Greetings from Norway

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Norwegian history:

Vikings & ShieldMaidens ⚔️ 👑 | Facebook

“a thousand Swedes ran through the weeds, chased by one Norwegian”.

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Replica Sloop Restauration has arrived in New York City:

Norwegian Crown Price Haakon is in NYC to welcome the crew after a long voyage across the Atlantic:

ARRIVING THIS AFTERNOON: This is the sight that greets Crown Prince Haakon and many Norwegians from the emigrant families when the emigrant ship Restoration of Stavanger arrives in New York this afternoon, after a 98-day voyage:

Photo: SE Klungtveit.

Source: Restauration ankommer New York: Historisk seilas feirer norsk utvandring

[Hogsnort]

Hopefully it didn’t have 52 people onboard.

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Yes it has, or at least had on departure Stavanger:

Sailing in 2025

July 4, 2025, RESTAURATION began its adventurous voyage towards New York, or America as they said in 1825, when 52 hopeful people started their 98-day journey towards a new and unknown future, arriving in New York City on October 9th.

Source: Seilas 4. juli – Crossings200 - Restauration – Crossings200

PS> Or maybe 52 persons were only on the original voyage in 1825? (Checking)

Why? Are you afraid that they will have problem with inward clearance, like thy had 200 years ago?

Or do you think that “masked iCE agents in unmarked cars” will show up to check for illegal immigrants?

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From her arrival in NYC:

“Restauration” is on display in New York: - An important part of Norwegian history

200 years after the first Norwegian emigrants arrived in America, a replica of the ship “Restauration” arrived in New York today. There was a grand celebration of the anniversary, led by Crown Prince Haakon.

Source: «Restauration» er fremme i New York: – En viktig del av norsk historie – NRK Rogaland – Lokale nyheter, TV og radio

[Hogsnort]

I wasn’t worried about ICE. Too many politicians and Royalty around. I guess they did the voyage a lot quicker than 98 days otherwise you might have had some very slim people onboard.
In the political climate in NZ or Australia we can’t celebrate the arrival of Europeans in New Zealand so forget about doing a re-enactment of Norwegians arriving to hunt whales in the 1800’s.

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Four Sunnmøre hotels received Michelin awards

The Michelin Guide is known for selecting the very best restaurants. They have been doing this for more than a hundred years. Recently, they began to impose similarly strict requirements on hotels.

It is now clear which hotels in the Nordic region have been selected . In Norway, there are 13 selected.

Four of them are in Sunnmøre: Storfjord Hotel, Union Øye, Brosundet and Juvet. Three of these are in the Flakk group and therefore have the same owner.

While the restaurants receive stars, Michelin hands out keys to the selected hotels.
At Storfjord Hotel near Ålesund, they are completely over the moon after receiving the news. The hotel has been awarded two keys, also known as Michelin Keys.
In all of Scandinavia, there are only three other hotels that have achieved the same.
– Now we are in very good company, says hotel manager Christian Christensen to Sunnmørsposten.
– What is the justification?
– You can’t get that.

Michelin writes that their inspectors work independently and anonymously. Two keys mean, among other things, that the hotel is considered “unique in every way” and is “a hotel with character and charm, run with clear pride and great care.”

The hotel manager says he doesn’t know when they were there.
– What do you think is the reason why you have managed this?
*– That we have something authentic. With exceptionally good service and good facilities. I know that’s what Michelin is looking for, says Christensen.
He also believes that the Norwegian and Sunnmøre traditions have been appreciated.
– I usually knock on the walls here. They are solid. It is a real building with real people, and we can offer real experiences.

Christian Christensen is hotel manager at Storfjord Hotel near Ålesund. Photo: Kenneth Kamp / Archive
– When you meet another person who genuinely wants the best for you, I think that is service at the highest level, he adds.

Storfjord Hotel, Ålesund:

Union Øye Hotel:

The “Blue Room” come with a genuine ghost:

Juvet Landscape Hotel:

Brosundet Hotel, Ålesund:

The only hotel with a “walk-in” fireplace.

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The things you wanted to ask about life in Norway, but didn’t want to ask:

Norwegian Culture: 23 Things That Surprised Me

[AKBJR]

Why did this troll not turn to stone? Appears to be daylight.

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Good question! It’s like Hollywood, not everything you see is real, or logical.

Here is a story that may attract some to give the Nordic a try:
Last year three small places in the remote North region started a project to attract resource rich people to settle in their villages. Now there are the sign of success:

The family was allowed to live in Geiranger for free: – Of course we want to stay!

The Mergan-Vergote family from Belgium were among the few selected to receive a scholarship to live for free in Geiranger last winter. They have now settled in the neighbouring village of Norddal.

IMMIGRANTS: The small family has come from Belgium to Norddal.
Photo: Øyvind Sandnes/NRK

In summary:

• The Mergan-Vergote family from Belgium moved to Sunnmøre through the Arctic Digital Nomads Scholarship and have decided to stay.
• The project offers free stays for one to three months for digital nomads, and the goal is to get more people to settle in small villages in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Sunnmøre.
• Over 1,300 applications have been received for this year’s scholarship, which has exceeded expectations.
• The family has been involved in the application process and hopes that more people will do the same.
• Daughters Robyn and Mona thrive in the village and learn Norwegian through school.
• The project is a collaboration between Geirangerfjorden World Heritage and other stakeholders.
  They came to Norddal through the project Arctic Digital Nomads Stipend, which Geiranger in Norway, Thingeyri in Iceland and Vágur in the Faroe Islands are working together on.

