Very interesting article on scientific history of the Aurora Borealis in our local paper this morning. It covered the establishment of an observatory at Mount Halde, the work of Kristian Birkeland and the new observatory at Skibotn.
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Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights as it is more commonly known, is attracting a lot of tourists to Northern Norway and Northern Finland.
Some locals think it is too much of a good thing, with overcrowding and lack of facilities to cater to the needs of all the visitors.
One of our God daughters and her husband from Singapore visited Rovaniemi in Finland (home to the “Christmas Village”) and Tromsø this February. They enjoyed it immensely, although the -20C temperature was a bit of a cultural shock.
PS: They got to see the spectacle in both places.
You should have a changs to see the Aurora Australis soon:
https://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/aurora-australis/
It is still peak sunspot activities for the upcoming winter season at your end of the world.
While at this end we get to enjoy long days and hardly any night, even here at 62.5N. for abt. 3 1/2 months ( early May - mid-Aug.)
The Southern Lights were visible as far North as 38 degrees South last year.
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It’s that time of the year again, the cod is in the fjord to spawn and the hobby fishermen are there to take their share of the bounty:
March 1st and Borgundfjord fishing is in full swing
Source: Ålesund City Center Association
To get and hold a driving license in Norway it is compulsory to attend a “Glattkjøring” (Slippery road driving) course:
Ok this is not actually showing participants in the course. (Just two Swedish dads on being late for picking up their kids from football training)
This is what is the facts about what is involved in obtaining a Norwegian driving license, incl. “glattkjøring” course:
An American expats experience in getting a Norwegian driving license:
BTW: If he had done a bit of checking he could have saved himself a lot of time and money. (But lost a lot of driving knowledge)
There were a discussion about NATO contributions and how USA carried the burden, while others were freeloaders, incl. Norway.
That thread has been closed, but here is a video that MAY manage to convince the doubters that what they have been lead to believe all these years are simply NOT TRÙE:
Dr,Bugge.Good day
Is your nice long thread about Norway worth sacrificing and getting it closed?
Come on. Just leave it. Those who suffer from cognitive dissonance will remain unconvinced even if you discharge the VLCC shipload of academic based evidence written by experts in the field.
Have a good day
Spo
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Just trying to educate by quoting others who have more detailed and current knowledge about Norway than me, an expat living on the other side of the world for most of my life.
Here is a Quora post from one knowledgeable Norwegian that MAY help to explain the Norwegian way of thinking.
Question: How does the Norwegian welfare system work?
Answer by: John Andresen
Source: https://qr.ae/pC021j
PS: Similar welfare systems works in most other developed countries.
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Except in a restaurant. The Chef is always called Chef.
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More on “How Norway Work”:
PS: Did you notice the shelves with books a few places on his walkaround? Those are also part of the trust system; “Take one, leave one”:
If that was not enough bragging about Norway for one day, here is a look around the Norwegian fjord by BBC’s Travel Show:
My home island of Hessa is on fire:
This is what you see from Sandvika in Sula Photo: PRIVATE
Getting close to houses on the south side of the mountain.
Helicopter in activity to douse the fire. Photos: Remi Sagen / NRK
As seen from ships entering from open sea. Photo: Kristian Stenerud
Source:
PS: We are staying in another part of town, but sad to see my childhood paradise and the trees I helped to plant all those years ago in flames.
So sorry to see that, Bugge. Hope no homes burn.
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Hope u are fine Dr.Bugge
More from the annual even known locally as “Borgundfjordfiske”.
Cod has now arrived all the way into the harbour here in Ålesund to spawn.
Being Saturday a lot of hobby fishermen is on the fjord to try their luck:
Cruise ship MV Balmoral managed to thread it’s way into the cruise terminal.
PS: A stopover on her way from Tromsø to Tyneside at the end of the Northern Lights season,
No houses burnt, but nearly 300 people was evacuated and sent two nights, either with family, friends, or at hotels in town.
The fire got to 50-60 m. from some houses, but a lull in the wind and a few hours of rain helped to dose the flames.
The mountain looks black, but vegetation will hopefully recover over the summer.
Here is a video showing the aftermath:
PS: Most of the forrest we planted during my young and tender days survived.
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I don’t live on the island now, but watch the event on direct TV until early morning.
It is sad to see the the result and surprised to see how a small fire, probably caused by some young punks playing with firecrackers left over from New Year, spreading so quickly and so widely in such a short time.
Firemen from several fire station in and around Ålesund, personnel from the local Home Guard and volunteers, aided by helicopters, did a good job to avoid a major catastrophe:
Invaluable efforts from well-trained crews and a preparedness system that worked when needed meant that there was minimal damage after the major fire at Sukkertoppen in Ålesund on Tuesday and Wednesday night.
Photo: Odin Jæger
Latest update:
Visibly marked by the fire, but much has survived.
Photo: Sukkertoppen Vel/Facebook
– We were finally allowed to go up the mountain to check the condition, reports Sukkertoppen Vel on Saturday, on social media.
– The traffic counter we have installed a little below the mast had been hit hard and caught fire. It has not reported activity for two days, but when we wiped the sensor today, it has now started counting passes again.
– Our beautiful wooden benches, railings and the cupboard for the Sugarloaf kids have also fortunately survived the fire.
Source: Brannen på Sukkertoppen i Ålesund - smp.no
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Not the first time there have been a big fire in Ålesund:
The rebuilding after the fire resulted in a downtown area rebuild in Art Nouveau style, which you still see today:
We are heading towards Mid-summer and a more controlled burning experience:
Sukkertoppen (Sugar Peak) has apparently been renamed, Yvonne Haagensen has registered. Photo: Idun Aalbu Rasmussen (archive)/Screenshot Google Maps
“A beloved child has many names,” says Yvonne Haagensen of Sukkertoppen Vel to Sunnmørsposten. They too have registered that Sukkertoppen appears with new names in various places.
In the Google Maps service, Sugar Peak is now marked as “Karamel toppen”. (Caramel Peak)
– I have also seen “Lakristoppen” as a variant. All the attention about Sukkertoppen is good, I think. Many of us are incredibly grateful that it didn’t get worse during the fire. Soon Sukkertoppen will be very green again.
Source: Brannen på Sukkertoppen i Ålesund - smp.no
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