The other extreme of Norway:
It was quite warm when I visited. They had New Zealand Kiwi Fruit in the one supermarket but the beer was pricey so no.
More about Ålesund from the same source:
PS: This time with less dramatic music and text in today’s Norwegian language.
Two Havila Kystruten vessels meet in Vestfjorden:
Both vessels are serving in the Coastal Express service, sailing from Bergen to Kirkenes v.v. Round trip takes 11 days and is served by 4 ships from Havila and 8 from Hurtigruten AS.
One ship leave Bergen north bound every evening, call at 34 ports on the way to Kirkenes. Every port get a call each way, year around.
Hurtigruten has operated the service since 1893, while Havila only got concession to operate on the Coastal Express service in 2017. They built 4 new ships and entered service in 2021.
History of Hurtigruten: Timeline of Hurtigruten's History | Hurtigruten
A bit of Americana in a small town in western Norway this weekend:
Love and exhaust in the air. Love blossoms among motorbikes and music at a festival.
Smiles per mile
They are at the Trøkk n’ Truck festival in Førde.
The festival is the icing on the cake after several days of truck processions around Western Norway. Many people here are truck drivers by profession, but still spend their vacation driving large, heavy vehicles. This isn’t about liters per mile, but smiles per mile. The trucks have made headlines in most local newspapers along the route.
One of the truck drivers has, among other things, carried with him an M4 Sherman tank from World War II:
The tank was used on D-Day in Normandy. Now it is a great joy for Jan Eivind Asen. Photo: Nils Ole Refvik / NRK
Here, the United States is what counts. Not necessarily American politics. But American aesthetics and mechanics:
Peterbilt is an institution in the United States. Photo: Ann Beate Eikås Hovland / NRK
Rune Alværvik takes NRK on a tour of his truck. He has been driving around with the speakers playing “East Bound and Down”. «East bound and down, loaded up and truckin’ We gonna do what they say can’t be done»
“Everyone” in the community knows Rune Alværvik. Photo: Ann Beate Eikås Hovland / NRK
Spontaneous dancing after the music. Photo: Ann Beate Eikås Hovland / NRK
If you have a six-shooter on your hip and an eight-speeder under the hood, you are winner in this environment. It is love for what used to be the American dream.
“Even if you don’t know people, it’s like you know them anyway. It’s something to be proud of,” says one of the participants. Who said this is not that relevant. Because everyone at the festival said exactly the same thing.
Google translation. (The article is in Nynorsk so the translation is not very good)
And the Nobel Prize for Tourism and promotion of my country goes to Captain OM Bugge.
Thank you!!! That is right up there with the FIFA Peace Prize in stature.
PS: Not sure why I got that honour? I haven’t done much to promote New Zealand.
Facts about Norway that you may not have known:
No Ro-ro-ro here:
After the match they walk home:
More from Northern Norway.
Everybody feels like a winner here:
The newer machine you just collect a garbage bag full (or 2), dump them in the machine:
Wait a few minutes. Bingo!!
PS: You can either offset against your grocery purchase, get cash, or put the amount back on your debit card.
PS: No they are NOT slave labourers. They are paid Norwegian wages and enjoy Norwegian benefits, like free health care, disability pension if they should suffer serious injuries etc.
Somewhere in Troms County, Northern Norway:
Ryfylke tunnel in Rogaland County, Southwest Norway:
Besides tunnels, Norway also have a lot of ferries, both car ferries on short fjord crossings, fast ferries connecting islands, small villages and isolated places along the coast to towns and cities:
More about Norway for those who are interested:
PS: Those who have no interest in learning anything about Norway; just ignore this thread.
Royal Norwegian Navy “Tjeld-class” MTB in formation Close bravo:
Here in Formation Delta:
Picture taken from the lead boat by Fredrik Amundsen.
PS: Been there, done that. Coxswain, KNM Tjeld, 22. MTB Squadron, 1965-66.
The U.S. Navy operated twenty of the Tjeld/Nasty-class patrol boats, with pennant numbers PTF-3 through PTF-22 during the Vietnam War:
THE HISTORY OF THE PTF “NASTY” BOATS IN VIET NAM
Has over-tourism become a problem in Norway?
The answer is YES in some parts, especially the main Cruise ports, like Stavanger:
At the same time it is good for business. But is that enough to compensate for overcrowing, pollution, wear and tear on infrastructure and the wellbeing of local population?
This is especially so in small places, like Olden:
Olden has been nominated for cruise port of the year worldwide. Skipsrevyen
The population of the village of Olden in Stryn Municipality, Norway, was 525 as of January 1, 2025, according to Statistics Norway (SSB) data published via Store norske leksikon. [1, 2, 3]
One can make an educated guess as to the water temperature and its suitability for swimming with a Reindeer in the picture. Me, I want to see something like a Koala or a kangaroo.
A beach near by, but w/o reindeer:
A bit further south, but still too cold for comfort.
Trollstigen is open for business:
A wet and windy day with mild traffic.
Here on a sunnier day and shorter video: