Greetings from Norway

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The picture is from Lofoten/Norway. Photo: Tomas Havel

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Source: I Love my Norwegian Heritage

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Planning a hotel holiday in Scandinavia but not looking for your “run of the mill” 5-star hotels ?
Here are some suggestions:

25 secret Scandi stays on the water

#1 on the list; Juvet Landscape Hotel stays open year around:

Juvet Landscape Hotel

As do #25 Hotel Union Øye:

Union Øye • 62° Nord

It comes with it’s own ghost:

Most Unique Hotels | Hotel Union Oye

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But if the above hotels doesn’t fit your dreams, there are other possibilities.
Like the “End of the world Guesthouse” in Gamvik. (Coordinates: 71°02′28″N 27°51′05″E)

End of the World Guest House. Gamvik, Finnmark, Norway

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A bit wet and windy in Ålesund today with frsh snow n the mountains, down to abt. 500 m elevation:

Two large sailyachts has found shelter while on their way north for the sail/ski season in the Lyngenfjord / LyngenAlps:

Best time to go ski touring in the Lyngen Alps

At Skansekaia South:

Boat - KAMAK

At guest harbour:
https://www.polar-sails.com/en/sailboat/

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Ålesund has been in the news for the wrong reason these last few days.
A student from the local Univeristy (NTNU) has been missing without a trase since last Friday night.
The Police started a seach for the 23-year old American studentt on Monday, so far without any result:

Since Monday, the police have been looking for Julian Gunn Montague in Ålesund, who was last seen at the Sundebygget near NTNU in Ålesund, on Friday 23 February:

The image of Julian Gunn Montague from a surveillance camera at Sundebygget has been shared by the police, at the request of the next of kin. PHOTO: PRIVATE/POLICE

The search operation has been extensive, bouth on land and in the sea.

• There is still no trace of the missing person, he said on Thursday morning.
  No new searches where launched on Thursday, operations manager Arild Reite told Sunnmørsposten.

On Wednesday, the police received help to search in steep terrain, and the search was concentrated on the north side of Aksla. Rescue dogs were also requested.

The search for the man has been ongoing since Monday, so far without results. In his home state of Illinois, just south of Chicago, his father has followed along as best he can, but on Wednesday afternoon he got on the plane bound for Ålesund.

• Julian has never done anything like that before. He may be ill, unable to take care of himself. We don’t know anything, but something is very wrong, says Tim Montague, who last spoke to his son along with other members of the family on 7 February
• Then we had a good time together, says Montague, who hopes that the publication of the son’s name and picture can contribute to the police receiving more tips.
• Now it’s about getting as much attention as possible to the case. Julian will soon finish his IT studies, he has attached himself to Ålesund and plans to stay there, he says.

Source: Tim Montague reiser til Norge for å søke etter sønnen som er savnet i Ålesund - smp.no (Behind paywall)

PS> The study Julian was doing is a 3-year Bechelor degree course.

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Still no news about the missing person in Ålesund, but missing person poster has been circulated on social media and a “gofundme” account has been established by his family in case there should be a need to hire a privat detective:

Help Find Julian Montague, missing in Norway, organized by Timothy Montague

Latest from smp.no:

On Thursday afternoon, Tim Montague landed at Ålesund Airport. He is the father of Julian Montague (23), who has been missing since last Friday, and has traveled to Ålesund from his hometown of Champaign, Illinois.
According to Montague, several signs were found in the son’s apartment which indicated that he may have struggled with suicidal thoughts. He is also said to have left behind money, mobile phones and bank cards.

• The police are still working, but we know nothing about what may have happened. It’s so weird.
  I am absolutely certain that the police have full control.
  Now they are taking it one day at a time, and will stay in the city for some time to come.
• We hope to find him alive, but realize that the chance of that is diminishing. But we must have hope.

Julian has lived in Norway for five years and his father tells of a boy who has been fond of computers all his life, and who was in Ålesund to train as a computer engineer.

Source: Faren til savnede Julian Montague har kommet til Ålesund - smp.no (Behind paywall)

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Original Norwegian horse breed “Fjord Horse” (Fjording):

The wild Fjord horse | Visit Nordfjord

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[Hogsnort]

I quite like venison and it looks like the delivery will go through in spite of the conditions. But it looks like the preparation might take a bit of time before we can eat.

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Reindeer meat produced in Norway are mainly for local consumption, but export to Japan will hopefully be possible soon:

Eksport av reinkjøtt til Japan: Kan bli like dyrt som verdens dyreste kjøtt

Both the reindeer owner and the researcher believe that the Japanese will pay a high price per kilo for reindeer meat. Now Europe’s largest reindeer meat producer is betting on Asia:

• In Japan, and large parts of Asia, they have a perception that reindeer is associated with high fertility and provides improved potency, he says to NRK.

The goal is to get paid for reindeer meat as well as what is paid for the world’s most expensive meat.
It comes from the Japanese wagyu cattle breed. The meat is produced in the Hyogo region of Japan, and here the city of Kobe is the capital.

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Different coloure sheme every time of the day.
Here is a view of Breisundet looking SW in the late afternoon today:

Photo: Magnar Lyngstad

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Still no trace of Julian but the family still have a hope he will show up alive…

The sad news is that another man in his early 20s has gone missing in town. Last seen around town in the vee hours last night. Reported missing by his family today when he did not come home by early afternoon.

