Sorry You Couldn't Come Along

Hammerfest likes to call itself the northernmost town in the world, although to do so it must rely on definitions that exclude some rather substantial settlements. More legitimate claims to fame include that of being the Polar Bear city (although none have ever lived on the island on which it is located) and as the home of an obelisk marking a primary measurement point for the Struve Geodetic Arc (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Huh? From 1816 though 1855, the Russian astronomer Struve supervised a triangulation project northwards through Europe from Ismail on the Black Sea all the way to Hammerfest to prove that Newton was right and that the Earth isn’t perfectly spherical, but is flattened a bit at the poles. So, this was the end of the road.

Hammerfest, suffering the same fate as Kirkennes, has only one building that survived WWII. It also boasts a church designed to look like cod drying racks. Oil and gas are tremendously important, with tax revenue pulling in US$20 million for a town of 10,000 inhabitants. All of the oil and gas is exported. Norwegians rely on hydropower and wind.

All along the coast you can see scatterings of houses that have only one way in or out.

Acquaculture, primarily salmon farming, is another important industry.

But, tourism due to scenery like this also helps keep the lights on through those long winter nights. This was a stretch of water we motored through at night on the way north. It was nice to see it at dusk.

Kirkennes is the end of the line for the coastal ship line, the turnaround point. It’s further east than St. Petersburg or Istanbul and the link to Russia and Finland in the north. In fact, the three countries have created a transit zone to benefit local residents of their countries, including the indigenous Sami people. So, Kirkennes has far more shopping centers than would be justified by its own population.

It is a city with no buildings from before the end of World War II because it was totally destroyed by a combination of the Allied bombing of the 100,000 German troops stationed there as the staging area for Operation Barbarosa, the Russian liberation of the city from the German’s after the failure of the German invasion, and the complete destruction of what remained of the city by the final retreating SS troops.

The civilians of the occupied city survived by hiding underground. 3,000 were in an old mine outside of town (where 11 babies were born) and 1,000 people lived in this tunnel (Andersgrotta) especially built for the emergency by the local people.

The people of Kirkennes consider the Russians to be heroes, their liberators from the Nazis, but worry this is omitted from history books. During the Cold War, the Norwegian government “improved” the tunnel by adding electricity and toilets, convinced that the Soviet Union would invade them. Our local guide made it clear that this was not a sentiment shared by the town.

Here, at the border with Russia is where over 5,000 refugees recently crossed into Norway from Syria, Afghanistan and other troubled spots in the midst of winter. People from Kirkennes welcomed them as best they could and brought clothes and blankets to help with the extreme cold. They, after all, think of themselves as border people who have all ended up here because their ancestors were fleeing as refugees. It’s a blending of cultures and peoples and elementary school children are taught five languages simultaneously, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, Sami & English. We did not enter Russia, the fine is over $500.

We coaxed our intrepid leader into demoing a really great sled. Actually, John is an amazing resource, especially concerning the Viking Age. He has 20 books to his credit and has an exceptional sense of humor.

Beginning our trip back towards Bergen, we stopped briefly at Vardo and took a look at the world’s most northerly fortress, built in 1734.

In a land of fishing, reindeer herding, and tourism, we were headed to the northernmost point in Europe.

Our familiar blue dot made its way through the various straits, headed to Honnigsvag and a bus ride up to Nordkapp (the North Cape).

Racks with drying cod were along the road, cod destined for mainly for Spain and Portugal as bacalao (known as klippfisk in Norwegian). The Norwegians harvest cod in winter. It’s only when it is also fermented that it is known as lutefisk.

On our way, we had passed the northernmost gas station and the northernmost supermarket.

At great risk of being blown 1,000 feet off the cliff and into the sea, we tourists braced ourselves for the obligatory photo at the marker.

But, it was breathtaking.

As were the views on the way back to our ship.

As we round the deck for exercise (5 times = a mile), the ship forges further north and further east on its 1,532 mile one-way journey to Kirkennes, a journey in which crossing the Arctic Circle gets you only halfway northward and the eastward trajectory goes as far east as Cairo.

