http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , Norway , Nord Norge en-us Sat, 05 Dec 09 15:37:37 +0000 Sat, 05 Dec 09 15:37:37 +0000 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 recip http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-452722.html The ship takes six days to go from Bergen to Kirkenes. Along the way it crosses the Arctic Circle at 67degrees N and passes Nordkapp or North Cape a point in past days known equally as the end of the Earth or the beginning thereof and a part of the territory occupied by the only indigenous peoples left in Europe.MS Nordkapp stopped at Honningsvaag. From here the tour bus travelled north in latit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Nordkapp/blog-448974.html October 16 to October 27 2009 Bergen to Kirkenes ....6206km ... And Backtwelve 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Kirkenes/blog-448076.html Toys going to the ArcticOnce or twice every year dad takes us on trips when mum doesn't come along. This summer dad took us on one of these trips and the destination this time was North Cape. North Cape is the furthest north you can go in Europe. That sounded to us like a big adventure so we happily followed dad on this trip. We thought that we would have to walk for days in snow and ice sleep in http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/blog-446735.html It's Sunday one of my used to be favorite days of the week and I am back to the comforts on my little humble home in Hoglimyra. A part of me really wishes I was still out traveling out occupying my mind moving doing stuff seeing new things taking pictures wearing myself out walking all over a city and just out doing. Instead I'm being a bum now and writing this blog before I tackle my hom http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-446628.html As I walked to class this morning after a brisk night that covered the layer of ice with a nice layer of powdery fresh snow I kind of zoned out while Libby and Brad talked about fishing. Now I love fishing but these two...they live to fish. And they have so many fish in their freezer that their apartment now smells like fish. So as they talked about it and I remembered the fact that I left home http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-444633.html ldquoTwenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didnrsquot 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.rdquo Mark TwainIt 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 chi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-442912.html It's snowing Okay well it was snowing last night at approximately 3a.m. when I was walking home from the student pub Samfunnet after a very fun and interesting night with some old friends and some new. So not only did the snow put me in an even better mood it just made me smile which hasn't happened a whole lot this week.It's been a LONG quiet week here in Bod. And it all started after com http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-441716.html Five days in the land of midnight sun and reindeersIf you follow this blog you know that I Ake that is two or three times a year can take a vacation when Emma has to be home working. As long as I visit places Emma doesn't want to see I am permitted to travel on my own. Emma is not very interested in visiting northern Norway but I have for several years been thinking that a trip up to the land of http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/blog-436170.html It's Sunday and another rainy day here in Norway. There is a sense of calm on the horizon and a sense of unrest in my room. It has been a very trying week...okay it's been trying for awhile but this week was especially trying. Why Well the weather has been very dreary. It's been raining with heavy winds all week. And the sky is filled with a gray hue that everyone can sense in their hearts. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-434669.html Hilsen fra Bodo.It's nighttime here again in the small Norwegian city above the Arctic Circle. And today was not an overactive day by any standards but not my slowest day either. It started a little too early and I had a bit of trouble pulling myself out of bed at 7a.m. to get to my one and only class today Norwegian language at 815a.m. And after putting in my eyes aka my contacts I popped http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-434661.html Motorhome News from Europe 31.Norway 10th August 2005The beautiful Lofoten Islands and back to the mainland The Viking Gods were against us as we arrived by ferry on the island of Lofoten. Our dreams of dazzling fjords and sunlit dramatic scenery vanished in a haze of damp mist and drizzle as soon as we landed at the dock in Fiskebol. But we have never let a small thing like rain spoil our day. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Lofoten/blog-433877.html Motorhome News from Europe 30.Sweden August 2005Abisko in Sweden and west to Norwayrsquos beautiful Lofoten IslandsThere is a chair lift in Swedenrsquos largest National Park at Abisko. Rising to about 3000ft the Linbana lift ferries skiers to the top in winter and walkers and tourists in the summer. We took the easy way up and hiked the fivehour trail across wild hillbog rich with flower http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Lofoten/blog-433875.html Motorhome News from Europe 29.Norway July 2005 Europe from the top down. Northern NorwayNordkapp. The most northerly point of Europe on the island of Magoya.Picture a magnificent cliff ragged peaks and tiny dark islands. Picture a knot of people bent into the wind at a lookout point high above a raging sea gazing north to the distant horizon dreaming of snow and ice polar bears brave expl http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Lofoten/blog-433827.html Motorhome News from Europe 28. Finland July 2005.Out of Finland into the wastes of Norwayrsquos FinmarkThere is not a lot in Inari at first glance. Itrsquos one of those places you could just pass through on your way to somewhere else and there are after all few roads from Finland through to Norway in the north. For most people Inari is on the way to or from Nordkapp North Cape on the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Nordkapp/blog-433809.html What's one way to get a homesick grumpy fishloving Alaskan to lighten up and smile a bit Bring on the fishOver the past week the Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture have invited all of the International Exchange students studying Bioscience aka me Brad and Libby to join the Masters students on two excursions and then ALL of the international students from 29 different countries were http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-431655.html I walk a lonely road the only one that I have ever know. Don't know where it goes but it's home to me and I walk alone...Well that is the tune I've been humming for almost two weeks now. And it's a very true song to me flying solo always comes at a price. And although my homesickness has been a million times more severe this time than any other time I've wandered off on my own for reasons http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-431111.html Rain rain go away come again another dayI'm sure that is what most Norwegians are singing this weekend in Norway. It has been raining quite a bit which is kind of nice but very wet Of course the rain is not the only thing that brought us back from the Lofoten Islands early. We set off Thursday morning around 8 a.m. caught the bus downtown then walked to the ferry terminal to catch our boat http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Lofoten/blog-430242.html Hilsen fra BodoWell it has been about five days since I've been in this new little city and it has been very up and down. It's hard to be excited about a new place when you constantly think of what's going on back home but things here have not been all bad. Yesterday was my birthday my 22nd actually and it started with getting my new student I.D. from Hogskolen i Bodo. Then it was off to expl http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-429229.html Dear AlaskaThis is my first official blog entry from Norway about Norway. I left you about 53 hours and it has been quite an up and down experience so far. I would be lying if I didn't first admit to you that I miss you. No I don't just miss you...my heart is aching because you are not here. I have never missed you this much. It's true that I have often gone off for months before and left you b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/Nord-Norge/Bodo/blog-428724.html