Sunday, June 20, 2010
Sunshine
We finaly have sunny skies!! The irony being that we are pulling into one of the rainier places in Norway. Today the skies are blue and the coast is vibrant. I'll tell you more when we arrive in Bergen. Klemmer fra Maria!!!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Back down the coast
The only place we have a signal is in the bar and the lounge act is very distracting. 70's light AM rock sung with a "wery" thick Norwegian accent. I am giggling almost too hard to type.
Today we crossed back down over the circle. The landscape is magnificent. The water is so clear and green-blue in places it looks almost tropical. The beautiful shade of green-blue is from the melting glaciers. There are mountains plummeting into the sea with crags and holes created in the ice age - stupendous. As we sail down the coast, small towns appear - each one clutching to the side of the surrounding mountains. Sparse places covered in only in shrub and fir trees, rock in shades of gray and brown filling the landscape. This afternoon and evening it is incredibly rainy and cold. Still the surroundings are beautiful in their desolation.
We have passed under and around the Atlantic road. It really is an engineering marvel. Seeing this long thin suspension bridge connect hundreds of kilometers of islands along this lonely terrain is truly amazing.
My body is finally adjusting to the constant light – just in time for the trip to almost be over. We have been so tired from the lack of sleep and constant running that I think we ran out of steam in time to get onto the ship. The ship ride is refreshing because it is forcing us to be still - though after all the motion from the last week and a half, it is awkward. I feel like we need to be moving or running to catch a train.
The passengers are mostly older retired folks, a large group are your stereotypical tourist, whether from the US or Europe, they are the same – embarrassing – but not unkind. Then you have the travelers and observers - those who are more interested in absorbing the surrounds not just taking and leaving. I hope I am part of the travelers. I have done my best to be a gracious visitor.
We are heading towards the south, fjord country. The Norwegian landscape has been a marvel. Each region has been so very different. I look forward to seeing the fjords. I have heard so much about them and only had small glimpses in Oslo and Trondheim. Our destination on this part of the trip is Bergen. We should arrive Sunday afternoon. Everyone we chat with says, “Hope you have an umbrella”. I laugh, and respond, “Yes, I have two.”
I will post new pictures for you later. Love to all. Klem fra Maria!
Today we crossed back down over the circle. The landscape is magnificent. The water is so clear and green-blue in places it looks almost tropical. The beautiful shade of green-blue is from the melting glaciers. There are mountains plummeting into the sea with crags and holes created in the ice age - stupendous. As we sail down the coast, small towns appear - each one clutching to the side of the surrounding mountains. Sparse places covered in only in shrub and fir trees, rock in shades of gray and brown filling the landscape. This afternoon and evening it is incredibly rainy and cold. Still the surroundings are beautiful in their desolation.
We have passed under and around the Atlantic road. It really is an engineering marvel. Seeing this long thin suspension bridge connect hundreds of kilometers of islands along this lonely terrain is truly amazing.
My body is finally adjusting to the constant light – just in time for the trip to almost be over. We have been so tired from the lack of sleep and constant running that I think we ran out of steam in time to get onto the ship. The ship ride is refreshing because it is forcing us to be still - though after all the motion from the last week and a half, it is awkward. I feel like we need to be moving or running to catch a train.
The passengers are mostly older retired folks, a large group are your stereotypical tourist, whether from the US or Europe, they are the same – embarrassing – but not unkind. Then you have the travelers and observers - those who are more interested in absorbing the surrounds not just taking and leaving. I hope I am part of the travelers. I have done my best to be a gracious visitor.
We are heading towards the south, fjord country. The Norwegian landscape has been a marvel. Each region has been so very different. I look forward to seeing the fjords. I have heard so much about them and only had small glimpses in Oslo and Trondheim. Our destination on this part of the trip is Bergen. We should arrive Sunday afternoon. Everyone we chat with says, “Hope you have an umbrella”. I laugh, and respond, “Yes, I have two.”
I will post new pictures for you later. Love to all. Klem fra Maria!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Trondheim to Bodø
We had a wonderful time in Trondheim. It was the first capitol of Norway and remained such for 200 years. It is still one of the three largest cities behind Oslo and Bergen. The Nidoras port is where Leif Erickson converted to Christianity and headed into the new world. As I mentioned yesterday, it is currently a university town and is some aspects reminded me of Columbia.
