June 24, 2010
Today is our last full day in Northern Norway and the sun is peaking through the clouds! After a week of nothing but rain and clouds, we were in desperate need of some sunshine. I must say, Tromsø in the sun is much better than Tromsø in the rain!
Our morning activities included visits to Tromsø Geophysical Obervatory and Kongsberg Spacetec. Tromsø Geophysical Observatory is a research program and educational facility focused on studying the Northern Lights. Odd Erik Garcia, our host, explained the phenomenon behind Aurora Borealis including the fact that the name is actually a misnomer by an Italian scientist who saw the lights during a strong period when they reached as far south as Italy. However, the further they go, the less dense they are and thus the lights in Italy were red while in Northern Norway they are always bright green. In the past, the Northern Lights have been seen as far south as Jamaica. Every year, the intensity changes and the center shifts. Scientists study the solar activity to determine when they will see the Northern Lights. The past few years have actually been relatively dormant, but last year showed a little activity so if you are interested in seeing the Northern Lights, you should check them out in about two years! Dormant activity has been known to last as long as 100 years, so don't miss your chance while the solar activity is visible!
Kongsberg Spacetek is a ground satellite station, working to monitor and coordinate with the satellite activity to collect data for countries. The ground satellites are based across the world, including Tromsø, and work 24/7 to talk with the stations. Because of their location, Kongsberg is the leading ground satellite company. In Tromsø, the ground satellites can communicate with 11 of the 14 orbiting satellites while in Svalbard, all 14 orbits communicate regularly because the satellites orbit Pole to Pole and always pass over Svalbard. Some advantages of having quick data from the salellites include monitoring oil ships for spills, watching the migration of animals and watching the climate change in the Polar region. Currently, 83 percent of the work is outsourced.
After our last traditional Norwegian lunch, we explored sunny Tromsø and picked up some last minute souveniers from the North. Later in the evening, we took the life up the mountain to take in the aerial view of Tromsø. What a sight! The city was glistening as the sun bounced off the windows and we even watched some hang-gliders take advantage of the upward wind on this clear day. A last glimpse of the Midnight Sun and we said goodbye to Tromsø and Northern Norway.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Beer for Breakfast?
June 23, 2010
Is 9 am too early for your first glass of beer? Not in Tromsø. Welcome to the Mack Brewery, the largest commercial and microbrewery in Northern Norway since they opened doors in 1876. Although the administrative offices and factory have been located in Tromsø since they first opened doors, Mack Brewery's factory and brewhouse will be moving 70 km east of the city in two years to expand and upgrade machinery. The administrative headquarters will remain in Tromsø and the ølhallen, the oldest pub in Tromsø, will add extra floors. Today, ølhallen starts serving the first beer at 9 am and generally closes doors around 6 pm, catering largely to the old timers and those stopping by the brew for a tour of the facility. ølhallen started as the central location for all people who went to the Arctic, whether it be fishermen, researchers or explorers. The pub has not changed since the first days 80 years ago. In addition to being the largest brewhouse, Mack Brewery is also the northern most producer of Coca Cola products, supplying all of Northern Norway.
In addition to their traditional spread, Mack Brewery focuses on four seasonal limited time brew created to pair with the traditional food of the time. In the spring, the brew pairs well with cod and Easter lamb; in the summer, with shrimp; in autumn, with game and moose and finally, in winter, it is the Christmas beer. During our tour, we walked through the soda creating and bottling floor to the brewing machines, storage and even where the yeast is harvested and the beer is made.
After a stroll through downtown, we headed over to the Chamber of Commerce to learn more about the local business organization designed to bring together the companies in Tromsø and offer the support (advice, finances and network) needed to help businesses grow. Northern Norway currently has 30 percent of the land but only 10 percent of the population, so part of the Chamber's motives are to attract and retain individuals into the area. With an operating budget of about 200 million NOK a year, the Chamber has money to help develop innovative and interesting projects which they consider through an application process. They are currently focusing their business development in three areas: petrol, biotech and international affairs. About 50 percent of the budget comes from Tromsø county, while the other 50 percent comes from member dues or member budgets. Interestingly, Tromsø has 15 million NOK set aside for culture and innovation and the problem isn't the money, but the lack of creative ideas! We need to set aside that kind of money for the arts back home.
Our next stop was to Polaria and the Norwegian Polar Institute... what an amazing institution! The Norwegian Polar Institute is currently home to the Arctic Council but works to study climate and environment in the Polar Circle. It was established in 1928 and has several researchers on staff to conduct field studies and work to preserve the environment. While visiting the center, we saw the oldest book documenting the Polar Circle. The "Diarivm Nartium feu Vera Descripto Auctore Gerardo de Vera" was the Latin version of the Danish tale about the travel from Svalbard to the mainland Norway. At Polaria, we watched a panaromic video highlighting the scenery between Tromsø to Svalbard through the seasons. There is no question that the landscape of Northern Norway is unrivaled! We were able to meet the two seals at Polaria while we visited the interactive museum.
We had seen Tromsø by day, now it was finally time to check out Tromsø by night... and what better night to do it than Midsummer? Midsummer or Sankthansaften is June 23 and a Norwegian celebration to honor the summer solstice. The traditional celebration includes going down to the beach and starting a bonfire to barbeque and toast to new beginnings. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans and the rain kept us from starting a bonfire but we did make new friends with the local Rotaract group and hit the town, first to have the best pizza in town at Yonas and then onto Grunder and Strut for some drinks and dancing. Skol to Norway!
Is 9 am too early for your first glass of beer? Not in Tromsø. Welcome to the Mack Brewery, the largest commercial and microbrewery in Northern Norway since they opened doors in 1876. Although the administrative offices and factory have been located in Tromsø since they first opened doors, Mack Brewery's factory and brewhouse will be moving 70 km east of the city in two years to expand and upgrade machinery. The administrative headquarters will remain in Tromsø and the ølhallen, the oldest pub in Tromsø, will add extra floors. Today, ølhallen starts serving the first beer at 9 am and generally closes doors around 6 pm, catering largely to the old timers and those stopping by the brew for a tour of the facility. ølhallen started as the central location for all people who went to the Arctic, whether it be fishermen, researchers or explorers. The pub has not changed since the first days 80 years ago. In addition to being the largest brewhouse, Mack Brewery is also the northern most producer of Coca Cola products, supplying all of Northern Norway.
In addition to their traditional spread, Mack Brewery focuses on four seasonal limited time brew created to pair with the traditional food of the time. In the spring, the brew pairs well with cod and Easter lamb; in the summer, with shrimp; in autumn, with game and moose and finally, in winter, it is the Christmas beer. During our tour, we walked through the soda creating and bottling floor to the brewing machines, storage and even where the yeast is harvested and the beer is made.
After a stroll through downtown, we headed over to the Chamber of Commerce to learn more about the local business organization designed to bring together the companies in Tromsø and offer the support (advice, finances and network) needed to help businesses grow. Northern Norway currently has 30 percent of the land but only 10 percent of the population, so part of the Chamber's motives are to attract and retain individuals into the area. With an operating budget of about 200 million NOK a year, the Chamber has money to help develop innovative and interesting projects which they consider through an application process. They are currently focusing their business development in three areas: petrol, biotech and international affairs. About 50 percent of the budget comes from Tromsø county, while the other 50 percent comes from member dues or member budgets. Interestingly, Tromsø has 15 million NOK set aside for culture and innovation and the problem isn't the money, but the lack of creative ideas! We need to set aside that kind of money for the arts back home.
