by royalty.
Visiting the Palace takes a good half day. The rococo confection that is the Royal Chapel, Queen Kristina’s silver throne in the Hall of State followed by the Royal apartments and galleries with their ornate baroque interiors and decoration and contains some wonderful 17th century Gobelin tapestries as well paintings, china, furniture and jewellery collected over the centuries. Included in our ticket was entrance to the Treasury which housed the crown jewels, not a lot of recycling of crowns was noted as a number of the different monarchs had their own specific crown made.
Also there was the Tre Kronor museum which presents the history of the castle and Gustav III’s Museum of Antiquities which was basically his collection of Greek and Roman statutory. Gustav III was shot at a Masked Ball as presented in the Opera of the same name, however he died in the palace after two weeks of agony as the doctors couldn’t remove the pieces of bullets lodged in his body.


St. George and the Dragon

Storkyrkan (Great Church) is the oldest church in the city dating back to the 13th century and has been the coronation site for most of the Swedish monarchs. The church has a muted baroque exterior  and the beautiful late gothic interior, however the decorations are ornate and definitely not understated. There is this magnificent sculpture of St. George and the Dragon which symbolize Sweden’s struggle to break away from Denmark. In square near the church, Stortorget (Great Square) a bloody event took place. King Christian II of Denmark in 1520 ordered the beheading of 80 Swedish nobles and piled their heads pyramid style in the middle of the square.
After lunch we walked across to the National Museum of fine Arts which was founded in 1792 when it occupied a wing at the Royal Palace and moved to its current home in a rather impressive Italian Renaissance style building in 1866. The collection covers a wide range of painting with Rembrandts, Rubens, Gauguin, Manet as well as Swedish artists, including Carl Larsson, Anders Zorn and Bruno Liljefors. There was so much to take in we stayed until the museum closed.