Constitution Day 2010

Do some armchair vacation travel with me to the village of Jelsa in Suldal, Ryfylke, Norway. This amazing little fjord community of about 250 people surely has a pace of its own. It is definitely one of my favorite spots. Enjoy!

This time we visit the home of norwegian painter Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928) in Jølster. Although his paintings would later sell at $5-600,000 he was never a rich man and died in pneumonia at the age of 47. His home in Jølster still has a definite and beautiful natural feel to it. It's peaceful and quiet and you can easily understand why he chose his immediate surroundings as his favorite motives. At the end of today's episode I have added a short 3D movie clip. If you are watching this episode on a 3D TV you should be able to enjoy the thrill. If you have no such option you can watch it cross-eyed (although somewhat distorted).

17th of May is our Constitution Day. And what a day it was this year. People in their finest, happy children, festivities and all the colors of springtime.

The west coast of Norway is blessed by the warm waters of the Gulfstream passing by and keeping the temperature a bit more pleasant than you would experience in the eastern and northern parts of the country. Under normal circumstances we would have only a few weeks of snow, but this winter has been exceptional, as we have had continuous snow from mid December to April. Join me for a Sunday afternoon of ice-skating in January. It will be obvious from these images that we are not very familiar with skating around here. I have also included a short driving sequence shot late March as the snow had just started to melt. It is slush time!

One of the main visuals of Norway, in addition to the (seawater) fjords, are the rivers, waterfalls and lakes found everywhere. And most of the time that water is in motion. God loves this country so much he washes it all the time. :-) And that water moves about a lot before it plunges back into the sea. In fact the major electric energy production in Norway is hydroelectric tapping this water on the move. Join me for a round trip to see just a few of these freshwater sights.

Before the Viking king Floke Vilgerdsson, with all his family and belongings, sailed off to become the first settlers on Iceland (around 900AD), he built a varde. A varde is a stone fireplace placed on a mountain top or other location that can be seen from afar. It was used to signal to others about enemies arriving and other major events. The spot Floke placed his varde was later was known as Ryvarden. Floke himself was later known as Ramnafloke due to the two ravens he brought with him to help locate land when approaching Iceland. (GPS didn't work that well back in those days.) In more recent times a lighthouse was built in the same area and houses was built to cater for the lighthouse attendant and his assistants. The lighthouse was later automated and Sveio commune transformed the area and its buildings into a "Cultural Lighthouse" with art exhibitions and a cafe.

Come with me to the heart of the fjords of Norway, Geiranger. The nature surrounding this village of a few hundred souls draw 700,000 visitors every year. Now, you get a chance to experience "first hand" what the place is all about.

While roaming around in the Dovre Mountain National Park I came across a herd of 7 to 8 wild muskoxen. I was thrilled being able to capture the moment with my Sony. While editing the video I also noticed the little disobedient calf so unwilling to part with his mouthful while being chased by his parents. It reminded me of something ... ;-)

This time we will set sail to cruise along the coast near Bergen in the three-masted barque called Statsraad Lehmkuhl. This ship offers tourists and locals a unique afternoon experience of the Gateway to the Fjords. All accompanied by the samba rhythms of the on-board live orchestra. Ship o'hoy, mates!

Apple blossom in Hardanger Fjord. Snow capped mountains. Lush and green fjord gardens. Waterfalls. It's a fairytale.