Yesterday we were encouraged to guess the exact time that we would cross the Arctic circle even down to the second. My guess was two minutes too early, and Rob was eight minutes late. We were awakened to watch this event at 7:50 a.m. There is a globe statue to mark the spot.
At 10:30am we attended an Arctic Crossing ceremony. This consisted of ice being poured on our heads.
Next we bought postcards and stamps that were then postmarked from the Arctic Circle.
Bodø has a population of 53,000. It is a modern city as it was completely bombed in WWII. There is fishing, a national aviation museum, and an international airport. It is the last stop on the train.
For four weeks Bodø gets no sun at all because the city is located just above the Arctic Circle, and mountains block the horizon to the south. The northern lights are prevalent here but not in the summer. However, due to activity on the sun’s surface, the northern lights will be spectacular in winter for the next four to five years.
Bodø has the best football (soccer) team in Norway and has had that honor for the last four years. They love the outdoor life whether it is sea or mountains. They don’t have a word for trespassing. Their national heros are outdoorsmen and arctic explorers.
In 2002, the largest cold-water coral reef was found off the coast near Bodø. The reef complex called Røstrevet is situated at a depth of 1,000 to 1,300 feet and is composed of the coral species Lophelia pertusa. It extends 27 miles long and 4.3 miles wide. A national declaration prevents trawling in the area, but oil exploration may threaten the largest cold-water coral reef.
Elk can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. They cause problems when they cross the road. “Aim for their backside” since they will keep running. (Our deer in the USA stop and stare!!)
I had never heard of Doggerland but it is a hotbed of archeological research. Scandinavia came from the bottom of the sea, and the North Sea was dry land. The land came up and folded over. In 1919 a reindeer horn spearhead had been sharpened indicating the existence of a civilization. In 1991, a skull was found and DNA analysis determined that it was Scandinavian.
A distinguishing feature of the cod is a little beard. In January the cod come to the the west fjords to lay eggs. This lasts until the end of March. The cod are hung up to dry for two months. Norway exports 200,000 tons of cod.
Salmon farms were creating waste products that killed everything. Now that waste is captured for fertilizer. Salmon get fish lice. A laser ray called a sting ray is used to eliminate the lice. Dried cod can be soaked in water for 24 hours. One can dry cod or salt, then dry it.
Fish and potatoes are on most every plate in Norway.
In Svolvær, we had about half an hour to explore. It was appropriately 10:00 pm.
We sat down (on an animal skin) to have a drink from an ice glass.
Going into this narrow fjord is never a guarantee. Safe passage is dependent on wind, currents, and the weather. We have been given the green light. The only issue is that we enter the fjord at midnight … but it’s still light.
The fjord was narrow. Could the ship turn around? Not only did it turn around, it kept going and made what I would call a donut. The captain may have been showing off a bit, but we observers were impressed and gave him much applause for this unexpected experience.
Leave a Reply