AMAZING ADVENTURE ABOVE ARCTIC CIRCLE! August 15-24, 2016
Actually, only four days of our trip to Norway are spent above the Arctic Circle, but this makes for a good heading! This trip materializes through the usual proposal processes. A request for proposals is announced by the Norwegian Seafood Council. In return, Dr. Williams and Dr. Capps submit a proposal to the Norwegian Seafood Council to perform a study that will measure the return on funds invested by the Council (NSC) in promoting Norwegian seafood through generic marketing activities. This proposal is accepted by the NSC. Dr. Williams and Dr. Capps are invited to visit NSC members and a university team in Norway for further discussions and planning. Of course, each professor has a family member or two along for the ride!
Trondheim
Our first stop is colorful Trondheim, Norway's third-largest city, along the Trondheimsfjord in central Norway. Trondheim served as Norway's capital throughout the Middle Ages, and offers a wealth of historical sights.
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| Scandia, our hotel in Trondheim |
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| Built along Trondheimsfjord and river Nidelva, Trondheim is a City of Bridges |
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| Statue of King Olav Tryggvason in Trondheim's Market Square |
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| Side Entrance to Nidaros Cathedral, largest medieval building in Scandinavia |
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| Nidaros is built over grave of Saint-King Olav Haraldson, killed in battle in 1030. |
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| Steinmeyer organ in north transept of Nidaros Cathedral |
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| Stunning views from central tower of Nidaros Cathedral |
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| During the Middle Ages, Nidaros was a most popular pilgrimage destination. |
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| Wharves along river Nidelva with Bakklandet and Kristianstern Fortress |
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| Gamle Bybro -- Old Town Bridge |
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| Bakklandet District -- Major tourist attraction of Trondheim |
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| What a Colorful Evening! |
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| Frozen yogurt at Seven-Eleven in Bakklandet |
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| New Trondheim commercial district |
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| Scandia with foot bridge across river Nidelva |
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| View from Scandia Lobby, Trondheim |
Tromsø
Next, we visit Tromsø, headquarters of the Norwegian Seafood Council and the Gateway to the Arctic! Tromsø is the largest town in Northern Norway. Fishing, trapping and trade form the foundation for the city. Close to the Arctic Ocean, Tromsø is a natural jumping-off point for polar expeditions. Names of such famous explorers as Roald Amundsen, Fridtjof Nansen and Umerto Nobile are inextricably linked with Tromsø. The University of Tromsø is the most northerly university in the world. Tromsø also boasts the northernmost Burger King!
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| Fangstmonument (Arctic Hunter) in Tromsø |
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| Scandia, our hotel in Tromsø |
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| Hurtigruten ship, beside Scandia |
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| Truly amazing view from our hotel room in Tromsø! |
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| View from residential area above Tromsø wharves |
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| White reindeer (still not enough camouflage for this poor guy) |
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| Mosaic of Northern Lights over Tromsø on downtown building |
Fjord Fishing Trip
On Saturday, our host Amund, from the Norwegian Seafood Council, takes us on an all day fishing trip through the fjords of Northern Norway. He brings sandwiches, peaches, trail mix, oreos and bottled water. The boat crew also offers smoked salmon and other delicacies. Despite having a sonar fish tracker aboard the boat, then stopping where large schools of fish can be seen, the big ones lurking below the surface just aren't biting for us. For about an hour, we dock at Husøy, a small island in the fjord, to attend a local festival, complete with craft and food vendors (reminiscent of a carnival in the U.S.). We walk around the island to see how locals live, admire their houses, look into their churches, eat their food... On this day, Gary and I feel amazed by how, for the briefest moment in time, we are able to touch shoulders with these sweet people in a far-off, strange land, who live such different life styles than our own ... We share experiences, laugh, connect for an instant, then go back to our very different worlds. So near, and yet so far!
