Blogs from Northern Norway, Norway, Europe - page 11

So today was NOT the best day...actually, it was downright sad. My roommate and I both were on the verge of tears and we haven't seen the worst of it yet. Today was our last Norwegian language class with Kit. I went to the afternoon session while my roommy and some of my later class favorites also went to the morning session. So in the afternoon one, there were only about 9 people and we had a short class with Kit before getting some parting advice from her. Then she took some pictures of all of us and Lucia, the Italian girl, made us some food so we all ate these sweet balls of sugar, cheese, and flour. And Kit looked a little sad as she said, "Ha det bra" one last time. Then it was ... read more

There was a spark of inspiration, a need to write a few hours ago. What was it that brought this on? Well, I was watching Julie and Julia, sewing part of the strap on my travel backpack and sipping a warm cup of tea when I suddenly felt the urge...the need. Could it be because the heroine of this movie, the whiny yet determined Julie, was blogging about her cooking triumphs and following the recipes of Julia Child, all while throwing in her own thoughts and experiences? Or could it be that I wanted to shed my thoughts and clear my wandering mind after a day like today? Who knows, but the movie definitely played a part in the inspiration. And no, it was not the urge to cook or to watch more Meryl Streep movies ... read more

Tromsø is long way from any part of the world : it's 3 hours by plane from Oslo, and took me nearly 20 hours from Tel Aviv, Israel. On 6th November afternoon, I departed with the world's safest and impenetrable security airlines : ELAL to Amsterdam, despite of how many times of the Jews attacks the Muslims, how confused between Israeli and Lebanese, and avoided flying anywhere above the Islamic airspace, afterall the airlines still considered one of the most success and has the safest record in the industry. So where is Troms? Troms is located above the European Arctic Circle of the county of Troms in Norway. Alot of people might easily make this common mistake when saying Tromsø, (including me). It should be pronounced as Trom-saa, instead of Trom-so. When my plane was in ... read more

October 16 to October 27, 2009 Bergen to Kirkenes ....6,206km ... And Back -twelve days and eleven nights on the MS Nordcapp; built in 1996, holding 691 passengers, 464 berths, 45 cars, 123.3m long, travelling at a service speed of 15 knots and owned by HurtigrutenASA. -have crossed the Arctic Circle, seen three rainbows in one day, been to the northern most point in Europe, been to the point where Russia,Finland and Norway meet, witnessed the Northern Lights, stood under the Milky way, saw seals swim in the harbour and looked for trolls in the TrollFjord. -have gone on tours to see the Art Nouveau in Aalesund, seen the Arctic Cathedral and Polaria in Tromsoe, looked into a replica of a Sami tent on the way to North Cape, visited numerous museums which all mentioned the ... read more

FROM THE INTERNET: “At a latitude of nearly 70 degrees north, four days’ sailing from Bergen and barely a two-hour flight from Oslo, Murmansk or Longyearbyen, at the same latitude as Alaska and Siberia, between the island landscape, fjords and mountain peaks, you find Tromsø - Gateway to the Arctic and capital of Northern Norway. “Tromsø is situated right in the centre of the Northern Lights zone and is, therefore, together with the interior ice in Greenland the tundra in northern Canada, among the best places on earth to observe this phenomenon. Most of the Northern Lights outbursts visible from Tromsø are green, but large outbursts can also include other colours. “Tromsø was founded in 1794, although the first church was built here back in 1252. In the 1850s, Tromsø became the centre for Polar sea ... read more

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain It is with cold ears and a humble heart that I write these words. My camera is still cold to the touch, my legs still reddened from a chilly afternoon walk here in Norway, and my mind still wandering. Today is Sunday, one of my favorite days to just relax at home and have time for myself. But with the sun beckoning me, I had to go out and see it even though the ground was an icy mess and the destination was a good 25 minute walk from here ... read more