Shadow |ˈ sh adō|
Something insubstantial or fleeting, a region of opacity, an inseparable companion, to follow and observe closely.
Something keeps you coming back to that shadowland, And so did I for the mysteries
Boz Scaggs
Viking Attitude
I’ve wandered through Scandinavia like a bit player in the Norse Sagas, those timeless myths filled with blood, battles and debauchery. Only my voyage consists of beer, buses and bargain basements. Maybe not as dangerous but just as exhausting. At this point in the trip I’m downright tuckered out. I have been trudging around after Wendi as she’s pillaged her way through Iceland, Norway and Sweden for weeks. I’m always a couple steps slow and a few beats behind like a bass player that can’t catch up to the rest of the band. It seems she is always looking back at me with that “will you hurry up” look on her face.
Let’s Go
And hats! What’s with the hats? Every silly hat from Reykjavik to Stockholm has magically ended up on her head, coupled with a goofy grin. She doesn’t want to bring them home so, I suppose, that’s good.
Regardless of her proclivity for wacky chapeaus, Wendi’s enthusiasm is undeniable. She is clearly a woman on the move.
At the Opera House in Bergen, Norway
A stroll in Bergen
Shopping in Stockholm
On the way to the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
On a ferry in Vestlandet
On the fjord ferry.
With family in Stavanger, Norway
A walk in Bergen, Norway
Shopping in Reykjavik, Iceland
Armed with her Stockholm Card.
On the way to Fotografiska.
Subway station photo bomb.
On the way.
Hotorget Flea Market
City Food Market
The Royal Palace
On the Flambana in Norway
She does have quiet moments of self reflection, albeit few and far between and usually after extensive shopping or while jet lagged.
DK Department Store – Stockholm
One of twenty H&M’s in Stockholm
Jet lagged at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland
At the Moderna Museet in Stockholm
Wet Bottom.
With Olav, Wendi’s Viking Friend.
On the ferry in Stockholm
She did take time for a little work.
Gamla Stan, Stockholm
At Skudeneshavn, Norway
Haugesund, Norway
Rosendal, Norway
That’s all for now.
That’s All Folks.
See you soon.
Let’s start with a travel tip. I’m always a little leery of package schemes and deals aimed at visitors, but the Stockholm Card is the exception and a great deal. This is a real godsend, which, if you keep busy, offers significant savings. It is also hugely convenient to not have to dig for cash or use a credit card everywhere you go. Besides giving you free passage on all of Stockholm’s public transportation you also get free access to over 75 major museums and major historical sites.
Our public transportation map after 6 days.
Stockholm is a big and busy city, not big and busy in an otherworldly sense like Hong Kong, New York or London. There are no skyscrapers and the church spires are still the tallest structures in town. There are no giant cloverleaf overpasses like arteries in some huge beast, but Stockholm is spread out over 14 islands with a complex overlapping transport system that incorporates ferries, buses, trams, subways, bridges, walkways and roads that tie the whole thing together.
The City Food Market
The City Food Market
Shopping on Drottninggatan
Shopping on Drottninggatan
In Blasieholmen
On the ferry to Djurgarden
In Blasieholem
On the ferry to Djurgarden
On the dock in Skeppsholem
Hotorget Square
Across the water towards Ostermalm
Across the water towards Ostermalm
Kiosk in Djurgarden
Clock near Kungstradgarden
Old Tram Sign
Building in Ostermalm
Walking in the old city.
Near T-Centralen
Outside T-Centralen
Outside T-Centralen
Gamla Stan
Gamla Stan, or “Old Town”, is our favorite part of the city. It is situated on the island of Stadsholmen and is one huge warren of narrow medieval streets and heritage sites. The Royal Palace, museums and 17th century churches are just steps from each other. The entire atmosphere is of a bygone era.
Stortorget was the site of the old Stock Exchange is now a lively square in the heart of the old town but in 1520 it was the site of the Stockholm Bloodbath when the Danish King tricked the Swedish Regent and beheaded more then 80 Swedish noblemen in this very square.
Stortorget
The Hotorget Flea Market
No trip would be complete without a flea market. The square at Hotorget is a flower and produce market all week but every Sunday it transforms to a great little second hand market. Just try to keep Wendi away. I dare you.