Our next stop was to Polaria and the Norwegian Polar Institute... what an amazing institution! The Norwegian Polar Institute is currently home to the Arctic Council but works to study climate and environment in the Polar Circle. It was established in 1928 and has several researchers on staff to conduct field studies and work to preserve the environment. While visiting the center, we saw the oldest book documenting the Polar Circle. The "Diarivm Nartium feu Vera Descripto Auctore Gerardo de Vera" was the Latin version of the Danish tale about the travel from Svalbard to the mainland Norway. At Polaria, we watched a panaromic video highlighting the scenery between Tromsø to Svalbard through the seasons. There is no question that the landscape of Northern Norway is unrivaled! We were able to meet the two seals at Polaria while we visited the interactive museum.
We had seen Tromsø by day, now it was finally time to check out Tromsø by night... and what better night to do it than Midsummer? Midsummer or Sankthansaften is June 23 and a Norwegian celebration to honor the summer solstice. The traditional celebration includes going down to the beach and starting a bonfire to barbeque and toast to new beginnings. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans and the rain kept us from starting a bonfire but we did make new friends with the local Rotaract group and hit the town, first to have the best pizza in town at Yonas and then onto Grunder and Strut for some drinks and dancing. Skol to Norway!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Forward thinking in Norway!
June 22, 2010
Our first morning in Tromsø (pronounced Trum-sa) was of course, rainy and cold. In fact, the newspaper said this has been the coldest June in 28 years! But, as the Norwegians say, "There is no such thing as bad weather. Just bad clothing."
Today was our introduction into some of Tromsø's industry including the Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine and Remiks. It was an interesting morning/afternoon learning about how technologically advanced Norway is and the funniest part was hearing that Norway is in fact, 20 years behind Sweden!
Our host at the Norwegian Centre for Intregrated Care and Telemedicine was Gerd Ersdal, a medical advisor on staff. The Centre was created to research and explore telecommunication as an oppportunity within the medical field. To date, the Centre has connected the northern most hospital in Finnmark to the Centre via video cameras and Internet feed through a submarine-installed cable in the water. The Centre is developing telecommunication strategies as the next wave of medicine, allowing doctors to connect remotely with patients or smaller staffed hospitals and offer expertise and advice when needed. The Centre has also reached beyond the national borders, working with hospitals in developing nations through a program called Swinfin Chartiable Trust. The demand is there, the question is how to harnass it and use it in the most effective way. One interesting project the Centre is about to roll out is a diabetes study with 800 participants throughout the European Union participating in an electronic trial. Each participant is given a touch screen cell phone with an application that allows them to monitor their health, mood, food intake and other data the doctors need, all sent electronically. In the past, this Renewable Health initiative conducted small studies with 10-15 people within the region. This is a big test for the Centre and the success will help determine future projects.
After learning lunch at the Centre, we moved over to Remiks, the waste management company for the Tromsø area. This is my first time to a waste management/recycling plant, so I don't have much to compare to, but the operation here seemed very cutting age. Hilariously, the director of Remiks, Bård Jørgensen, said that Sweden was 30 years ahead of what was happening in Norway! In Tromsø, all residents are given free trash bags that are a thicker plastic and made in different colors. The residents are asked to separate their trash at home and put residuals in white bags, packages and light cardboard in yellow bags, organic kitchen waste in green bags, plastic materials in blue bags and papers in red bags. With the color system, the trash trucks - operated by one driver and a hydraulic arm - pick up all trash once a week. Before the color system was introduced, different trash categories were picked up every other week which meant that organic kitchen waste might be sitting at home for two weeks in the hot summer months. The colored bags are necessary because of the optical sorting system where bags are placed on a conveyor belt and different colors are separated into different bins. While Remiks cannot control what is placed inside the bags, they believe most of the material that comes into their facility is properly sorted into the right colors.
Remiks operates on a 140 million Norwegian kroner budget and is an entirely government-owned company serving 68,000 residents and handling 40,000 tons of waste a year. Another interesting innovation from Remiks and one will be implemented in all new construction is the automatic waste collection system. This is something that looks like a long fire hydrant on the street level and allows for people to drop their color-coded trash bags into the recepticle any time of the day or night. The sensor will go off when the recepticle is full and the trash will be automatically sucked into either a local dumpster or the recycle plant if the city is small through an air suction system. In the short run, this means $5,000-6,000 more per unit in an apartment building but in the long run, it means less expenses including trash removal, less noise from large vehicles and a cleaner neighborhood with no trash bins on the curbside. I wonder how this would work back home! Nicole, who has been a waste management plant in the United States, said she believes Philadelphia was considering an automated system so I'd be interested to see how that works out!
Interesting Tidbit: Do not crush cans because the sensors in the United States tend to work by size rather than material!
Our first morning in Tromsø (pronounced Trum-sa) was of course, rainy and cold. In fact, the newspaper said this has been the coldest June in 28 years! But, as the Norwegians say, "There is no such thing as bad weather. Just bad clothing."
Today was our introduction into some of Tromsø's industry including the Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine and Remiks. It was an interesting morning/afternoon learning about how technologically advanced Norway is and the funniest part was hearing that Norway is in fact, 20 years behind Sweden!
Our host at the Norwegian Centre for Intregrated Care and Telemedicine was Gerd Ersdal, a medical advisor on staff. The Centre was created to research and explore telecommunication as an oppportunity within the medical field. To date, the Centre has connected the northern most hospital in Finnmark to the Centre via video cameras and Internet feed through a submarine-installed cable in the water. The Centre is developing telecommunication strategies as the next wave of medicine, allowing doctors to connect remotely with patients or smaller staffed hospitals and offer expertise and advice when needed. The Centre has also reached beyond the national borders, working with hospitals in developing nations through a program called Swinfin Chartiable Trust. The demand is there, the question is how to harnass it and use it in the most effective way. One interesting project the Centre is about to roll out is a diabetes study with 800 participants throughout the European Union participating in an electronic trial. Each participant is given a touch screen cell phone with an application that allows them to monitor their health, mood, food intake and other data the doctors need, all sent electronically. In the past, this Renewable Health initiative conducted small studies with 10-15 people within the region. This is a big test for the Centre and the success will help determine future projects.
After learning lunch at the Centre, we moved over to Remiks, the waste management company for the Tromsø area. This is my first time to a waste management/recycling plant, so I don't have much to compare to, but the operation here seemed very cutting age. Hilariously, the director of Remiks, Bård Jørgensen, said that Sweden was 30 years ahead of what was happening in Norway! In Tromsø, all residents are given free trash bags that are a thicker plastic and made in different colors. The residents are asked to separate their trash at home and put residuals in white bags, packages and light cardboard in yellow bags, organic kitchen waste in green bags, plastic materials in blue bags and papers in red bags. With the color system, the trash trucks - operated by one driver and a hydraulic arm - pick up all trash once a week. Before the color system was introduced, different trash categories were picked up every other week which meant that organic kitchen waste might be sitting at home for two weeks in the hot summer months. The colored bags are necessary because of the optical sorting system where bags are placed on a conveyor belt and different colors are separated into different bins. While Remiks cannot control what is placed inside the bags, they believe most of the material that comes into their facility is properly sorted into the right colors.