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| King of the Fjord! |
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| Gary and Rhonda having the time of their lives! |
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| Approaching the Island of Husøy |
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| We prepare to dock at the Island of Husøy to attend a local festival. |
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| Local festival on the Island of Husøy |
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| We spend time walking around the streets of Husøy, to get a feel for this community. |
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| Then we return to the boat. |
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| Our boat's captain and his crew of one |
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| Husøy in our rear view mirror |
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| Majestic Mountains of Northern Norway |
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| Kevin, Jug and Gary try their hand at deep-sea fishing. |
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| Amund catches a small fish, then releases it. |
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| These guys show off their much larger catch of the day. |
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| Not sure I've ever seen one like this before?? |
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| Unfortunately for this guy, he's a keeper! |
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| During our drive back to Tromsø, we stop by Neolithic cave drawings. |
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| We also spot this herd of unconcerned, yet unpredictable reindeer. |
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| Bicyclist ends up riding through the field to get past the reindeer. |
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| Leader of the herd exerts his dominance in a face off with us. |
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| Then the herd crosses the road to the far side... |
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| And stops traffic in both directions!! |
Fjellheisen: An aerial tramway to the top of Storsteinen ridge overlooking Tromsø
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| The lower tram station is located in Tromsdalen, near sea level. |
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| The upper tram station is located at Storsteinen, 420 meters above sea level. |
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| Looking down from the top, it is very clear that Tromsø is located on an island. |
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| We also saw similar rock piles on the beach at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands. |
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| A bright ray of sunshine streams through threatening clouds to dance atop the fjord! |
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| Imagining what it would be like in Tromsø during the long, dark Arctic winter. |
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| Brrrrrr! It's cold enough in August!! |
Final Day of Sightseeing in Tromsø
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| Nazi Headquarters, used during German occupation of Tromsø, June 1940 - May 1945 |
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| Awwww! Cute stuffed polar bear outside souvenir shop in Tromsø. |
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| We take the bus across Tromsø Bridge to tour Arctic Cathedral. |
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| The chandeliers of Czech crystal inside Arctic Cathedral are inspired by icicles. |
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| Arctic Cathedral's stained glass is inspired by the Northern Lights. |
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| Tromsø Bridge from front of Arctic Cathedral |
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| Instead of taking the bus, we walk back across the bridge to Tromsø. |
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| Wharves north of Torghuken from Tromsø Bridge |
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| Spear gun outside Polar Museum |
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| Looking back across fjord toward Arctic Church in Tromsdalen |
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| Our stay in Tromsø has been an absolutely delightful experience! We're sad to leave. :-( |
Stavanger
The final stop of this trip is beautiful Stavanger, along the southwestern coast of Norway. Dr. Capps and Dr. Williams come here to meet with professors from the University of Stavanger, who will be partnering with them on the marketing study for the Norwegian Seafood Council. We also spend two enjoyable evenings strolling through the heart of Stavanger's picturesque central area.
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| Valberg Tower - Once used to watch for fires, then alert people in town |
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| View of Vagen harbor area from Valberg Tower |
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| Old Town Stavanger - Largest surviving wooden house settlement in northern Europe |
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| This lovely old home is not made of wood -- a rarity in Old Town. |
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| This charming collection of 18th century homes is lovingly preserved. |
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| We are wowed by these idyllic homes, kept in immaculate condition! |
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| This Old Town stroll has been a refreshing step back into a simpler time and place. |
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| Several cruise ships are docked in Stavanger's picturesque harbor on this day. |
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| Wharves along Vagen and Valberg Tower. We think the sculpture is a Viking ship. |
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| Stavanger Cathedral (built around 1125) is Norway's second largest medieval cathedral. |
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| Pulpit, carved and painted by Andrew Smith in 1658, spans Bible's full history |
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| Andrew Smith's Bible, printed in Copenhagen in 1589 |
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| Hiermann epitaph, carved and painted by Andrew Smith in 1664 |
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| Godtzen epitaph, carved by Andrew Smith in 1662 in memory of Sofren and Elizabeth Godtzen and their 18 children. |
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| Pond behind Cathedral is said to have been created by a troll who threw a large stone at the cathedral and missed! |
Stavanger is an idyllic place to end our Norway adventure. We hope to return next year to continue exploring this truly unique area of the world!