Sinking Expectations or The Very Short Voyage of the Vasa
When the Vasa was designed by two Dutch brothers in 1628 it was the largest and most heavily armed war ship in the world. With this vessel the Swedes hoped to strike fear in their enemies and control all trade on the Baltic Sea. Unfortunately, there was no engineering, as we know it, at the time and all construction was essentially done by trial and error. The massive ship proved to be just a whisper too tall and slightly too narrow. It was a lovely sunny day on August 10th in 1628 when the Vasa set out on it’s maiden voyage. In a slight breeze it listed a little to starboard, took in water through the gun ports and sank to the bottom of Stockholm harbor where it lay until being rediscovered in 330 feet of water in 1956. After a complex salvage operation and a 17 year conservation project the Vasa now sits proudly in it’s own especially designed museum.
http://www.vasamuseet.se/en/The-Ship/Life-on-board/
So, a Viking walks into a bar with a can of spray paint…….
Graffiti Beginner Kit
I was a little surprised with both the volume and quality of graffiti we’ve seen in Scandinavia. Reykjavik has a huge amount of young people, so I get that, but Norway is a very squeaky clean country, with strict rules on driving and public behavior, and people like it like that. We have discussed the very large quantity of graffiti, wall paintings and assorted art stickers plastered about with a couple bartenders and have been informed that it is not really thought of as graffiti, but more “Street Art”. Which is kind of cool, it raises the bar a little and opens it up to a variety of media, i.e. paint, neon, stickers, posters, etc. Let’s walk around a little.
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
Stavanger
Bergen
Stavanger
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
Reykjavik
Bergen
Peek A Boo – Reykjavik
Bergen
Dockrws – Reykjavik
Bergen
Reykjavik
Acorn – Reykjavik
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
No Lost Generation – Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
Beer in Bergen
Good People In Bergen
Bergen
Reykjavik
Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger
Bergen
Stavanger
Stavanger
Haugesund
Haugesund
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
Bergen
Gallery Window in Bergen
Two French Tourists
I received a comment the other day asking, “Where are all the people?” and I suppose that’s fair. I’m clearly more interested in art and architecture then I am in documenting the lives of complete strangers. That been said I would probably take more pictures of people here if we had met any Norwegians. In point of fact, with the exception of Jon who was kind enough to pick us up at the airport the day we arrived, we haven’t met any Norwegians. I know they’re here somewhere. Perhaps the gal in the supermarket is Norwegian, although her English is so perfect, maybe not. The fella at the local snack bar is Scottish. We met a potter in Bergen who is English, went to school in South Dakota and married a Norwegian. Maybe we can meet him? All the bartenders are English, who along with their neighbors in the Emerald Isle are clearly the world’s most avid drinkers. All the waitresses are Swedish, who since the oil boom have turned into Norway’s poor relations. And almost all the tourists are Asians, with a slight smattering of Spaniards. Oh, I almost forgot, the girl in the Tourist Bureau is Norwegian but she’s moving to Budapest in two weeks so she doesn’t really count. There are no festivals here this month and a lot of shops are closed. We have been told that’s because all the Norwegians have fled to Spain where they are assured of sunshine. Even small cities have direct flights to Malaga, Alicante, Majorca and the Canary Islands to help facilitate the mass exodus.
A Swedish Waitress
Once we were in Liechtenstein and asked a waitress if she was local. She laughed and said that she was Portuguese and that if we wanted to meet any Liechtensteinians we would need to go to the bank, that being both their workplace and spiritual home. That’s somewhat problematic now. With the advent of ATMs we haven’t needed to go into a foreign bank since we were in Turkey over 25 years ago. Perhaps we should go into the Sparbank in Bergen and ask, “Where the hell are all the Norwegians?”
In A Nutshell
The Flamsbanen
We took the world famous Flamsbanen as part of the “Norway In A Nutshell” tour, which is billed as the world’s most beautiful train ride. It runs from Myrdal on the mountain plateau down to Flam on the banks of the great Sognefjorden.
Myrdal Station
Amazing Vistas
Kjosfossen Waterfall
Arriving in Flam
Cruise Ship docks at Flam
It’s Party Time
It’s Party Time
Our entire train was filled with a huge tour group from Sichuan Province China. Wendi and I were the only non-Asians on the train. I love these people. In Norway for just 16 days but the rumpus never stops.
