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Published: June 22nd 2023
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First, we have another birthday to celebrate. Today is David's sister's birthday. Janel is still a couple of years behind him, but we know what that number really is. Anyway, Janel and her husband are celebrating in Mexico. Happy Birthday!
Hello from Trondheim Norway. We sailed in to port this morning about 7:00. It was cloudy all morning and rained off and on throughout the morning. Luckily our excursion was scheduled during the afternoon, so we slept in until almost 9:00. Then we got up and went to the buffet for breakfast. By the time we went on our trip, the clouds had cleared and it was partly sunny with the temperature being around 65.
We had a couple of questions about today's trip, so we tried but failed to find someone from Shore Excursions to get them answered. So we just stayed in the cabin the rest of the morning until about 12:15 when we went down to the pier. We boarded a bus near the ship, so there was no initial long walk involved today - question 1 answered. By the way, we were able to get the front seat which was helpful. The bus took us
to an original Tram car which took us on a tour of the city, although the station was a long way from the ship - question 2 answered. In their hay-day, there had been 5 different tram routes in Trondheim, but now there is only one route. They have preserved one set of the original cars for tourists, but they also run modern cars on the same track for locals who want something more comfortable.
The tram had a very high step to get inside and it was a challenge to quite a few people. Janet was worried about it, but she refused to give up and she made it onto the tram. We rode around town with our guide giving pieces of information about what we were passing. Pictures from within the tram were marginal, but maybe something will turn out after David goes through them more carefully. At the end of the ride, our bus had driven ahead of the tram and was waiting for us - question 3 answered.
We continued driving around town and hearing more information. We eventually stopped at the cathedral which had been built and burned down, and rebuilt and burned
again, and now has been rebuilt a third time. This was a photo stop and David got some pictures from the outside - tours inside were not included and we did not have enough time anyway. Then we got back on the bus and eventually made our way back to the ship. It was actually a pretty town, even being so large, and we enjoyed the opportunity to see some of it.
Trondheim is the 3rd largest city in Norway, with about 200K people. It was founded in the 10th century by Viking King Olaf Tryggvason as a trading center because it has such a good harbor, far back in the Trongdheimsfjord and at the entrance of the Nidelva River. The first priority was to build a fortress to secure the location, and then the town was built around it. For 200 years it served as Norway's capital. Since Trondheim is about 500 km south of the Arctic Circle and benefits from the Gulf Stream, it has fairly mild weather in the summer, but it gets quite cold in the winter. However, the people continue to do a lot of stuff outdoors, including riding the bikes to work just
with larger snow tires and carrying a change of clothes for the office.
Some of the places we saw besides the cathedral, was a statue to King Olaf which sits on a high spire in the middle of the marketplace. It actually serves as a sundial, although we only got to see it from far away. We also saw a statue of Lief Erickson, although it is a copy since the original is in Seattle. We had a view from our ship of the Norwegian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We drove past a building with lot of energy efficient items (like solar panels) and we were told each year it generates more power than it consumes. There are old wharfs along the harbor and along the river. These wharfs used to store goods to be traded, but now they have been remodeled into upscale restaurants, stores, and small hotels. All through the town there were flowers blooming, as this is the prime growing season for them.
Our guide talked about how there was true equality in Norway between the sexes. She said there are actually more female members of parliament than males. Pay is strictly monitored
to ensure equal pay for equal work - by the way the minimum wage in Norway was the equivalent of $25 a couple of years ago. Migrants who come to Norway are entitled to the same government benefits as ful citizens, however they are required to work in order to qualify for the benefits. But unemployment is almost non-existent in Norway, so it is difficult to hire someone to do jobs like being a gardener to mow your lawn. All things considered, they seem to be a very successful country, although very expensive.
Our guide also told us about how Denmark had ruled over Norway for a couple of centuries. At one point, the Danish king had seized the 3 silver coffins of King Olaf and melted them down into silver ingots to pay for his war expenses. These coffins had been considered the most revered items in all of Norway, and there was an uprising because of it. That did not change anything - Denmark continued to rule them - but it is something that has never been forgotten or forgiven by Norwegians.
We went to dinner this evening and began with a delicious cheese-dip starter. Then
Janet had English style roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. David had roast pork loin. We both ate everything, maybe because we had skipped lunch today. Now we are back in the cabin and preparing for another excursion tomorrow morning. Good night.
Poor Internet connection tonight - will upload some photos tomorrow if the service becomes more stable.
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