Very few towns in Norway are very old, due to the devastation caused during the Second World War. There are some charming older areas, however, with mainly wooden buildings. My early morning walk in Mosjoen brought up memories of Arrowtown.
Farms and villages we passed on the road south looked traditional with a white farmhouse and red barns, only a few sheep or the red Norwegian cattle, and fields on a thankfully smaller scale than ours.
There is a strong sense that Norwegians live in the natural environment rather than clear-felling and replanting it to assert some kind of dominance. Perhaps it is because the climate is harsh and there’s no ignoring metres of snow on your house and months of darkness.
Norway is rich in oil, which means agriculture doesn’t have the same place as it does in our economy. Here’s an oil rig being constructed.
Trondheim has an old cathedral built on King Olaf’s grave, but much of it is recently reconstructed, such as the figures on the facade.
And, always, there is a memorial of war.
There is a lovely old town along the Nidelva River in Trondheim, buzzing with student life and a bit of Friday evening pre-weekend excitement.
I climbed the hill to Kristiansten Fortress and was rewarded by a women’s choir singing, and the view.
I spotted a classic boat and a modern catamaran moored at Trondheimsfjord waterfront. Old and new.
Anne-O-tations 