Remiks operates on a 140 million Norwegian kroner budget and is an entirely government-owned company serving 68,000 residents and handling 40,000 tons of waste a year. Another interesting innovation from Remiks and one will be implemented in all new construction is the automatic waste collection system. This is something that looks like a long fire hydrant on the street level and allows for people to drop their color-coded trash bags into the recepticle any time of the day or night. The sensor will go off when the recepticle is full and the trash will be automatically sucked into either a local dumpster or the recycle plant if the city is small through an air suction system. In the short run, this means $5,000-6,000 more per unit in an apartment building but in the long run, it means less expenses including trash removal, less noise from large vehicles and a cleaner neighborhood with no trash bins on the curbside. I wonder how this would work back home! Nicole, who has been a waste management plant in the United States, said she believes Philadelphia was considering an automated system so I'd be interested to see how that works out!
Interesting Tidbit: Do not crush cans because the sensors in the United States tend to work by size rather than material!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Watch out for the Trolls!
June 21, 2010
After saying goodbye to our friends in Bardu, we packed up the van and hit the road for our hour drive to the small port town of Finnsnes. With a population of 5,000, Finnsnes is slightly larger than Bardu but more of a working city. Since it was freezing cold at about 0 degrees Celcius today, we did a driving tour of the town including a stop at the local harbor to watch a ship come into port bringing iron ore from Sweden and the surrounding industrial park including a company that makes tombstones. From Finnsnes, we drove out to the aptly described fairytale island of Senja. The hour long drive into Senja is somewhat desolute, with tundra like landscape including barren trees and overbearing mountains. However, once you make it into the interior of the island, it is like a hidden paradise and a big tourist draw during the summer months. The island has sandy beaches, though the water is too cold to actually dip into, boats to rent for fishing trips and just beautiful landscape and scenery... when the skies are clear and the weather is warm, unlike our visit today! Our lunch was at a local resort and then we headed back toward Finnsnes but not without a stop to the famed troll museum.
Envisioned and created by Leif Rubach in 1993, the Senjatrollet is the largest troll museum in the world and showcases troll scenarios all located inside a building shaped like a troll head. Trolls are characters in Norwegian mythology and are often feared by children. The trolls in Northern Norway are large, brutish and feature big noses and stringy hair. They are said to live in the mountains, although there are the occasional trolls that live in the sea. Mostly, the trolls kept to themselves and stayed invisible but could travel with the wind and sneak into human homes. Sometimes you can hear them whisper or make noise. If you were in the forest and smelled food, you knew you were near a troll dwelling. Trolls have also been known to be shapeshifters, so they can take the form of a log or an animal. Trolls sometimes took humans or cattle as their prisoners. The women who recently gave birth but hadn't been to church yet were the easiest prey. Trolls could steal a new born baby, but would have to leave their own offspring in return. Christianity could be used as a defense from trolls or the hammer of Thor could be seen as a protective talisman.
One example of a troll story are the mitten trolls. These were trolls that lived in the fishermen's mittens on the docks and would come out and eat children who played by the water. At the troll museum was a wall of pacifiers and letters from children. Parents would often bring their children to the museum to leave behind their pacifiers, a necessary step so as to not grow a large nose like the trolls.
From trolls to the MS Fjordkongen, the hour long speedboat that will take us to our last stop in Northern Norway in the city of Tromsø.
After saying goodbye to our friends in Bardu, we packed up the van and hit the road for our hour drive to the small port town of Finnsnes. With a population of 5,000, Finnsnes is slightly larger than Bardu but more of a working city. Since it was freezing cold at about 0 degrees Celcius today, we did a driving tour of the town including a stop at the local harbor to watch a ship come into port bringing iron ore from Sweden and the surrounding industrial park including a company that makes tombstones. From Finnsnes, we drove out to the aptly described fairytale island of Senja. The hour long drive into Senja is somewhat desolute, with tundra like landscape including barren trees and overbearing mountains. However, once you make it into the interior of the island, it is like a hidden paradise and a big tourist draw during the summer months. The island has sandy beaches, though the water is too cold to actually dip into, boats to rent for fishing trips and just beautiful landscape and scenery... when the skies are clear and the weather is warm, unlike our visit today! Our lunch was at a local resort and then we headed back toward Finnsnes but not without a stop to the famed troll museum.
Envisioned and created by Leif Rubach in 1993, the Senjatrollet is the largest troll museum in the world and showcases troll scenarios all located inside a building shaped like a troll head. Trolls are characters in Norwegian mythology and are often feared by children. The trolls in Northern Norway are large, brutish and feature big noses and stringy hair. They are said to live in the mountains, although there are the occasional trolls that live in the sea. Mostly, the trolls kept to themselves and stayed invisible but could travel with the wind and sneak into human homes. Sometimes you can hear them whisper or make noise. If you were in the forest and smelled food, you knew you were near a troll dwelling. Trolls have also been known to be shapeshifters, so they can take the form of a log or an animal. Trolls sometimes took humans or cattle as their prisoners. The women who recently gave birth but hadn't been to church yet were the easiest prey. Trolls could steal a new born baby, but would have to leave their own offspring in return. Christianity could be used as a defense from trolls or the hammer of Thor could be seen as a protective talisman.
One example of a troll story are the mitten trolls. These were trolls that lived in the fishermen's mittens on the docks and would come out and eat children who played by the water. At the troll museum was a wall of pacifiers and letters from children. Parents would often bring their children to the museum to leave behind their pacifiers, a necessary step so as to not grow a large nose like the trolls.
From trolls to the MS Fjordkongen, the hour long speedboat that will take us to our last stop in Northern Norway in the city of Tromsø.
Snow in June!?!
June 20, 2010
Our Sunday in Bardu was unfortunately another rainy, cold day but after sleeping in, we decided to venture outdoors for an afternoon drive into the nearby mountains. Our first stop along the way was the largest military base in Northern Norway, located in our hometown of Setermoen. Our host, Liev Bjørn, spent some time with the army so was able to get us special clearance to drive through the base. This base is mostly geared toward education and training and neighbors the largest practice shooting area cordoned off for the military. About 2,000 military personnel are on the base at any given time and generally stay in the area for about two years before moving on to different parts of the country. Bardu itself is home to 4,000 residents, with about 2,000 living in Setermoen. Steingrim, our hosts' son, said he too wants to join the army when he has completed his three years of high school but rather than staying in the area, he wants to be based in Finnmark to work the Russian border.
Bardu is a municipality in the Troms County, with the administrative center being in the most urban of villages in Setermoen. Driving through downtown is literally four blocks which include the grocery store, a sports store and a couple odds and ends stores. Right after the "downtown" is a medical complex that houses the town doctors, nurse and emergency room. While we have been in small towns since we've started our stay here in Norway, this community of 2,000 was by far the smallest and most rural of the areas we've been. Bardu is a Norwegian name from the Sami word of Beardu, which means long and steep mountain side. This name is fitting since Bardu is the first of our towns that is entirely inland and surrounded by mountains with the occasional river or lake. It is actually not too far from the coast but because the mountains block the coastline and the warmer Gulf Stream, Bardu is known for colder winters. Our visit to Bardu, in winter, certainly lives up to the reputation with temperatures as low as -2 degrees Celcius and snow! Our hosts did say that once every 10 years, they see snow in June and we just happen to be here to experience the "green winter." One person joked that Norway is always an average 24 degrees Celcius, 20 degrees indoors and 4 degrees outdoors. Sounds about right!
