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What a fantastic World Championship!

Sunday February 17. was the end of a long, extremely nerve wrecking and – seen with Norwegian eyes – unbelievable week. I can hardly fathom the result after The World Championship in Biathlon in Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic. I asked the International Biathlon Union for permission to use a couple of their photos, but that was harshly and promptly denied. The Norwegian Biathlon Association on the other hand was very kind and gave me special permission to use the photo below. Thank you so very much! That made my day!

The championship exceeded any and all expectation for the Norwegian fans! Tora Berger beat Liv Grete Skjelbreid Poirée’s old record of a total of 7 gold medals in total. Tora has now taken 18 Olympic and World Championship Medals. In this championship alone – she took 4 Gold Medals and 2 Silver Medals… Emil Hegle Svendsen was the strongest Norwegian competitor on the men’s side with 4 Gold Medals and 1 Bronze Medal. Unbelievable…

In all – the Norwegian Team took 8 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze Medal in 11 different races…

The fantastic statistics can be found here in this Wikipedia Article.

A BIG THANK YOU to Norsk Skiskytterforbund (Norwegian Biathlon Association) for granting me permission to use this photo that represents the biggest I have ever witnessed in the World of Sports – ever. Please visit the Norwegian Biathlon Association here for som great photos and news (Norwegian)

And special thanks to Tora Berger, Tiril Eckhoff , Hilde Fenne, Ann Kristin Aafedt Flatland, Fanny Welle-Strand Horn, Synnøve Solemdal, Lars Helge Birkeland, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Erlend Øvereng Bjøntegaard, Tarjei Bø Gull, Emil Hegle Svendsen and Henrik L’Abée-Lund AND last but not least – The Norwegian Support Team, trainers, ski-preppers, association representatives and fans who all made this a FANTASTIC event for a guy totally hooked on what must be the most thrilling sport in The Entire World!

Norwegian World Championship Gold Medalists: (back from the left) Tarjei Boe (Bø), Emil Hegle Svendsen, Henrik L'Abée-Lund and the "King of Biathlon" Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (Bjørndalen) (Front from left to right) Ann Kristin Aafedt Flatland, Hilde Fenne, Synnoeve (Synnøve) Solemdal and the "Queen of Biathlon" Tora Berger.

Photo Credit: Norges Skiskytterforbund (by special permission): -Norwegian World Championship Gold Medalists: (back from the left) Tarjei Boe (Bø), Emil Hegle Svendsen, Henrik L’Abée-Lund and the “King of Biathlon” Ole Einar Bjoerndalen (Bjørndalen)
(Front from left to right) Ann Kristin Aafedt Flatland, Hilde Fenne, Synnoeve (Synnøve) Solemdal and the “Queen of Biathlon” Tora Berger.

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 20. February 2013 | Categories: 4-Winter, History, In the News right now, Seasons, Sports | Tags: 2013, Ann Kristin Aafedt Flatland, Biathlon, Bronze, Czech Republic, Emil Hegle Svendsen, Fantastic, Gold, Henrik L'Abée-Lund, Hilde Fenne, King of Biathlon, Medal, Norges Skiskytterforbund, Norwegian Biathlon Association, Nove Mesto, Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Queen of Biathlon, Shooting, Silver, Ski, Sport, Synnøve Solemdal, Tarjei Bø, Thrilling, Tora Berger, World Championship Biathlon | 2 Comments

Sun Day (official)

Today – February 7. – is the official Sun Day in Narvik. That is the day, the sun is no longer obscured by the mountains and it shines down on the town square. The dark season of 2013 is over officially, although a lot of valleys and villages in the municipality has to wait for days, even weeks for the sun to get high enough in the sky to shine down on them. Time flies – and soon the midnight sun will shine in through windows from the oposite side of the Ofoten Fjord.

The official sun day is celebrated with taking half the day off and of course eating sun buns.

The sun is shining downtown today. To the left is the town hall (square building) and the newly built Rica Hotell. Further up the mountain slope Narvik University College is partly lit by the sun beaming down the mountain side.

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 7. February 2013 | Categories: 1-Spring, 4-Winter, Geophysics, Holidays, In the News right now, Nature, Nature's Delight, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Seasons, Travel | Tags: City, Dark Season, Day, Narvik, Springtime, sun, Sun buns, Sun Day, Sunshine, travel, winter | Leave a comment

A Miracle! — Celebrating 31,000 + visitors with Stetind

Stetind – National Mountain of Norway. I share this symbolically with you to celebrate this new record in visitors to my blog.

January 6. there had been more than 13,000 visitors to my blog since September 30. 2010.

In just three weeks the number has expanded two and a half times – to 31,648 visits as I write this..! Amazing! In just three weeks. I can hardly believe it. Talking about peak in the statistics!

So – symbolically – I decided to share with you a photo I took this summer of The National Mountain of Norway – Stetind (1,392 meters above sea level). This mountain has fascinated Norwegian and foreigners alike for centuries. And it is hard to climb. It was not until July 30. 1910 that Ferdinand Schjelderup, Carl Wilhelm Rubenson, and Alf Bonnevie Bryn finally summit Stetind (for more information, please read this fine Wikipedia article about the mountain).

So, with this photo taken July 30. 2012 I thank all my avid readers and please share this blog with your friends, if you enjoy it!