Chan “The Ringleader”
The party began when they handed around dehydrated fish nuggets of some kind that we were encouraged to share. They devoured them. Truly the most God Awful things I have ever put in my mouth, I can still taste them.
Breakfast
The men cracked open a quart of single malt scotch at 8:15am and had drained the bottle in less then an hour.
Look Mountains
And talk about equipment, they were a legion of picture takers. I think they must all be product testers for Sony or Samsung. And they were fascinated with snow-covered mountains. Every time the mountains came into view the entire group would leap to that side of the train and take hundreds of pictures. We were certain the car was going to tip over.
Making Memories
Besides being Norway’s largest island, Karmøy is commonly referred to as the “Homeland of the Viking Kings – Norway’s Birthplace. We began our visit in Haugesund, now a shipping and fishing port, it has many historical connections and was once the stomping ground of Harald Fairhair, the first King of Norway, who lived from 850 to 932 AD and was reputed to have between 11 and 20 sons who couldn’t get along with anyone, not even each other.
Haugesund
Haugesund
Haugesund
Haugesund
Haugesund
Haugesund
Haugesund
Olav’s Church
Olav’s Church is at Avaldsnes, a beautiful setting and the historic site of Harald’s Royal Farm and burial mound.
Olav’s Church
Olav’s Church
Virgin Mary’s Needle stands on the north side of Olav’s Church. The Sagas warn that Doomsday will occur if ever the needle touches the church wall. It is rumored that the clergymen of Avaldsnes have snuck out at night and chiseled off pieces to save the world. Apparently the end is a mere 9.2 cm away.
Virgin Mary’s Needle – Olav’s Church
Skudeneshavn
Situated at the very southern tip of Karøy, Skudeneshavn is a traditional fishing settlement filled with whitewashed houses from the early 19th century. Old Shudeneshaven is considered one of the best preserved small towns in Norway.
Skudeneshavn Harbor
Skudeneshavn
Skudeneshavn
Lady in the Park
Skudeneshavn
Skudeneshavn Harbor
Skudeneshavn Warehouse
Skudeneshavn
Skudeneshavn
Skudeneshavn
Back On The Road
We are back on the road and headed for Stavanger which is just across Boknafjorden. On the map it looks close, but it isn’t. Getting there involves two ferries and two of the deepest tunnels I have ever been through. They recommend chewing gum to help your ears.
Stavanger
Originally a traditional market town, first herring, then canning and eventually oil have transformed Stavanger into Norway’s fourth largest city.
Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger Harbor
Norsk Oljemusem – Stavanger Harbor
Stavanger Harbor
Stavanger Harbor
Gamie “Old” Stavanger
The houses along the terraced narrow cobblestone streets of this district were slated for demolition after World War II when local citizens stepped in and called for their preservation. Once the homes of sailors and tradesmen, Gamie Stavanger now has 156 lovingly restored whitewashed cottages.
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Gamie Stavanger
Borgund Stave-Church
This church is located at Borgund in Lærdal beside the Sognefjord and is the world’s best preserved stave church.
Borgund Stave-Church
Borgund Stave-Church
Borgund Stave-Church
Borgund Stave-Church
Borgund Stave-Church
These medieval wooden Christian church buildings were once common in north-western Europe. It is believed, that at one point, there were between 750 and 1000 stave churches in Norway. Today there are only 28 remaining. In the Middle Ages, when people in Europe were building great cathedrals in stone, Norway developed similar construction techniques with timber. Norway had a very long tradition of wood construction for buildings, art and the production of ships. The roof structure is essentially an inverted ship hull.
Come On In
The North Door
The decoration of stave churches is a fascinating blend of Christianity and Viking era symbols with several runic inscriptions on the church walls and the distinctive “Dragon’s Heads”, similar to those found on Viking ships, jutting out from the gable peaks. The main doorway has vine-scrolls on the pilasters and serpents and dragons on the side panels and lintel.
The Main Doorway
Runic Inscriptions & Animal Masks On the South Door
Medieval Stone Altar. The Altarpiece Was Painted In 1654.
The timbers used to construct this church were felled in the year 1180. There are two factors that have accounted for the church’s longevity, it is constructed entirely on a stone foundation so that none of the wood touches the ground and also the timbers were “seasoned on the root” which draws the tar to the surface thereby preserving the wood beneath.
