Good Bye, Norway

Norway did not want us to leave without saying "Goodbye" so, after starting the day with brilliant sunshine and nearly calm seas, we ran into "weather".  At 4 pm we left the Arctic officially (66 degrees N), sailing in a designated lane about 60 miles out.  The wind and waves increased and for one of the few times, we knew we were at sea.  There was just enough motion to remind us.  Most of the time it is so smooth that we do not experience that sensation. 

Amazing!

58,627.5 nautical miles / 12 Dec 11 to 12 May 12

The distance I sailed from December 12, 2011 to May 12, 2012.

Since December, I have sailed in every ocean on this planet.  Another reason for my Attitude of Gratitude.

Alesund, without the small "o" over the capital "a"

 What a difference a guide makes!!!!!

Bente, our guide for the walking tour, was an absolute gem.  We trudged up hills (she kindly paused to give the out-of-shape people - me - a short rest) accompanied by her expert knowledge of the city, past, present and future.  She, like all good guides, solicited questions which she expertly answered, all the while giving us photo opportunities.

We walked - my favorite - up and down a lot of hills.  My thigh muscles started to complain but the calf muscles beat them to it.  There is a famous look-out at the top of 435 (?) steps.  Given enough time, I could have managed the steps but not the long drops off the side going up.

Alesund is a small town of about 35,000, located on 7 islands, connected by ferries and a tunnel.  There was a toll on one of the roads or tunnels and when the cost had been paid, the toll was abolished - how cool is that!!!  

Buildings which survived the fire

There was a tremendous fire in 1904 and the wooden town burned rapidly and almost completely.  The German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, sent a lot of aid: there is a statue of him in the city park in recognition of his aid.  The Germans were looked upon fondly until they occupied Norway during WW II.  Both sides were surprised at the actions of the other.  The Germans never really understood the Resistance and the Norwegians never understood the entitlement mentality of the Germans.

The town was rebuilt after the fire in the prevalent style of the time - Jugendstil / Art Nouveau.  Consequently, there is more Art Nouveau architecture in Alesund than anywhere else in the North.  Many of the decorations reflect the national influence where the architect studied:  thistles when the architect studied in Scotland, roses from England and France.

House, one room wide

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The town dates from the 9th century when Rolf/Rollo/Rollon (same man, different spellings)  the Ganger (his nickname should be a clue), a thoroughly unpleasant man to have as an enemy had his settlement there.  He later led his Northmen (Norsemen) to northern France and founded what became Normandy, in the process becoming the ancestor of William the Bastard who conquered England in 1066, and thus the ancestor of the English language and of those of us with some Anglo-Norman genes.   If there is a gene for "wandering", perhaps I got it from Rollo.

The group had lots of questions about Norwegian life and one which interested me especially was the unemployment rate - about 2% but still too high as far as the government is concerned.  Also, retirees are encouraged to go home for a few months but then to come back to work.  Sounds ideal.  According to Bente, there is enough work for people who are flexible - just another reason to love this most lovable country.

One more sea day and then Germany and the hope of having my knee, badly damaged in my accident in December but not noticed at that time in the ER, repaired without surgery.

The Midnight Sun

I probably have not given enough space to this most, .....well, amazing phenomenon.  At the North Pole, it lasts for 6 months and at 71 degrees north latitude, it lasts from May to July.  It's difficult to describe a world that never gets dark, where you can read on the deck at midnight and after, and where my body simply did not register getting sleepy until about 3 am when the sun was back up anyway.  I had wondered about the heavily lined drapes in my stateroom - aha, to fool your body into thinking it was night. 

My body adjusted within 30 hours and I was back to being my normal, sleep-deprived self - remember how when you were a child and you had to go to bed and KNEW you were missing something special?  Well, I did not have to miss anything but sleep and enjoyed every waking hour.

Years ago I worked with a Swedish company and the agent told me that because winters are so long and hard, the company closes every day at 1 pm during the summer so that the employees have more time to enjoy the summer.  Quite a good idea.

I have wondered how long it takes to adjust to winters -3 months of darkness??  Once, on a ski trip to central Norway, we never saw the sun.  The hills around the lodge were not particularly high but the sun did not get above them.  On the other hand, the nights were magnificent with a gazillion stars and twice, with aurorae.  Certainly, they would be compensating factors.