Our next stop along the way to the mountains was a replica of the original power station in Bardu. The hydroelectric plant was essentially a series of wood tunnels used to harbor the power of the water streams coming down the mountain to then generate a saw to cut tree trunks into smaller pieces of wood. While this particular mill was a replica and not in use, the original is still functional but used more to prove its effectiveness rather than as the primary source of energy.
Although wet and overcast, we were able to take in some of the beauty of the surrounding mountains. Our host Heidi comes into the mountains every other day with her two English Setter hunting dogs to keep them active and in shape for grouse hunting season. In the winter, the entire Walle family skis and uses their cabin near Lake Altevatn as their base. Today, Lake Altevatn only has pockets of frozen ice but in the winter, the entire lake is frozen and a popular location for ice fishing. The Norwegian sport of ice fishing actually means riding snowmobiles on the water. Steingrim, who is 15, has already started studying for his snowmobile license which he can test for as soon as he turns 16. During the summer, Lake Altevatn, which is 50-60 km long, feeds the power plants in the area to create hydropower electricity.
From Lake Altevatn, we made a detour to the local Huskyfarm owned by Björn and Regina Klauer. This farm is home to 70 huskies, including six 10 week old puppies. These are all sled dogs, enjoying the summer but anxious to start the winter where they can lead groups for 5-14 day treks into the mountains. A group of five people, plus guide, can book a 5 day trek into the mountains including stays at cabins, weather-permitting depending on whether the dogs can make it to the next cabin, for about 2,100 euros or $3,000. Each person rides his own sled, led by six dogs, and each sled is mostly filled with a homemade dog food blend. The Huskyfarm started when Björn spent 12-months trekking from Oslo through Northern Norway with his husky as a companion. He fell in love with the country and wanted to stay, so found his niche leading mostly German tour groups into the mountains to experience the country the way he saw it and has since written a book, Mystic North, documenting the husky experience.
Our final stop for the day was a picnic lunch at Strømsør at the cabin of Liev Bjørn's great great grandfather, Erik-Bjønn. Erik-Bjønn was one of the first settlers in the region, building his house by the river initially but then moving the house up the mountain after realizing that the rising tides were dangerous. He and his wife lived in almost complete isolation with the nearest family about six km away. Erik-Bjønn started a business with two cows, one that he owned and one that he rented. One day, a bear came into his barn and killed the cow he owned. Immediately enranged, he vowed justice against the bear and spent the rest of his life and livelihood hunting bears in the mountains. Erik-Bjønn and his wife had a large family and there are photos of his daughter standing beside him in the mountains, with the sole purpose of holding rifles and reloading them while he was shooting at the bears. While Erik-Bjønn might have been a tough mountaineer man, his wife was perhaps stronger and more resilient. His wife would be home alone, pregnant, and would keep the neighbors' dog with her. When she was going into labor, she would release the dog who would run home and then the neighbors would know she was in labor and needed help. By the time the neighbors arrived, his wife had already delivered the baby and was busy washing her clothes!
Our picnic was at least dry, though the house was freezing cold! We had a typical Norwegian picnic lunch, which includes bread, brown cheese, jam, coffee and tea. After signing the guestbook - a Norwegian custom at every church/museum/historic site we have visited - we packed up our belongings and trekked down the hill back to the car. At Elin's house later that night, we once again had a homemade feast and spent our last night with our Norwegian friends before they headed home to Sortland. We have definitely been the lucky ones, meeting the Norwegian team in the United States first and having made friends before coming here to Northern Norway. In fact, this whole experience is all the greater because of how hard it would have been to navigate and plan such a trip while sitting at home. It is definitely an amazing country and we have made some amazing friends along the way!
Our Sunday in Bardu was unfortunately another rainy, cold day but after sleeping in, we decided to venture outdoors for an afternoon drive into the nearby mountains. Our first stop along the way was the largest military base in Northern Norway, located in our hometown of Setermoen. Our host, Liev Bjørn, spent some time with the army so was able to get us special clearance to drive through the base. This base is mostly geared toward education and training and neighbors the largest practice shooting area cordoned off for the military. About 2,000 military personnel are on the base at any given time and generally stay in the area for about two years before moving on to different parts of the country. Bardu itself is home to 4,000 residents, with about 2,000 living in Setermoen. Steingrim, our hosts' son, said he too wants to join the army when he has completed his three years of high school but rather than staying in the area, he wants to be based in Finnmark to work the Russian border.
Bardu is a municipality in the Troms County, with the administrative center being in the most urban of villages in Setermoen. Driving through downtown is literally four blocks which include the grocery store, a sports store and a couple odds and ends stores. Right after the "downtown" is a medical complex that houses the town doctors, nurse and emergency room. While we have been in small towns since we've started our stay here in Norway, this community of 2,000 was by far the smallest and most rural of the areas we've been. Bardu is a Norwegian name from the Sami word of Beardu, which means long and steep mountain side. This name is fitting since Bardu is the first of our towns that is entirely inland and surrounded by mountains with the occasional river or lake. It is actually not too far from the coast but because the mountains block the coastline and the warmer Gulf Stream, Bardu is known for colder winters. Our visit to Bardu, in winter, certainly lives up to the reputation with temperatures as low as -2 degrees Celcius and snow! Our hosts did say that once every 10 years, they see snow in June and we just happen to be here to experience the "green winter." One person joked that Norway is always an average 24 degrees Celcius, 20 degrees indoors and 4 degrees outdoors. Sounds about right!
Our next stop along the way to the mountains was a replica of the original power station in Bardu. The hydroelectric plant was essentially a series of wood tunnels used to harbor the power of the water streams coming down the mountain to then generate a saw to cut tree trunks into smaller pieces of wood. While this particular mill was a replica and not in use, the original is still functional but used more to prove its effectiveness rather than as the primary source of energy.
Although wet and overcast, we were able to take in some of the beauty of the surrounding mountains. Our host Heidi comes into the mountains every other day with her two English Setter hunting dogs to keep them active and in shape for grouse hunting season. In the winter, the entire Walle family skis and uses their cabin near Lake Altevatn as their base. Today, Lake Altevatn only has pockets of frozen ice but in the winter, the entire lake is frozen and a popular location for ice fishing. The Norwegian sport of ice fishing actually means riding snowmobiles on the water. Steingrim, who is 15, has already started studying for his snowmobile license which he can test for as soon as he turns 16. During the summer, Lake Altevatn, which is 50-60 km long, feeds the power plants in the area to create hydropower electricity.
From Lake Altevatn, we made a detour to the local Huskyfarm owned by Björn and Regina Klauer. This farm is home to 70 huskies, including six 10 week old puppies. These are all sled dogs, enjoying the summer but anxious to start the winter where they can lead groups for 5-14 day treks into the mountains. A group of five people, plus guide, can book a 5 day trek into the mountains including stays at cabins, weather-permitting depending on whether the dogs can make it to the next cabin, for about 2,100 euros or $3,000. Each person rides his own sled, led by six dogs, and each sled is mostly filled with a homemade dog food blend. The Huskyfarm started when Björn spent 12-months trekking from Oslo through Northern Norway with his husky as a companion. He fell in love with the country and wanted to stay, so found his niche leading mostly German tour groups into the mountains to experience the country the way he saw it and has since written a book, Mystic North, documenting the husky experience.
