Trondheim, and very soon, Beyond

The first few days in Trondheim have been pretty nice. I've decided to stay here until Monday, the 9Th. Originally, I planned on leaving on Saturday or Sunday, but decided I'd rather spend the time here sightseeing in a leisurely manner. Leaving on Sunday would have been OK, but I would have arrived in Alesund much later than I'd like. Sounds like an excuse, doesn't it?

One of the nice things about Trondheim, and this leisurely pace, is their library. Several English language newspapers and magazines available, something I haven't seen since Helsinki. Internet access is free, and there's rarely a waiting line for a computer. And compared to some I've used lately, they are blazingly fast. Anyone remember 1200 baud modems? I swear one computer I used had one, with a high error rate to boot.

First day here, I just toddled around, as I've said, getting the feel of the town, the lay of the land, some such cliche. No fireworks, parades, etc., as I think I've said. Ate a strictly American diet on the 4Th. Sausage and eggs for breakfast, Burger King for lunch, and a pizza at Dolly Dimple's for supper. And it's not just beer that's expensive in Norway. It's at least 10% or more higher to travel here than in the other countries I've visited on this trip. And as many of you know, Scandinavia is probably the most expensive part of Europe for travelers.

So far I've taken in the Nidaros Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, and the National Regalia. All in the same area, and all covered by one all inclusive ticket.

The Cathedral is really something to see. Rebuilt, of course, as many buildings are in Europe, after several devastating fires. It's as big as any I've seen, or at least very near that. The inside is very dim, and no photography allowed. Outside is very photogenic, if a building can be photogenic. The English guided tour was very good. The tour guide's name was Lena, same as my youngest granddaughter. Have photo of her and me. She's going to be tall when she grows up, if names have anything to do with it,. She gave a very good tour. Intermixed history and humor, and was honest if she didn't know something.

The Archbishop's Palace was also a plus. Again a very good guide. very small group, only 4 of us. Two were Norwegian, and added to the history when the guide was unfamiliar with something. Seems the Danes ruled Norway from the 15Th to the early 19Th century. And, in the Norwegians view, much like the English rule over Ireland, very suppressive. That's one of the reasons little is known about the Archbishop's Palace, as the Danes destroyed what written history there was, and used the palace as a barracks/headquarters. There were some very detailed models of what they believe the Palace looked like during different periods. These were based on excavations, and Danish info where available.

The National Regalia was a display of the crown jewels, or more likely, replicas. Also a brief bio on each of the kings of Norway since around 900 AD. I covered this pretty quickly.

I also climbed the tower of the cathedral, 172 steps. They were explicit before starting, don't start unless you are sure you'll make it, 'cause there's no place to turn around. And they were right! But the view was worth it.

After dinner, I was walking around the town square when I spotted the fourth member of the tour through the Archbishop's Palace sitting in a sidewalk cafe. He was an American, who works as a supervisor on one of the North Sea oil rigs. Quite interesting to talk to, about a number of subjects. Good job if you can get it. Lots of time on the rig, working hard, but also a lot of 3 or 4 week breaks to do as you please.

Friday was a fairly relaxed day. I took the ferry to Munkholmen, and island in the harbor. Initially a monastery in the 11Th century. But later it became the prison, then the customs house. Now it's just a place for tourists to visit and locals to sunbath on the small beaches and grassy areas. Passed up the museum, as it didn't look like it held much of real interest.

From there, I walked up the steep hill to Kristiansten Fortress. Quite an imposing fortress in it's day. As with many medieval structures, there's been a lot of destruction and reconstruction. The museum tour for 50 NOK ($8.00) wasn't worth it. Great views of the city and harbor, or fjord, as most bodies of water are referred to here.

On the way up the hill, I passed the world's first bicycle tram. The cyclist deposits a coin, a rig jumps out for the cyclist to put a foot in, and the rig pulls the cyclist up the hill. More interesting to see than to read a description of, I'm sure.

The last event of the day was a wander through an older section of town, where it seemed all the houses were built in the 19Th or even earlier century. Very well maintained. Much of the wooden construction is vertical planking. I see it everywhere. There were a number of warehouses along the river, now converted to businesses and apartments, of the same era. And the two most popular colors here by far are yellow ocher and red.

Decided to send this, as I don't know when I'll next get a chance on the Internet, and I know all of you are waiting with bated breath for the next episode. NOT!