From the Medieval to Modern Marvels

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Geo: 63.4346, 10.3985

On Monday our day at sea was marred by the weather. Whereas we had sailed Trollfjord in glorious sunshine, Monday dawned stormy with rain and mist to dampen our spirits. Our only foray off the ship was in Sandnessjoen, a very pretty little town which we would have loved to explore further but with my umbrella turning inside out we retreated into the shelter of the ship's lounge.The rest of the day was spent there peering through the windows at the misty rain unable to see the 7 sisters, evidently a spectacular mountain range or Torghatten, a mountain that has a hole through its middle. At least I finished my novel, updated my blog and rested.

Tuesday morning started early. We docked at Trondheim at 6-30am and we had booked a city tour here. After a quick breakfast we were onto the bus at 7-50am and off to explore this large city. The sun had decided to return which made for a lovely morning. We drove through the streets of this attractive place observing the wooden houses and buildings painted in bright colours, reds, yellows, greys and blues and learnt that there has been a settlement here from Viking times. The present town began in Medieval Norway and this is evident with some of the narrow streets still visible. We drove past the King's Palace when he is in Trondheim which is right in the main street of town. This was the capital for a while.

We wound our way up to a lookout and from there got an excellent view over the city. The spire of the Cathedral soars over the buildings which are clinging to the banks of the river, Nide and the harbour. From here we could see Monk's Island where in the 13th century a Benedectine Monastery was located, then it was used as a prison under Danish hegemony, but now there is a restaurant and a children's theatre there. We were then driven through some pretty suburbs back down to the Cathedral.

This is dedicated to St Olaf and its origins are in a shrine built over his grave. In the medieval era, the first large church was built in his honour in the Romanesque style but in the 1600s this was rebuilt after a fire had destroyed much of it. It was remodelled in the Gothic style. In the 19th century more renovations occurred and at this time the magnificent stained glass windows and huge rose window were added. The cathedral has burnt down a couple of times but has risen from the ashes more magnificent each time. A young guide showed us around. We were able to see the small side chapels and the large organ from the middle period. They are at present restoring the huge 19th century organ which stands under the Rose window. It was very impressive

Outside we saw the gardens and the surrounds which are very attractive. Then it was back to the bus and a drive through the University grounds. We were told that over 30,000 students study in Trondheim so it really is a University town. The expensive houses set in lovely gardens showed the obvious prosperity of the city and we drove back to the port past well maintained public parks and buildings. A very liveable city, I expect, except for the cold winters!

During the afternoon the weather gradually became more overcast. We cruised through the ever changing islands and rock formations, past small settlements and fishing villages. At 4-15 we were called onto the deck to watch our approach to Kristiansund. This was spectacular as we turned from the main fjord into the long harbour, under a towering bridge and seemed to sail right into the heart of the town. The cliffs overlooking the sound were dotted with wooden houses and there were plenty of small ships moored in the marina.

Here we disembarked for our second excursion of the day. This was to be to The Atlantic Road a modern engineering feat that was voted the scientific marvel of 2009. Fletcher was particularly keen to see this as he had read much about it. We were first taken on a tour of Kristiansund which looked a pretty town and then out along the coast. We went through the 5.7km Atlantic tunnel. This descends to a depth of 250metres under the floor of the Atlantic Ocean and links two islands. The steep incline was obvious and with much relief we were told that it had proved completely watertight since it was built. When we emerged we were driving along the road between the Atlantic and the fjord and it was easy to see the contrast between the stormy ocean and the calm waters of the sheltered fjord..

Our first stop was at the 13th century Stavechurch at Kvernes. This has been preserved almost in its original state, one of a very few in Norway. We were greeted at the door by our guides in national costume and taken inside. The walls show the remnants of acanthus decorations painted long ago and there is a ship hanging from the ceiling, a 17th century model which is only one of 3 of its kind.We went into the altar area and admired the decorations added in the 17th century by the local pastor, Anders Eriksen and his wife. There is a decorative altar piece and a pulpit brought from Italy. An unfinished commemorative plaque is on the wall which is supposed to immortalise him but his wife ran out of money before it could be finished. We were really impressed by the antiquity and unusual beauty of the place.

We then were taken to a local restaurant where we had a traditional dish, Bacaolo. This is made from klippfish which is salt matured and dried cod which can be reconstituted by soaking in water. This is a fish stew with tomatoes and onions which Portuguese traders brought with them in the 1830s. It was quite tasty and the serves were generous. We finished with creme caramel and coffee.

Then we finally got to the stretch of Atlantic Road which is the most spectacular. By that time it was getting dark and the rain was streaming but we did see the way the road arches itself to let the boats go under and the narrowness of the area through which it passes. Certainly an engineering feat of some proportions. A pity the conditions did not allow us to see it in its real glory.

We then drove back through the fields and past mountains. A herd of deer were grazing by the road side and at every turn there were views of the sea. We finished the tour in the town of Molde, the city of roses, and home city of Henrik Ibsen, where we rejoined the ship.

An excellent day only spoiled a little by the rain at the end.

Then it was on to a restaurant where we were served a traditional dish called

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