Yet another pearl from the Golden Voice of Canada
Yet another Pearl from the Golden Voice of Canada – Elizabeth Elming – Please click here to listen
Norwegian Hero of 2nd World War – “Tikken” Manus dies at age 96
Ida Nikoline “Tikken” Manus, the woman that was second in command on sabotage raids into German occupied Norway dies at age 96. She was pivotal in supporting The Norwegian Independent Company No1 – “Company Linge” in their mission into occupied Norway. During the occupation she fell in love with the Norwegian resistance fighter Max Manus and they later married. In the film Max Manus she is portrayed as the head-strong but compassionate resistance leader. Thank you for our freedom and rest in peace, Tikken.
From the making of the Norwegian movie Max Manus in 2008. The movie tells the story of Max Manus from the Norwegian resistant movement during the German occupation of Norway in World War II. The scene shown recapture the event when king Haakon returns home to Oslo and Norway after the war, riding in his car (A-1) together with his son, crown prince Olav. The newly freed people of Oslo celebrates the victory and the royal family with flags and cheering. (Photo: Kjetil Bjørnsrud)
Trailer from the great and extremely realistic film “Max Manus” – the biggest Norwegian blockbuster ever – depicting the special agent Max Manus during the nazi-occupation of Norway during the 2nd World War:
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Max Manus – Trailer, posted with vodpod
430 Municipalities of Norway – Norges kommuner
Great humor. The 430 municipalities of Norway in 1 song.
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First Snow of the Winter – Narvik
First snow of the winter fell during the night. It has settled on 2-400 meters for now (this video was taken at approximately 90 meters above sea-level).
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Redcurrant Dessert
Please, click here or on the picture below for a print-freindly PDF-document (A4):
Redcurrant Squash
Please click here or on the picture or link below to get a print-friendly PDF-document (A4):
Redcurrant Jelly
Ranveig’s Redcurrant Jelly, please click the image or link below to download a print-friendly PDF-document (A4):
Ranveigs Redcurrant Jelly
TIP: After screwing the lid on the jar, turn the jar up side down for a few minutes. The sugar will then flow into any small open spaces. When you then turn the jar back with the lid up, the sugar in these spaces will crystallize and seal the lid.
Fresh Moose meat directly from the Forrest
The king of the deer family, the Moose (also known as European Elk, Lat: Alces alces) wander in huge flock around here. Today we got some meat directly from the forrest from a hunter and good friend of ours. The meat is rich in taste. The moose is capable of eating a huge variety of plants. It loves forbes and shoots from especially birch trees. One of the delights it is especially interested in is the shoots from our approximately 150 years old redcurrant bush by our cottage. This seems to be an especially good treat for the moose. From time to time they wander down to the sea as well to get som sodium in their diet from seaweeds and other waterplants.
This varied diet gives a rich and spicy taste to the meat, which the population of Norway has treasured for as long as there has been Norwegians here. In fact the right smack in the middle of Narvik there is a huge (2 meters) stone carving approximately 3.000 years old depicting a moose. The entire area around Narvik is full of stone carvings depicting hunting and fishing scenes by our ancestors.
Well, the first load of moose is in the freezer and in a few days more is coming. Delicious!
Moose meat packed for freezing.
Fresh moose meat.
Stone carving of a moose in the middle of Narvik City, approximately 3.000 years old. Photo: Bjørn Helberg
Yesterday’s Panorama (6th of October)
It has been blowing and raining most all day, so no picture today. I am therefore posting yesterday’s Panorama instead. Enjoy!
A Bridge Too Far…
Hålogalandsbrua (computer model) - Envisioned by the engineers in the bridge consortium
They are building a bridge. (The 8th longest suspension bridge in the World) They are shutting down the local Narvik Airport. This is “A Bridge Too Far…” Politicians in the area have given away the milk cow (i.e.: the local airport) in exchange for a cold glass of milk (i.e.: the bridge). And the not so friendly politicians in Narvik’s neighbouring city Bodø has clapped their hands and supported the idea, well aware of the disadvantage this exchange will have for the region. Now, comparing these two infrastructural factors is just as useful as to compare a grape to a pea… They serve two totally different, and equally important, areas in the stimulation of the economy in the region.
The time saved on the road traveling by the new bridge, compared to the “old” road and bridge, is exactly 20 minutes. That however is not the main factor in the question of building this multi-billion (NOK) bridge. The main argument has been saving lives by eliminating a very winding and accident proned road. This makes for a very good argument – if it was not for the local hospital. The local hospital is one of the worse examples of total lack of quality management. For that reason more than 300 emergency flights are made annually to the University hospital in Tromsø, UNN (and som the the county hospital in Bodø). That is almost one flight per day. Quite a few of these flights are life-saving and time is of the essence. The ambulance ride from the local hospital to the local airstrip takes approximately 5 minutes (from point A to point B on the map).
Here lies the short sightedness of politicians more interested in building a monument for their own period of reign, than the well being of the citizens. A new bridge will be a most welcome supplement to the region. After all this is the European road No. 6 (E6) running through Norway, and Narvik and its region is a technological and industrial locomotive for the region. But when all things’ said and done. The number of lives saved on the road by the this new bridge is easily weighed up by the number of lives lost when the time traveled from the hospital is not as today’s 5 minutes, but 45-60 minutes on a long, dark and most of the year icy road (crossing one mountain-pass) to the nearest regional airport. In addition to this, the air traffic in the regional airport has a much higher density, thus possibly adding to the flight-time of ambulance flights.
The new route for patients: From the hospital (point A) to the point where the new bridge will cross the fjord (point B) where the new “bridge road” will intersect with the current road (point C) and finally the regional airport, Harstad/Narvik Lufhthavn Evenes (point D).
The politicians in Narvik “celebrated” a while back in the newspapers by toasting with water from Narvik, when the plans for the new bridge and subsequently the closing of the local airport was decided. As far as I am concerned they can toast in their water until they drown, as long as they have traded the life-saving and pivotally important Narvik Airport for a monument over themselves. Oh, and yes, if you think trading the airport for a new bridge will give you a free ride across the fjord, think again! The price might be as high as 540 NOK for a round trip across the bridge…
When it comes to the question Bridge OR Airport?:
-BOTH, please!
Soon to be history, landing at and taking off from Narvik Airport, Framnes
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