Our final stop for the day was a picnic lunch at Strømsør at the cabin of Liev Bjørn's great great grandfather, Erik-Bjønn. Erik-Bjønn was one of the first settlers in the region, building his house by the river initially but then moving the house up the mountain after realizing that the rising tides were dangerous. He and his wife lived in almost complete isolation with the nearest family about six km away. Erik-Bjønn started a business with two cows, one that he owned and one that he rented. One day, a bear came into his barn and killed the cow he owned. Immediately enranged, he vowed justice against the bear and spent the rest of his life and livelihood hunting bears in the mountains. Erik-Bjønn and his wife had a large family and there are photos of his daughter standing beside him in the mountains, with the sole purpose of holding rifles and reloading them while he was shooting at the bears. While Erik-Bjønn might have been a tough mountaineer man, his wife was perhaps stronger and more resilient. His wife would be home alone, pregnant, and would keep the neighbors' dog with her. When she was going into labor, she would release the dog who would run home and then the neighbors would know she was in labor and needed help. By the time the neighbors arrived, his wife had already delivered the baby and was busy washing her clothes!
Our picnic was at least dry, though the house was freezing cold! We had a typical Norwegian picnic lunch, which includes bread, brown cheese, jam, coffee and tea. After signing the guestbook - a Norwegian custom at every church/museum/historic site we have visited - we packed up our belongings and trekked down the hill back to the car. At Elin's house later that night, we once again had a homemade feast and spent our last night with our Norwegian friends before they headed home to Sortland. We have definitely been the lucky ones, meeting the Norwegian team in the United States first and having made friends before coming here to Northern Norway. In fact, this whole experience is all the greater because of how hard it would have been to navigate and plan such a trip while sitting at home. It is definitely an amazing country and we have made some amazing friends along the way!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
I need a baby wolf!
June 19, 2010
After saying goodbye to our Narvik friends, we climbed into the big van to drive over to Polar Zoo. We were hoping for a bright, sunny day but instead we got a cold (1 degree Celsius!) and rainy (pouring !) day. It didn’t stop us from putting on our winter gear, followed by raincoats and gloves and heading out to see the animals. We were all so excited to kiss the wolves!
The Polar Zoo is the northern most zoo in the world, located in the Salangsdalen Valley in the Bardu municipality in Troms County. With over 275 acres of land, the zoo prides itself in providing a natural and spacious enclosure for the animals. The animals at the zoo today include moose (referred to as elk here), brown bears, wolves, wolverines, red deer, arctic fox and lynx. The biggest attraction at the Polar Zoo is Wolf Camp, where people can play with the wolves and get kisses. Unfortunately, three days ago, one of the female wolves died from a sickness and the wolf pack was in mourning and therefore, not interested in playing with humans.
Our first animal encounter for the day was with the moose. Elk can weigh up to 700 kg with a body length of 3m and shoulder height of 2m. In Europe, elk are typically found in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Elk is primarily hunted by wolves, though wolverines and bears have been known to steal the carcasses from the wolves. Mating usually occurs in September and October and usually results in a solitary calf. During our visit, we only saw one elk.
Next door to the elk was the home of the lynx. Lynx, which belong in the cat family, are typically a very shy animal and sightings at the Polar Zoo are generally only during feeding hours. During this feeding we saw three lynx come out of the trees and eat the food, both on the ground or after climbing up. Lynx have short tails and characteristic black tufts of hair on their ears. Mating takes place in the winter and usually a lynx litter is about 2-4 cubs. This year, there was only one male in the enclosure and he was too young to know what to do so there were no new cubs. In the winter, lynx grow a thick undercoat of fur to protect themselves from the ice and the cold.
After feeding the lynx, we moved over to the wolves, who were also eager to get their meat for the day. The European wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf and is most common in Europe and Asia. The wolf is an apex predator, feeding on large animals. Wolves travel in packs and are highly sociable animals, especially relying on each other while hunting. A typical pack has 2-8 members, including the alpha male and the alpha female and then their cubs. Mating season is in February or March and the babies are born in May. A typical litter is 2-6 cubs, depending on the amount of space and prey available. This May, the wolves did give birth to babies. Three of those babies are in a separate location where they are becoming familiarized with humans. The rest of the babies are with the wolves in the enclosure. The Polar Zoo does not disclose how many cubs are with the mother because deaths are common at this age. The wolves typically do not leave their cubs unless they know they are in a safe place. When the two alpha wolves came out for the feeding, they left the babies hidden away.
From wolves to the lone wolverine, it was our turn to meet the largest member of the weasel family. These animals typically live in the isolated northern regions of the tundra and prey on reindeer and rodents, though they have been known to kill animals as big as a moose or steal the carcasses. They have a powerful jaw and thick hide, to help them hunt. Wolverines need a lot of space; a male typically needs 240 sq miles though that area can overlap with the females. Even in the same living quarters, males and females stay separate from one another until mating season in the summer. Watching the wolverine is an interesting experience since they are practically blind and rely entirely on their sense of smell. The zookeeper hid pieces of meat in trees, under rocks and in bushes before the wolverine started sniffing out the food and finding each piece. Wolverines are very agile and can easily climb up trees too!
Our last feeding stop was the most playful of the animals: the brown bears! In the enclosure today were three adult brown bears, putting on a show for their food including standing, sitting, leaning against the cages and play fighting with one another. The brown bear can weigh up to 350 kg and live for 20-30 years. They are extremely agile and fast for their weight, running up to speeds of 60 km/h in short distances. They eat berries, roots and herbs, along with rodents, fish and bird eggs. It is rare that a brown bear would kill sheep, deer, reindeer or moose because they are a solitary animal in the wild. In the fall, the bears must eat a lot of food in preparation for their long hibernation from October through March. Mating season takes place from late May through early June and the cubs are born during the winter. Baby bears are born hairless, toothless, blind and weight less than 1 lb at birth. They feed on their mother’s milk through the spring and summer, when they start eating solid food. Cubs stay with their mother for the first 2-4 years, learning survival techniques including how to search for food, fish, defend themselves and where to den.
If the adult bears were cute, there weren’t words for Salt and Pepper. These two cubs, born last year, are now too old to play with humans but until last summer, they would be able to climb all over people and would hug and lick them with unconditional love. Salt is an albino bear, which is extremely rare because albino cubs would usually die early in the wilderness since they can’t adapt as well to their surroundings. Today, I was one of the three people selected to go down to meet Salt and Pepper in their cages and hide some of their food before they were allowed to come out, find their treats and play for a bit. The baby cubs eat the same food as the adults, berries and fruit, with some fish tossed in for protein. Watching them look for food and then tease one another was fun, but watching videos of the two of them a few months ago made me wish we here last year!