Almost missed what looks like a bunker from WWII.

At times the landscape could pass for a fanciful painting of an alien world.

In Tromso, waiting our turn for a planetarium show, we had our own alien entertainments in the attached science museum.

The hall is a reconstruction of the largest Viking hall yet discovered and has been built just up a hill from the archeological site. Like the reconstructions at L’Anse aux Meadow, it is substantial, comfortable and very well-built.

Amanda (far right) joined the revelers as they danced around the fire before we headed back to catch our ship at the next port.

Back on board, we again headed north through the inner passageways among the coastal islands. In the Trollfjord, the ship turned its spotlights on portions of a glacier as we sailed by. On deck around midnight we also saw our first glimpse of the northern lights, which were quite faint, but discernible.

Trondheim has ancient origins as the original capital of Norway, where Harald Fairhair (865-933) was recognized as King, as well as his son Haakon I (“the Good”). Another warrior king of the Viking Age, Olav Trygveson, gave the city its name in 997 (although it has been also known, on and off, as Nidaros). Like most figures of the Viking Age, Olaf’s life is a fantastic, swashbuckling tale. Apparently born in Orkney as his mother fled the murderers of his father (a Viken King), he ended up in Kievan ‘Rus, then married a widow-Queen of the Norsemen in Ireland & England, eventually assembling an army to claim the throne and consolidate power in Norway (on the way converting to Christianity and imposing his new faith on his subjects).

The imposing Nidaros Cathedral (the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world) owes its stature and existence to Olav Haraldson who won the kingship in 1015, also trying to impose Christianity on a reluctant population. It was the miraculous appearance of plants growing inside his fresh-smelling opened tomb (we’re told) that catapulted the king into his role as St. Olaf ( patron saint of Norway) and brought the newly faithful to seek blessings from nearness to him. His body was thereafter moved from newly established church to newly established church by the current King, until after 40 years of wandering it came to rest here in 1070 when construction began on the Cathedral. In 1568, after the Reformation, the body was hidden in an attempt to stop such a Catholic practice. It has never been found. Now a Lutheran Cathedral, receiving State funding, it further relies on tourism and special concerts to pay for the enormous maintenance costs.

The third largest city of Norway, Trondheim hosts a large student population and an international chamber music festival.

Winter anywhere is a study in muted colors. Norway is no exception.

Alesund was the first port of call providing us the opportunity to leave the ship. The ship line has 34 ports of call for every ship heading north and every ship heading south. It’s the transportation link for all of the communities along the Norwegian coast north of Bergen, so the ships carry freight, local passengers and tourists. Some stops are up to six hours, while others are 15 minutes.

Our local guide, Odd (a common Norwegian name) warmed us up by recounting a business trip to Buffalo where he introduced himself “I’m Odd”, and was followed by his colleague who then introduced himself with his (also common) Norwegian given name “and I’m Even.” Joachim Ronneberg is the Norwegian resistance fighter who trained in England and led the raid of Norwegian saboteurs who blew up the Nazi production facility working on the production of heavy water during WWII, thereby setting back German production of an atomic bomb. “Is” because he still can be seen walking the streets of Alesund.

Alesund is known as the scene of a devastating fire in 1904 following which 10,000 of its 12,000 residents were made homeless. Aid poured in from around the world and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany organized the rebuilding of the town as a gesture of goodwill.

The purpose of Day Five was to get us from Oslo to Bergen. Most Norwegians fly. We found out why. One reason is that flying takes two hours, while the train takes eight.

At the tiny whistlestop of Haugastol, about four hours into our journey, our train came to a halt and we learned that a power failure up ahead on the line meant that buses must be sent to find us and take us the rest of the way to Bergen.

Less than five minutes into our bus trip we approached what looked like a railroad crossing with flashing lights – as if our train continuing to sit at the little station had blocked our road forward, or so we thought at first. But, the reality was more sobering. The road was closed, except for convoys of vehicles headed by snow plows.

At least our bus had WiFi, so we could follow our progress.

We spotted a few cross country skiers as well as a skier using a kite like we see on the bay at home.

Most resorts seemed to be closed for the season.