Root Seasoned Wood
Root Seasoned Wood
Root Seasoned Wood
More Useless But Interesting Facts
St. Andrew’s Cross:
St. Andrew’s Cross
The diagonal cross-braces are named after St. Andrew who was crucified on a diagonal cross, supposedly at his own request, as he deemed himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross as Jesus had been. Who knows? But one thing is clear, the whole idea captured people’s imagination. The symbol has been used on the flags of Scotland, England, Grenada, Jersey, Logrono, Vitoria, Amsterdam, Breda, Potchefstroom, Kateijk, Valdivia, Tenerife, Galicia, Jamaica, Burgundy, the Imperial Russian Navy, the state flags of Florida and Alabama, as well as, the former Indian princely states of Khairpur, Rajkot, and Jaora, just to name a few. And of course, there is the much debated Confederate flag. Although the original designer, Willian Porcher Miles, insisted he changed it from an upright cross to a saltire so that it would be more a heraldic device then a religious symbol.
I should begin by saying that to call Norway beautiful is an understatement on the magnitude of referring to Angelina Jole as “kind of attractive”. This place is crazy beautiful. If you like vistas of verdant forests and unspoiled tranquil inlets with villages and towns huddled on the water’s edge this is the place for you.
Our Exchange
People are always curious where we end up when we do these exchanges. We are very lucky to find ourselves in a lovely traditional Nordic country home.
We are situated on Radoy, a relatively small island just north of Bergen in the county of Vestlandet.
The Neighborhood
Walking distance of the house.
On The Road
The whole region consists of a plethora of small and medium sized islands. As the crow flys, nothing seems that far away, but unlike the birds, we are bound to the earth. Driving around means relying on a hugely circuitous network of very narrow country lanes, an assortment of bridges, both large and small, and a system of ferries that range from big ocean going vessels to tiny tow barges. The whole area reminds me of a joke we would hear as kids about an old farmer from Maine explaining to a lost tourist, “you just can’t get there from here.”. To hurry is futile. It’s all very exciting as the teeny weenie lanes wind up, down and around, past incredibly picturesque farms and homes perched on impossibly steep hillsides and tucked into snug little coves and harbors.
Rich or poor, it’s nice to have your own little island!
Iceland is a small and very remote place, smaller then Washington State with about 320,000 Icelanders. By comparison, Washington has just fewer than 7 million. The country’s remoteness has created some interesting results. It has been said that the Icelandic language has remained so unpolluted that, with the exception of new words, early Icelanders could understand you today.
Incest Prevention
Incest Prevention App
With such a small population in Iceland, most share common ancestors, and almost everyone is distantly related to each other. A genealogy database called “The Book of Icelanders” has been created. Worldwide, it is unique in its completeness. In light of the closeness of the population “Incest Prevention” is apparently a concern. Software developers have created a Beta version of an anti-incest app that can keep residents from becoming kissing’ cousins. The apps motto is ” Bump in the app before you bump in the bed.”
The Gods
Odin
Since Marvel Comics have brought Norse mythology to the big screen most of us are somewhat familiar with the impossibly hunky Thor and the evil conniving Loki, but interest in the old Norse Gods doesn’t end with the movies. Icelanders will soon be able to publicly worship Odin’s entire clan at the first major temple to the Norse Gods since the Vikings pillaged the known world more then a thousand years ago. The domed 3,800 square foot Pagan Worship site began construction last January at a cost of about a million dollars. The temple, which will align with the sun and incorporate the Golden Ratio, is being built into Öskjuhlíð Hill overlooking Reykjavik and will house about 250 worshipers at a time for various services including marriages and funerals, but no sacrifices, animal or otherwise. Iceland has approximately 2,400 pagans, but for you Yankees out there, don’t be too quick to judge. Conservative estimates suggest that America has just under 400,000 pagans, making us the reigning champs in the pantheon of pagans.
SAD Cars
Grizzly
We rented online from SAD Cars. We assumed it stood for Scandinavian Auto Division or some such thing. We never imagined that it really meant “sad cars”. The car looked like a crime scene on wheels, as if an angry customer had attacked it with buckshot and a baseball bat. Grizzly, our stoner service representative, assured us that it ran great and a little vibration in the front end was nothing to be concerned about. The pre-rental damage diagram had so many circles, arrows and Xs on it you could barely see the illustration of the car. The only positive thing we can say is that we didn’t have to push it to start it. And we’re off.