We climbed onto an overnight train and headed up across the Arctic circle. We have not seen Santa yet, but we are still looking. :) It is cold and raining today in Bodø with snow on the mountains that surround the old industrial city. Bodø was heavily bombed by the Germans in WWII, so much of the city has been rebuilt over the last 60 years.
I keep looking for the clear blue skies of Norway. I hope the sky will clear enough so we can see the midnight sun tonight. We got a hotel while we were here in Bodø. We really needed some time to catch our breath and a little sleep. We have been going non-stop and it was catching up with us. We've now showered and gotten our second wind. Tonight we will catch the ship to take us back down the coast at 4am. It is almost the same level of sun at noon and midnight so it will be nice to see the city from a different vantage point.
We are really having such a God Tur!!
Tussen takk!!
Maria
We climbed onto an overnight train and headed up across the Arctic circle. We have not seen Santa yet, but we are still looking. :) It is cold and raining today in Bodø with snow on the mountains that surround the old industrial city. Bodø was heavily bombed by the Germans in WWII, so much of the city has been rebuilt over the last 60 years.
I keep looking for the clear blue skies of Norway. I hope the sky will clear enough so we can see the midnight sun tonight. We got a hotel while we were here in Bodø. We really needed some time to catch our breath and a little sleep. We have been going non-stop and it was catching up with us. We've now showered and gotten our second wind. Tonight we will catch the ship to take us back down the coast at 4am. It is almost the same level of sun at noon and midnight so it will be nice to see the city from a different vantage point.
We are really having such a God Tur!!
Tussen takk!!
Maria
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Fear and Loathing in a Cathedral Tower
Well we will be getting on the overnight train tonight. I don't know if I will get to write any so I wanted to catch you up really quickly . . . Morgan and I climbed to the top of Nidoras Catherdral today. It was 180 very dark, dusty, and narrow winding stairs - but once you start you have to go to the top, because there is no way down. We both made it alive!
The view from the top was completely amazing! Trondheim is fabulous, in many ways it is similar to Columbia. It is a university town. I will write more about the city at our next stop. We are now heading across the artic circle. Wish us luck. Klemmer!!!
The view from the top was completely amazing! Trondheim is fabulous, in many ways it is similar to Columbia. It is a university town. I will write more about the city at our next stop. We are now heading across the artic circle. Wish us luck. Klemmer!!!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
To Dovre and back again
I spent Monday in the school in Folldall (pronounced Haldal). It is a very small school but wonderful. Like the school in Gjovik, and I am guessing many others, it is fairy new 3 years or less. Very modern in structure and wiring. All the lighting is motion sensor. The most interestng aspect about Norwegian schools is that the students have the classroom and the teachers go to them. The teachers each have a desk in a common area. The only down side is that the teacher's do not decorate the classroom like they do in the states. On the flip side the rooms are decorated entirely with the student's work.
So I taught 4 classes on Monday 5th - 8th grade. We discussed South Carolina, and the differences in our countries. It was a lot of fun. The students were great. Morgan made a ton of friends as usual.
I also had the pleasure of being a guest at a 3rd grade program. I will upload the video of it later. I also was interviewed by the local newspaper and a magazine. Kind of strange, but flattering.
We then drove out into the extreme wild mountains where there are no people for hundreds of miles. We were searching for reindeer again. Sadly we never found any, but it did snow on us. Kind of crazy that in Mid June it was snowing. If you have read Kristin Larvansdatter we drove along the mountain train she and her father followed in the first book. It was really wonderful.
Finally we drove to Røros last night. I will tell you more about that tomorrow. It is late now and I am getting very tired.
Klemmer!!
So I taught 4 classes on Monday 5th - 8th grade. We discussed South Carolina, and the differences in our countries. It was a lot of fun. The students were great. Morgan made a ton of friends as usual.
I also had the pleasure of being a guest at a 3rd grade program. I will upload the video of it later. I also was interviewed by the local newspaper and a magazine. Kind of strange, but flattering.
We then drove out into the extreme wild mountains where there are no people for hundreds of miles. We were searching for reindeer again. Sadly we never found any, but it did snow on us. Kind of crazy that in Mid June it was snowing. If you have read Kristin Larvansdatter we drove along the mountain train she and her father followed in the first book. It was really wonderful.
Finally we drove to Røros last night. I will tell you more about that tomorrow. It is late now and I am getting very tired.
Klemmer!!