After warming up with a mug of hot chocolate and attempting to get blood circulating in our body again, we headed back out into the cold rain to meet the baby wolves! Since we couldn’t kiss the wolves today, we signed up to help feed the baby wolves and the baby arctic fox. We sat outside on the wet log, in the pouring rain, with baby bottles in our hand waiting for the three 40-day old wolf cubs to join us and yes, it was so worth it! The wolves were adorable… they were still clumsy and learning how to use their bodies, so they’d often fall over for no reason. Unfortunately, they were not a huge fan of the rain so would come hang out with us for a few minutes and then run back under the wood logs for some protection from the rain. The zookeeper told us that they always keep the baby wolves in groups of three, so that if two of the animals started fighting, the third one would generally break it up and ease the tension. Wolf cubs might look like puppies, but they were more intense in every way. The zookeeper said that once the wolf has made up his mind about something, they stay focused and determined. For example, if the cubs start howling and scratching the door to go outside, they will not stop until they go outside. A dog would probably try for 10-20 minutes before giving up while the wolves would continue howling for hours unless they were let out. Speaking of howling, the zookeeper started a howl to show us how the babies respond. Sure enough, they each started yelping in response to let the mother know that they are still around and doing okay. Being able to have three wolf cubs play around in front of humans is quite an accomplishment since wolves tend to be very nervous and anxiety-filled around humans. They were incredibly cute… if only there were a way to keep the wolves cubs rather than have them grow up! These wolf babies will stay around humans and will join the other tame wolves for human interactions as they grow up. It is therefore extremely important to keep them associated with humans and to teach them early on to stop biting or feeling anxiety while next to big groups of people.
The Polar Zoo, weather aside, certainly did live up to our expectations! After a change of clothes, we all met back at Elin Uhre’s (the GSE inbound team leader and incoming president) house for taco night!
After saying goodbye to our Narvik friends, we climbed into the big van to drive over to Polar Zoo. We were hoping for a bright, sunny day but instead we got a cold (1 degree Celsius!) and rainy (pouring !) day. It didn’t stop us from putting on our winter gear, followed by raincoats and gloves and heading out to see the animals. We were all so excited to kiss the wolves!
The Polar Zoo is the northern most zoo in the world, located in the Salangsdalen Valley in the Bardu municipality in Troms County. With over 275 acres of land, the zoo prides itself in providing a natural and spacious enclosure for the animals. The animals at the zoo today include moose (referred to as elk here), brown bears, wolves, wolverines, red deer, arctic fox and lynx. The biggest attraction at the Polar Zoo is Wolf Camp, where people can play with the wolves and get kisses. Unfortunately, three days ago, one of the female wolves died from a sickness and the wolf pack was in mourning and therefore, not interested in playing with humans.
Our first animal encounter for the day was with the moose. Elk can weigh up to 700 kg with a body length of 3m and shoulder height of 2m. In Europe, elk are typically found in Norway, Sweden and Finland. Elk is primarily hunted by wolves, though wolverines and bears have been known to steal the carcasses from the wolves. Mating usually occurs in September and October and usually results in a solitary calf. During our visit, we only saw one elk.
Next door to the elk was the home of the lynx. Lynx, which belong in the cat family, are typically a very shy animal and sightings at the Polar Zoo are generally only during feeding hours. During this feeding we saw three lynx come out of the trees and eat the food, both on the ground or after climbing up. Lynx have short tails and characteristic black tufts of hair on their ears. Mating takes place in the winter and usually a lynx litter is about 2-4 cubs. This year, there was only one male in the enclosure and he was too young to know what to do so there were no new cubs. In the winter, lynx grow a thick undercoat of fur to protect themselves from the ice and the cold.
After feeding the lynx, we moved over to the wolves, who were also eager to get their meat for the day. The European wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf and is most common in Europe and Asia. The wolf is an apex predator, feeding on large animals. Wolves travel in packs and are highly sociable animals, especially relying on each other while hunting. A typical pack has 2-8 members, including the alpha male and the alpha female and then their cubs. Mating season is in February or March and the babies are born in May. A typical litter is 2-6 cubs, depending on the amount of space and prey available. This May, the wolves did give birth to babies. Three of those babies are in a separate location where they are becoming familiarized with humans. The rest of the babies are with the wolves in the enclosure. The Polar Zoo does not disclose how many cubs are with the mother because deaths are common at this age. The wolves typically do not leave their cubs unless they know they are in a safe place. When the two alpha wolves came out for the feeding, they left the babies hidden away.
From wolves to the lone wolverine, it was our turn to meet the largest member of the weasel family. These animals typically live in the isolated northern regions of the tundra and prey on reindeer and rodents, though they have been known to kill animals as big as a moose or steal the carcasses. They have a powerful jaw and thick hide, to help them hunt. Wolverines need a lot of space; a male typically needs 240 sq miles though that area can overlap with the females. Even in the same living quarters, males and females stay separate from one another until mating season in the summer. Watching the wolverine is an interesting experience since they are practically blind and rely entirely on their sense of smell. The zookeeper hid pieces of meat in trees, under rocks and in bushes before the wolverine started sniffing out the food and finding each piece. Wolverines are very agile and can easily climb up trees too!
Our last feeding stop was the most playful of the animals: the brown bears! In the enclosure today were three adult brown bears, putting on a show for their food including standing, sitting, leaning against the cages and play fighting with one another. The brown bear can weigh up to 350 kg and live for 20-30 years. They are extremely agile and fast for their weight, running up to speeds of 60 km/h in short distances. They eat berries, roots and herbs, along with rodents, fish and bird eggs. It is rare that a brown bear would kill sheep, deer, reindeer or moose because they are a solitary animal in the wild. In the fall, the bears must eat a lot of food in preparation for their long hibernation from October through March. Mating season takes place from late May through early June and the cubs are born during the winter. Baby bears are born hairless, toothless, blind and weight less than 1 lb at birth. They feed on their mother’s milk through the spring and summer, when they start eating solid food. Cubs stay with their mother for the first 2-4 years, learning survival techniques including how to search for food, fish, defend themselves and where to den.
If the adult bears were cute, there weren’t words for Salt and Pepper. These two cubs, born last year, are now too old to play with humans but until last summer, they would be able to climb all over people and would hug and lick them with unconditional love. Salt is an albino bear, which is extremely rare because albino cubs would usually die early in the wilderness since they can’t adapt as well to their surroundings. Today, I was one of the three people selected to go down to meet Salt and Pepper in their cages and hide some of their food before they were allowed to come out, find their treats and play for a bit. The baby cubs eat the same food as the adults, berries and fruit, with some fish tossed in for protein. Watching them look for food and then tease one another was fun, but watching videos of the two of them a few months ago made me wish we here last year!
After warming up with a mug of hot chocolate and attempting to get blood circulating in our body again, we headed back out into the cold rain to meet the baby wolves! Since we couldn’t kiss the wolves today, we signed up to help feed the baby wolves and the baby arctic fox. We sat outside on the wet log, in the pouring rain, with baby bottles in our hand waiting for the three 40-day old wolf cubs to join us and yes, it was so worth it! The wolves were adorable… they were still clumsy and learning how to use their bodies, so they’d often fall over for no reason. Unfortunately, they were not a huge fan of the rain so would come hang out with us for a few minutes and then run back under the wood logs for some protection from the rain. The zookeeper told us that they always keep the baby wolves in groups of three, so that if two of the animals started fighting, the third one would generally break it up and ease the tension. Wolf cubs might look like puppies, but they were more intense in every way. The zookeeper said that once the wolf has made up his mind about something, they stay focused and determined. For example, if the cubs start howling and scratching the door to go outside, they will not stop until they go outside. A dog would probably try for 10-20 minutes before giving up while the wolves would continue howling for hours unless they were let out. Speaking of howling, the zookeeper started a howl to show us how the babies respond. Sure enough, they each started yelping in response to let the mother know that they are still around and doing okay. Being able to have three wolf cubs play around in front of humans is quite an accomplishment since wolves tend to be very nervous and anxiety-filled around humans. They were incredibly cute… if only there were a way to keep the wolves cubs rather than have them grow up! These wolf babies will stay around humans and will join the other tame wolves for human interactions as they grow up. It is therefore extremely important to keep them associated with humans and to teach them early on to stop biting or feeling anxiety while next to big groups of people.