The Blue Lagoon
Your flight arrives at 6am and no hotel will let you in until at least 2 or 3pm so most people spend the day floating around in the Blue Lagoon. Touristy? Sure. Spendy? You bet. But, oh so comfy.
The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon
The Golden Circle
This is a nice one day circular route through SW Iceland that gives most tourist with a limited time frame a nice sample of the Icelandic countryside.
Pingvellir National Park
Pingvellir National Park
Pingvellir National Park
Strokkur Geysir – Geothermal Field in Haukadalur
Pingvellir National Park
Pingvellir National Park
Wreak-Ya-Vek (Hey nobody can it spell anyway)
I don’t know how else to describe Reykjavik except funky.
Leif Eriksen stands guard outside Hallgrimskirkja
The Midnight View From Our Window
Corrugated Iron Is The Siding Of Choice
Corrugated Iron Is The Siding Of Choice
#8
Sleep Deprived and Kind of Smelly.
Although we enjoyed Iceland a lot it should be noted that it’s not to everyone’s taste. The sun sets at midnight and is up again at 3am, but it never really gets dark. The bars in the capital don’t get hopping until 12 and don’t close until 4:30 am, which does make for a lot of drunken idiots roaming the streets all night. Which may account for the fact that, with the exception of tourists, we didn’t see anyone in the capital over 35 years old.
Oliver Maria Schmitt
In a newly published travelogue, the German author Oliver Maria Schmitt is not impressed with Iceland’s weather, nature, geology, food or culture. He was especially annoyed with the inhabitants, which he characterized as depressing, disgusting and obnoxious. Oliver went on to describe Iceland as an island of death and gloom, filled with darkness and depression, as depressing as East Germany. High praise indeed. While disgusted with the stench of sulphur and the desolate landscapes, he was equally bothered by the weather, “An awful, endless storm which alternates between rain and snow, something which would suck the will to live out of any sane person. However, the inmates don‘t seem to care in the least”. He goes on to characterize the inhabitants as self-important idiots and whale-hunting retards. I am barely scratching the surface here as the disillusioned German traveler’s scathing comments go on for pages and I can assure you that not everyone appreciates the humor in the satirist’s remarks. Some prominent commentators on Icelandic politics and culture have referred to the Oliver as unfunny and insulting. Unfortunately, there is some truth in his comments, which makes the satire that much funnier.
Sunday Morning Baggage Drop Off At Keflavik Airport
Still tourism in Iceland has doubled since 2009 from 600,00 to 1.2 million visitors annually, but according to Jon Kaldal of Iceland Magazine, “We Icelanders are not likely to pick up any new bad habits from the hordes of visitors. We are already famous for our love of late-night revelry, promiscuity, and lack of discipline, to name just a few things that blight our behavior in general.” Please don’t be dissuaded, Iceland is indeed barren but amazingly beautiful, with ever changing weather, seemingly designed for the rugged outdoorsman. By the way the showers do smell like rotten eggs.
We asked our new Austrian friends, Hans & Angelica, if there was anything we had missed. They told us that we must see Hallstatt. In their estimation, it is one of Austria’s most beautiful villages, so off we went.
Hallstatt
A very small town with a population of less then 1000, Hallstatt is situated on the southwestern shore of Hallstättersee. There is evidence that people have lived here and mined salt since 800 BC. The world’s first known salt mine is located on the hill above town. Hallstatt has been named a World Heritage Site and is amazingly idyllic.
Hallstatt
Hallstatt Town Square
The Hallstättersee
Hallstatt
Funicular to the salt mine, ice caves and observation point.
Hallstatt
Hallstatt
Hallstatt
Another Useless but Interesting Fact:
Chinese Hallstatt Stock Photo
“A family walks in the Chinese replica of Austria’s UNESCO heritage site, Hallstatt village, in China’s southern city of Huizhou in Guangdong province June 1, 2012. Metals and mining company China Minmetals Corporation spent $940 million to build this controversial site and hopes to attract both tourists and property investors alike, according to local newspaper reports.” REUTERS/Trrone Siu