We made our way through the mountain passes.

Through an incredible number of tunnels, many quite long, some multi-level, and one with a traffic circle in it.

Until we began to see more and more water.

More evidence of human presence.

And a bit more of the majestic scenery before arriving behind schedule in Bergen, but in sufficient time to catch the ship that will take us to the top of the world.

Designed as floes of ice on the edge of the fjord, the Oslo Opera House dips down into the water. Covered in Carrera marble, in the summer it causes “snow blindness” for people venturing onto the roof. We did not make it inside, although we understand it is beautiful with perfect accoustics.

The chilly weather and significant breeze made us happy to be bundled up as we climbed the roof to have a view of the city.

Indeed, Oslo is a fast growing city (the fastest in Europe) with a lot of new construction. We looked for, but didn’t see, some of the modern buildings featured in the recent TV show Occupied.

The Oseberg ship at the Viking Ship Museum was built around 820, would have been rowed by 30 men, and was used for the entombment in 834 of two very high status women, one in her 70’s and the other in her 50’s. A burial chamber was lined with elaborate tapestries and many burial goods accompanied the ladies, including 15 horses.

Found in over 2000 pieces, buried in clay, most of the iron nails holding the boat together survived the centuries.

The ladies were also accompanied into the afterlife by other grave goods, including these three sleds.

The Gokstad ship is another incredibly well-preserved ship from about 850 and used for the burial of a warrior slain in battle in about 900. It had 34 rowers and the burial included yellow and black battle shield arrayed around the ship. Remnants of a red and white striped sail were also found.

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The Vigeland Sculpture Park was designed and executed by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943). The principle grouping is centered around the “Monolith,” a sort of obelisk. Thirty-six groupings of granite figures of progressive ages surround the Monolith. The granite is impossibly smooth, in summer it is said to feel like warm skin.

A fountain is surrounded by bronze sculptures representing trees of life with various stages of human life and death intertwined in their branches. The final picture is one of the figures, also in bronze, that line a bridge capturing relationships in the family. The works were executed in the 1930’s. Some art critics believe they express a fascist aesthetic. Vigeland himself was a Nazi sympathizer and collaborator during the Quisling government. Ironically, he was also the designer of the Nobel Peace Prize Medal.

We rounded out our day with a visit to the Museum of Industrial Design (furniture) and a lovely concert by the Oslo Chamber Music Orchestra.

On a frigid Oslo morning we set off to explore the Fram Polar Museum, named for the first boat involved in successful polar expeditions to both poles, manned by Norwegians (naturally) and shown, above. We hope the lighting effects on the walls aren’t the closest we get to seeing the Northern Lights, although we keep being told there are no guarantees. Ra (the Egyptian Sun God) must cooperate, as well as the weather.

Next door, at the Kon Tiki museum, the exploits of Thor Heyerdahl are brought back to life. As you can see, the Kon Tiki was not a large boat. In fact, it was a raft made of lashed-together balsa logs he sailed from Peru to Polynesia in 1947 to make a point – that ancient peoples could have done the same thing. Objectively speaking, Heyerdahl was a little nuts. He was afraid of the water, could barely swim, was not a sailor and had no idea how to handle the raft. Fortunately, he recruited some capable crew, although no one had any idea how to handle the raft.

Not satisfied with life back on land, Heyerdahl decided to test the notion that ancient people could have travelled from Africa across the Atlantic. His first attempt failed, but the Ra II did make it from Morroco to Barbados after being lost at sea and the subject of a UN search and rescue mission.

Down the road at the open-air Folk Museum, a very well-preserved Stave Church is the highlight of a visit. Built around 1200, it is one of only 28 remaining such churches in Norway. They are called “stave” churches after the staves or posts that support the roof.

The museum boasts 160 buildings from all over Norway, providing a hint of what life has been like over the past 500 years.

And, interiors to match, all the way into the 20th century.

The big surprise of the day was the interior of the City Hall we failed to love from the outside. The grand hall on the ground floor is where the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held.

Upstairs, the rooms are equally dazzling.

And provide a wonderful view of the fjord.