The Polar Zoo, weather aside, certainly did live up to our expectations! After a change of clothes, we all met back at Elin Uhre’s (the GSE inbound team leader and incoming president) house for taco night!
Friday, June 18, 2010
From Sweden to Narvik... all in a day!
June 18, 2010
It’s finally a beautiful day outside! The sun is shining (at least for the morning) and the temperature is about 13 degrees. Even the residents of Narvik are complaining about the unseasonably cold June this year, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather warms up soon since there are only two months of summer left!
Narvik is a town of 15,000 residents, or about 18,000 if you include the suburbs. It is the first industrial community in Northern Norway and a city that expanded with the creation of the Ofoten Railway. The town is known as a shipping and transportation hub. Due to the Gulf Stream, the water in Northern Norway does not ice or freeze in the wintertime. This makes it an ideal base for large companies looking to ship materials into the world. Currently, Sweden sends all of its iron ore to Narvik via train, to be shipped out from the port to locations worldwide. There are currently plans to connect China to Narvik via railway, to take advantage of the same port. Narvik is also the headquarters for Hrutigruten, the famed cruise ship that travels the Norwegian coastline.
On April 9, 1940, Narvik became the focus of attention when Hitler attacked Denmark and Norway. Narvik, as the transportation hub, became the prized target and for two months, there was a bitter war between the Germans and Allied forces (British, French, Polish and Norwegians) but ultimately, the Germans did succeed. Throughout Narvik, there are several World War II memorials immortalizing the landmark battles and events of the war.
Today, Narvik is also a large tourist attraction offering a range of extreme winter sports activities including off-path skiing, dirt biking, jumping, paragliding and anything else you would want to do. The Norwegian system allows individuals to go off the trails or the marked paths, but if any ambulance or police are needed, it is at the expense of the individual. From mid November to early January, Narvik is the home to migratory orcas. Every March, the town celebrates the “Winter Festival” in remembrance of World War II and the Navy period.
Our trip today is on the Ofoten Railroad, which was built in 1891 to bring the iron ore from Sweden to Narvik, the second largest harbor in Northern Norway. The railroad is actually built in the mountains, blasted into the hillside, and requires 20 tunnels. On the Norwegian side, the line had to climb from sea level to 500 meters in only 40 km. It was a difficult project that employed 6,000 individuals working for four years. The railroad was the start of the community of Narvik nearly 100 years ago. Without the railroad, the communities of Kiruna or Malmberget wouldn’t have existed because it was impossible to live in the mountains without access to the cities below. The Sami people were the only ones who lived in the mountains before the railroad existed. The Ofoten Line is dubbed one of the most beautiful journeys in Northern Europe and it certainly lived up to that name with the mountains and the fjords offering a brilliant contrast to the brown tundra just warming up for the summer.
Our host for the day is Svenn-Arne Andreassen, who was born and raised in Narvik and is a proud self-declared authority on the history of the city. We jumped off the train at Riksgränsen, Sweden. Riksgränsen is a tiny town located 200 km above the Arctic Circle in the Swedish Lapland. Laps are another term for Sami people. This area is empty during the summer months, but during the winter, it is packed with Swedes and Norwegians taking advantage of the ski slopes. Our hosts in Narvik wanted to take us on this trip to show us the beautiful scenery and to allow us to step onto Swedish territory. We had a quick lunch at a local restaurant and then drove back into Narvik for our afternoon career days.
This afternoon I visited Fremover, the regional newspaper headquartered in Narvik. My host for the day was Jan Erik Teigen, the kulturjournalist or arts and culture journalist. This newspaper is a small production with only 16 journalists putting together an average 42-page publication. Fremover was created in 1903 and has a subscription base of 9,000 with a pass-along readership of 30,000. A subscription to the newspaper is about 2,000 NOK while the newsstand price is 20 NOK. Fremover is one of 56 publications in a newspaper group owned by Apress, which includes Rana Blad of Mo I Rana. The newspaper is printed at Polaris Trykk in Harstad.
Fremover has a smaller newsroom than most of the other newspapers I have visited in Norway. There are about two editors and 16 journalists working in house with a small sales team of three people. There used to be several designers but the newspapers (as in most of Norway) has decided to consolidate their staffing and laid off the designers in favor of templates that section editors can use directly. The result is what looks like an unfinished newspaper, with lots of white space both around stories and photos, as well as at the bottom of columns. The pages all look standard as well since the editors have to use templates with a limited variation. At Fremover, most of the journalists write their pieces and then are responsible for a certain page which includes dropping the text into the column and the corresponding photo alongside. Another notable trend is there are few photographers, but rather, most journalists are asked to take photos while interviewing for pieces. Jan Erik is a journalist by title but is the only person responsible for the arts and culture section, which is usually three pages every day. As a special section, he does have the freedom of planning ahead and generally works a 7:30-3 shift. His first page is due at 11 am, second and third pages are to be in by 3 pm. He does the initial layout and then sends the pages to the design team – a single designer who works for a company located in Tromsø – for tweaks before giving his final approval.
Talking with Jan Erik was an interesting lesson in Norwegian culture. As I had mentioned earlier, everybody here seems content with their life. Jan Erik said he was working in Bodø for a while and was even paid twice his journalist salary to teach at the local university. He spend three semesters teaching journalism but when he was offered a permanent position, he turned it down because it lacked the excitement he felt while working for a newspaper. At the time, his wife wanted to move so when he was offered a editor position here in Narvik, he took the job so as to bring up his children in a quiet and peaceful city. Soon after working here as an editor, he asked to go back to being a writer because he missed the reporting and as the kulturjournalist, he feels like he has the best of all worlds. He loves what he is doing and is happy where he lives. A typical starting salary for a journalist in Narvik is 300,000 NOK or $50,000. Each year the journalist receives a bump in pay, per the union negotiations. This year, for example, the union negotiated a 10,000 NOK salary increase for all members of the union at the state level and then the local level added more increases based on job descriptions and work produced. Jan Erik said he makes about 450,000 NOK, which is enough to live comfortably in his own house with his wife and three children, travel frequently including an upcoming trip for his wife and himself to Sardinia where they plan on purchasing a summer house. The quality of life is an added incentive. All employees are given a mandatory six weeks of vacation, plus sick leave and holiday time. Any pregnant employee is given one year of full salary during the first year at home with her child. And most work days end by 4 pm with the option of flexible hours to take advantage of three day weekends.
Journalism in Norway are certainly a more respected and honored career than back home in the United States. Norway is a newspaper reading country and according to Jan Erik, that has not changed. There was a slight dip in readership several years ago but that was attributed to the population moving but at the local news level, readership has been consistent through the years. Jan Erik believes that comes from providing local news in a country that topologically is so isolated by the mountain ranges. When it comes to television, radio or the local newspaper, people always choose to pick up the print edition and learn more about their neighbors and their hometown. While Fremover does have an Internet-only reporter, they have made it a company policy to not put all the print information on the web and to use the web as an extension of the print publication rather than an alternative. Jan Erik sees that as a success and doesn’t hesitate to say that job stability and security in the newspaper industry in Narvik at least is not in question.