A search was started this evening, consentrating in the water around the twon cetre:

Situation around 22:00 hrs. tonigth. FOTO: MARIUS SIMENSEN

Source: Starter søk etter melding om savnet mann i Ålesund - smp.no (Behind paywall)

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On a happier note; the Cod has arrived in Borgundfjorden and within the harbour in Ålesund:

Lots of people on the fjord trying their luck on Sunday afternoon.
PHOTO: KRISTIAN HAVNES KLEMETZEN
It is still early in the seaon. According to a seasoned hobby fisherman, the main school of cod will, in a normal year, comes around March 15, with a couple of days’ wiggle room in both directions.

Source: Borgundfjordfisket: Sesongen er i gang i fjorden utenfor Ålesund - smp.no (Behind paywall)

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Where do you find the best beach in Europe? If you thought somewhere with palme trees and warm water, think again.
According to Lonly Planet it is a beach in Lofoten Islands, north of the Arctic Circle called Haukland Beach:

See the northern lights from Haukland beach in the Lofoten Islands, Norway. © Getty Images

1. Haukland Beach, Norway

Rearing up out of the Norwegian Sea like a dragon’s backbone, the Lofoten Islands off Norway’s northwest coast is the Arctic dream – whether seen in the never-dying light of the midnight sun or under dancing northern lights in winter snows. Haukland Beach is out of this world, with spiky granite peaks thrusting above creamy sands and sapphire sea. The water is chilly (never hitting more than 15°C/59°F), but you’ll be itching to jump in all the same.

Source: 20 of the best beaches in Europe in 2024 - Lonely Planet

PS> This is not the first time this beach has topped the list. It was also #1 in 2021.
But it attracts visitors year around. Here is why:

Haukland beach under midnigth sun:

Others come to surf under the Northern Light:

Like these professionals:

Surfing Under the Northern Lights | Behind the Scenes of Under an Arctic Sky

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Dreaming of owning your own private island (“in the sun”)?
Here is onethat is offered for sale as is (where is) off the coast of NW Norway:

The Norwegian Coastal Agency is selling an old, decommissioned lighthouse on a 40,000 square meter island. PHOTO: FRODE PILSKOG / KYSTVERKMUSEA / VITI

Skalmen lighthouse is located in Smøla municipality, a good distance from land.

• It is located in the middle of the sea. The next stop is America, says estate agent Morten Boxaspen Høvik in EiendomsMegler1 in Kristiansund.
  According to the Norwegian Lighthouse Association, the lighthouse was built in 1907.

It comes with a discontinued lighthouse, incl. what used to be the residence for the Lighthouse keeper and his fanmily until 2002:

The lighthouse itself was placed on top of the lighthouse keeper’s residence.
PHOTO: FRODE PILSKOG / KYSTVERKMUSEA / VITI

The lighthouse consists of a log house with space for the lighthouse keeper’s family and a single assistant. The lantern was placed in a small tower on the roof. In addition, a sidelight was built into the wall of the 2nd floor. An outbuilding with a small barn, a boathouse and a jetty was also built.

In 1962, the lighthouse was electrified with power from a generator, in 1988 automated and in 2002 unmanned.
The lights were extinguished and Skalmen lighthouse was closed down in 2008.

• So people lived there until 2002. But it looks like there haven’t been people there for at least 50 years. This is due to a lot of weather and wind. So the building is currently in poor condition, and I hope that will come across well in the sales report, says the estate agent to Sunnmørsposten.
  In the sales report, we can read, among other things, that a lightning strike in 2017 caused a lot of damage. The pipe was broken, so the fireplace cannot be used. The same lightning strike also destroyed the electrical system, a system that received power from a generator.

Something for those who wish to escape from the madness and confusion of the “real world”
Peace and quite guaranteed, except in stormy weather and the breeding season for the many seabirds that make their nests there.

Could be an idyll

With so many errors and shortcomings and restrictions, the property has been given an asking price of NOK 490,000. Then you get to take over the entire island of almost 40,000 square metres.

Any takers??

Source: Nå kan du bli din egen fyrvokter på Nordmøre - smp.no (Bedhind paywall)

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Tromsø panorama attracts tourists from around the world. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Northern winter destinations gets bombarded by selfie-taking tourists

Santa Claus’ village north of Rovaniemi has more than half a million visitors per year. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

While a boost in tourism is good for hotels and jobs, debates are now heating up in both Rovaniemi and Tromsø about the burdens tens of thousands of tourists bring to the environment.
“The city is for its residents, so it would be justified to consider a tourist tax or a voluntary payment, chair of the Rovaniemi City Council, Susanna Junttila,” said to broadcaster YLE.
Tromsø Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen says to NRK that without a dedicated tourist tax, the municipality has to take money from its ordinary budget and give less to other urgent needs.

A photo of a tourist pooping on a bus stop has made headlines in Tromsø media, highlighting the need for more public toilets at popular tourist stops.

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Ones upon a time in Ålesund (1950s):

Sold around town at NOK 0.25 per herring at the first start of the season.
Quickly dropped to NOK 0.05 when the novelty was gone
Soon everybody got sick and tiered of herring in all forms for dinner.

In this British documentary about Norway in the 1950s the winter herring fisheries from Ålesund is shown (3:30 - 4:50):

Southern Norway, 1950's - Film 16881

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Spring is in the air:

Photo: Bernt Baltzersen today
The Sunnmøre Alps seen from the sland of Vigra.
Jønshornet/Ramoen is the name of the mountain on the right.
The row of peaks on the left is at the eastern side of Hjørundfjorden

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Sun is setting and the first clouds of the day appear to the west:

Photo: Anita Hansen ·