The idea is that people who can take their work with them anywhere can apply to live for free for one to three months. They also get free office space in a community.
The project started last year, and a total of 15 people were able to move to Sunnmøre.

The family of four was among the chosen ones, and has now chosen to stay.
– I think this should become an annual thing. We are building a community of more digital nomads around Geiranger, Eidsdal and Norddal, says family man Wouter Vergote.
They have no plans to return to their home country of Belgium anytime soon.
– Of course we want to stay! We just arrived. Our family is doing well here.

Wouter Vergote, Twyla Mergan and daughters Mona and Robyn play with the dog at the swimming area in Norddal

Mona Vergote plays with her dog at the swimming area in Norddal

Wouter Vergote, Twyla Mergan and their daughters Mona and Robyn in front of the house they rent in Norddal
The little family is doing well in the Sunnmøre countryside.
Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / NRK.

Source: Digital nomade-prosjektet blei ein suksess – familien som fekk bu gratis i Geiranger blir igjen – NRK Møre og Romsdal – Lokale nyheter, TV og radio
(Google translation)

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Another story from NW Norway, but this from the island along the coast, not the fjords:

Margit (103) dreamed of driving over a new bridge – the hearse made sure to fulfill her last wish

Just before the new bridge to the outermost islands in Sunnmøre was to open, one of the biggest enthusiasts died:

Margit Teige was fascinated by the Nerlandsøy Bridge as long as she lived.
Photo: private

THE LAST JOURNEY: When the black hearse drove over the Nerlandsøy Bridge last Friday, Margit Kristine Teige was a passenger.
Photo: private
The 103-year-old had long promised herself and her family that she would be the first to cross the bridge – and with a little help, she did.
Then the priest and the developer found an unusual solution.
Just two weeks before the new bridge was ready to open, the elderly woman died. And with permission from the county council, the entire funeral procession drove over the bridge before the coffin was lowered into the ground.

The 103-year-old woman was known to many in the local community, and the priest says there was an endless line of cars following the stretcher across the bridge.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s people were ready to remove the cones that were blocking the road, and open it for the special entourage.
Project manager Ragnhild Holen Relling in Møre og Romsdal County Council says they happily agreed to the request.
– I think it’s really nice that we can get it and consider it, and really nice to then say yes, she says. Holen Relling says the work was completed and that the special motorcade could safely drive over the bridge

Tuesday was the official opening of the new bridge, four days after the funeral procession drove over.

Source: Køyrde avdøde Margit Teige (103) over den nye Nerlandsøybrua – NRK Møre og Romsdal – Lokale nyheter, TV og radio

An anecdote:

Was first last time too.

Margit Teige has been the first person to cross the Nerlandsøy Bridge before.
When the old bridge was completed, in 1968, she managed to sneak across just before it opened, with her daughter and with her grand daughter in a stroller.
They were going to the doctor.
According to Margareth Leinebø, this has been a good story in the family for years.

[AKBJR]

You’re claiming that trolls aren’t real?

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I said “not real or logical”. As you know, not everything you see, hear and read is true, or logical these days (even here on the forum)
IOW; Trolls COULD be real, but is that a logical assumption?
You are entitled to your own belief and assumption. however.

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Update:

Nearly 15,000 have applied to live here for free: – Completely wild

Last year, 300 people applied to live for free in small Arctic villages. Now, 50 times as many applications have been received.

Geiranger is quiet in winter. Digital nomads will help create more activity in the tourist village even in winter. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / NRK Aerial photo
Published today at 1:36 PM
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– It’s absolutely crazy and overwhelming. I would never have dreamed of such numbers, says Katrin Blomvik Bakken, CEO of Geirangerfjorden Verdsarv.
They are collaborating on the project with organizations in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

The three villages of Geiranger in Norway, Þingeyri in Iceland and Vágur in the Faroe Islands are together on the project – Arctic Digital Nomads Stipend.
Photo: Øyvind Sandnes/Gunnar Ólafsson/Martijn Bastiaans
The goal is to create activity in small Arctic villages, and attract the people and expertise that local communities need.

Last year they were surprised that 300 digital nomads applied for the scholarship.
Now it has completely taken off. But thanks to a new application portal, Katrin Blomvik Bakken believes that sorting the applications and selecting the lucky 15 will go smoothly.
– We may find candidates for other places as well. Because there are many other villages here that also certainly need residents. So now they can just get in touch, laughs Katrin Blomvik Bakken.
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https://www.nrk.no/mr/overveldande-respons-pa-stipendet-om-a-fa-bu-gratis-i-geiranger_-norddal-og-eidsdal-1.1761352

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It used to be that tourist season in Norway was June/July to Aug./Sept.
Not any more:

Is Norway’s Arctic capital prepared for this year’s wave of winter tourists?

Cruise ships also returns to the north for the Northern Lights experience, with Narvik, Tromsø and Alta especially popular ports to visit.

Most of the cruise ships makes a port call somewhere along the West Coast, either way. It starts already this month and lasts until March/April, when he Fjord Cruises start up again.

PS> Ålesund is one of the favourit ports for a stopover, together with Bergen.

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Lots of rain lately here in Northwest Norway:

84K views · 1.8K reactions | Hellesyltfossen på fredag. | Randi Stadheim

Hellesyltsfossen is quit powerful and is appr 20 meter high. The river Dalaelva is being fed with melted snow and ice from two rivers: Langedalselva and a smaller river (Tverelva?)
On a normal summer day:
Hellesyltfossen - European waterfalls

Source: Hellesyltfossen - European waterfalls

[Hogsnort]

I see Aftenposten telling it like it is in their comment on climate change,
according to our Saturday morning Newspaper.