When I talked about print journalism and the dying industry back in the United States, I mentioned that while the pay is always going to be less than other industries, you can deal with that if you are doing something you love. The issue today is whether newspapers will even continue to exist and whether that is an option as a career. Perhaps the solution is to learn Norwegian and move to Norway!
It’s finally a beautiful day outside! The sun is shining (at least for the morning) and the temperature is about 13 degrees. Even the residents of Narvik are complaining about the unseasonably cold June this year, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather warms up soon since there are only two months of summer left!
Narvik is a town of 15,000 residents, or about 18,000 if you include the suburbs. It is the first industrial community in Northern Norway and a city that expanded with the creation of the Ofoten Railway. The town is known as a shipping and transportation hub. Due to the Gulf Stream, the water in Northern Norway does not ice or freeze in the wintertime. This makes it an ideal base for large companies looking to ship materials into the world. Currently, Sweden sends all of its iron ore to Narvik via train, to be shipped out from the port to locations worldwide. There are currently plans to connect China to Narvik via railway, to take advantage of the same port. Narvik is also the headquarters for Hrutigruten, the famed cruise ship that travels the Norwegian coastline.
On April 9, 1940, Narvik became the focus of attention when Hitler attacked Denmark and Norway. Narvik, as the transportation hub, became the prized target and for two months, there was a bitter war between the Germans and Allied forces (British, French, Polish and Norwegians) but ultimately, the Germans did succeed. Throughout Narvik, there are several World War II memorials immortalizing the landmark battles and events of the war.
Today, Narvik is also a large tourist attraction offering a range of extreme winter sports activities including off-path skiing, dirt biking, jumping, paragliding and anything else you would want to do. The Norwegian system allows individuals to go off the trails or the marked paths, but if any ambulance or police are needed, it is at the expense of the individual. From mid November to early January, Narvik is the home to migratory orcas. Every March, the town celebrates the “Winter Festival” in remembrance of World War II and the Navy period.
Our trip today is on the Ofoten Railroad, which was built in 1891 to bring the iron ore from Sweden to Narvik, the second largest harbor in Northern Norway. The railroad is actually built in the mountains, blasted into the hillside, and requires 20 tunnels. On the Norwegian side, the line had to climb from sea level to 500 meters in only 40 km. It was a difficult project that employed 6,000 individuals working for four years. The railroad was the start of the community of Narvik nearly 100 years ago. Without the railroad, the communities of Kiruna or Malmberget wouldn’t have existed because it was impossible to live in the mountains without access to the cities below. The Sami people were the only ones who lived in the mountains before the railroad existed. The Ofoten Line is dubbed one of the most beautiful journeys in Northern Europe and it certainly lived up to that name with the mountains and the fjords offering a brilliant contrast to the brown tundra just warming up for the summer.
Our host for the day is Svenn-Arne Andreassen, who was born and raised in Narvik and is a proud self-declared authority on the history of the city. We jumped off the train at Riksgränsen, Sweden. Riksgränsen is a tiny town located 200 km above the Arctic Circle in the Swedish Lapland. Laps are another term for Sami people. This area is empty during the summer months, but during the winter, it is packed with Swedes and Norwegians taking advantage of the ski slopes. Our hosts in Narvik wanted to take us on this trip to show us the beautiful scenery and to allow us to step onto Swedish territory. We had a quick lunch at a local restaurant and then drove back into Narvik for our afternoon career days.
This afternoon I visited Fremover, the regional newspaper headquartered in Narvik. My host for the day was Jan Erik Teigen, the kulturjournalist or arts and culture journalist. This newspaper is a small production with only 16 journalists putting together an average 42-page publication. Fremover was created in 1903 and has a subscription base of 9,000 with a pass-along readership of 30,000. A subscription to the newspaper is about 2,000 NOK while the newsstand price is 20 NOK. Fremover is one of 56 publications in a newspaper group owned by Apress, which includes Rana Blad of Mo I Rana. The newspaper is printed at Polaris Trykk in Harstad.
Fremover has a smaller newsroom than most of the other newspapers I have visited in Norway. There are about two editors and 16 journalists working in house with a small sales team of three people. There used to be several designers but the newspapers (as in most of Norway) has decided to consolidate their staffing and laid off the designers in favor of templates that section editors can use directly. The result is what looks like an unfinished newspaper, with lots of white space both around stories and photos, as well as at the bottom of columns. The pages all look standard as well since the editors have to use templates with a limited variation. At Fremover, most of the journalists write their pieces and then are responsible for a certain page which includes dropping the text into the column and the corresponding photo alongside. Another notable trend is there are few photographers, but rather, most journalists are asked to take photos while interviewing for pieces. Jan Erik is a journalist by title but is the only person responsible for the arts and culture section, which is usually three pages every day. As a special section, he does have the freedom of planning ahead and generally works a 7:30-3 shift. His first page is due at 11 am, second and third pages are to be in by 3 pm. He does the initial layout and then sends the pages to the design team – a single designer who works for a company located in Tromsø – for tweaks before giving his final approval.
Talking with Jan Erik was an interesting lesson in Norwegian culture. As I had mentioned earlier, everybody here seems content with their life. Jan Erik said he was working in Bodø for a while and was even paid twice his journalist salary to teach at the local university. He spend three semesters teaching journalism but when he was offered a permanent position, he turned it down because it lacked the excitement he felt while working for a newspaper. At the time, his wife wanted to move so when he was offered a editor position here in Narvik, he took the job so as to bring up his children in a quiet and peaceful city. Soon after working here as an editor, he asked to go back to being a writer because he missed the reporting and as the kulturjournalist, he feels like he has the best of all worlds. He loves what he is doing and is happy where he lives. A typical starting salary for a journalist in Narvik is 300,000 NOK or $50,000. Each year the journalist receives a bump in pay, per the union negotiations. This year, for example, the union negotiated a 10,000 NOK salary increase for all members of the union at the state level and then the local level added more increases based on job descriptions and work produced. Jan Erik said he makes about 450,000 NOK, which is enough to live comfortably in his own house with his wife and three children, travel frequently including an upcoming trip for his wife and himself to Sardinia where they plan on purchasing a summer house. The quality of life is an added incentive. All employees are given a mandatory six weeks of vacation, plus sick leave and holiday time. Any pregnant employee is given one year of full salary during the first year at home with her child. And most work days end by 4 pm with the option of flexible hours to take advantage of three day weekends.
Journalism in Norway are certainly a more respected and honored career than back home in the United States. Norway is a newspaper reading country and according to Jan Erik, that has not changed. There was a slight dip in readership several years ago but that was attributed to the population moving but at the local news level, readership has been consistent through the years. Jan Erik believes that comes from providing local news in a country that topologically is so isolated by the mountain ranges. When it comes to television, radio or the local newspaper, people always choose to pick up the print edition and learn more about their neighbors and their hometown. While Fremover does have an Internet-only reporter, they have made it a company policy to not put all the print information on the web and to use the web as an extension of the print publication rather than an alternative. Jan Erik sees that as a success and doesn’t hesitate to say that job stability and security in the newspaper industry in Narvik at least is not in question.
When I talked about print journalism and the dying industry back in the United States, I mentioned that while the pay is always going to be less than other industries, you can deal with that if you are doing something you love. The issue today is whether newspapers will even continue to exist and whether that is an option as a career. Perhaps the solution is to learn Norwegian and move to Norway!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)