PS: almost at the bottom of the blog, there is a link called << Older Entries. I recommend you to flick back through the pages. There are lots more photos than what is presented on the first page. My favorite photo subject is Northern Lights and you’ll find several photos of this fantastic phenomenon there, and you can even follow how I progress in mastering this difficult discipline of photography. I hope you will enjoy these many stories back to September 30. 2010.

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 29. January 2013 | Categories: 2-summer, From the archives, Nature, Nature's Delight, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Photo - Summa cum Laude, Seasons, Travel | Tags: Aurora Borealis, blog, blogging, Climbing, Miracle, Mountain, National Mountain, Northern Lights, Older Entries, photography, Record visits, Stetind, Summit, travel | Leave a comment

Golden Top

The sun is shining on the mountain tops. In not very long, it will shine on the city after a long time in the darkness. First sign of spring.

First Sign of Springtime

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 16. January 2013 | Categories: 4-Winter, Nature, Nature's Delight, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Seasons | Tags: Dark Season, Mountain Tops, Narvik, Ofoten, Ofoten Fjord, sun, Sunshine, travel | Leave a comment

13,000 visitors by the start of 2013!

I rounded 13,000 visitors to this blog – and I celebrate by sharing another photo from New Years Eve. Enjoy!

Very early January 1. 2013

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 6. January 2013 | Categories: Blogging, General Information, Long Exposure, New Year, Photo, Photo - processed RAW | Tags: community, fun, people | Leave a comment

Happy New Year!

Well over an hour into the new year 2013, I wish everybody a very prosperous and

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Narvik!

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 1. January 2013 | Categories: 4-Winter, Holidays, In the News right now, Long Exposure, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Seasons | Tags: 2013, Happy New Year, Narvik, Northern Norway, Norway, Ofoten | Leave a comment

Light – but no sun

This is a photo of the darkest day of the year in The Polar Night in Narvik. All though the sun is far from showing itself, we have a few hours in the middle of the day when the light is just Magical. The umber reflections of the sun below the horizon emanates the landscape and creates a special, dreamy warm light despite the cold up here.

All though we have no sun here in The Polar Night – the light is Magical! Narvik on the Winter solstice 2012

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 21. December 2012 | Categories: 4-Winter, Astronomy and Athmospheric Physics, Christmas, General Information, Holidays, Long Exposure, Meteorology, Nature, Nature's Delight, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Physics, Seasons | Tags: Cold, light, Narvik, Polar Night, sun, Umber, Winter solstice | Leave a comment

One from the archives

I really enjoy looking through older photos, and thought this would actually deserve a posting. It’s taken one the magic night 23. January 1216 pm. The northern light was absolutely stunning that evening…

Northern Lights January 23. 2012 with the Fagernes mt. and parts of the city Narvik in the foreground.

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 11. November 2012 | Categories: 4-Winter, Archive Photos, Astronomy and Athmospheric Physics, From the archives, Geophysics, Long Exposure, Nature, Nature's Delight, Nordlys, Norhtern Lights, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Physics, Seasons | Tags: Ankenes, Aurora, Aurora Borealis, Fagernes mountain, magic, Magic night, Narvik, Northern Lights | Leave a comment

Rising moon above the City

Shot this photo of the moon rising this evening above Narvik.

Moon over Narvik

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 1. November 2012 | Categories: 4-Winter, Astronomy and Athmospheric Physics, Nature, Nature's Delight, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Physics, Seasons | Tags: City, Clear weather, Moon, Narvik | 1 Comment

Still retaining “That ole Swiss Cheese Look”

I popped out a couple of days ago and captured this photo of our beloved companion in space. The old spellbinder and maker of romantic promises. The old natural satellite faithfully circling our home like a watch dog, gobbling up debris and preventing a lot of unpleasant collisions with Earth. This goddess Selene. Luna the treacherous – thought to have the power to turn people into luna-tics…

Whatever you wish to call her, she is beautiful, and still retaining “That ole Swiss Cheese Look”.

Full moon over Narvik

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 1. November 2012 | Categories: 4-Winter, Astronomy and Athmospheric Physics, General Information, History, Nature, Nature's Delight, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Seasons | Tags: beautiful, Companion in Space, Debris, Goddess, Luna, Lunatics, romantic, Romantic promises, Selene, Spellbinder, Treacherous, Watch dog | Leave a comment

The waneing sun

The days are rapidly getting shorter. Geographically the sun should disappear on November 22. But because of the mountains, the sun disappears a few days earlier. Geographically the sun reappears the February 6., but again because of the mountains the actual observation of the sun is a few days later.

In between these dates it is dark here. Around Christmas it is just a faint dusky light around noon, the rest of the 22 hours of the day it is dark. Pitch dark – as in the middle of the night. It is the dark season. But this time of year makes it even more cozy with lights, especially candle lights. AND it is the season of Northern Lights! During summer, the midnight sun lights up the sky day and night, thus drowning the faint light from the Northern Light. In the winter-time it is the other way around!

Even now the sun is setting early. This photo of reflections in the snow-covered mountains from sunset was taken 15:58 today.

Reflections from the sunset on snow-covered mountains today

Posted by alliumsativum69 | 31. October 2012 | Categories: 4-Winter, Astronomy and Athmospheric Physics, Everyday Life, General Information, Geophysics, Nature, Nordlys, Norhtern Lights, Photo, Photo - processed RAW, Physics, Seasons, Travel | Tags: Candle lights, Dark Season, Darkness, light, Nordlys, Northern Light, Waneing sun | Leave a comment

Spooky!

Not much tricking or treating here tonight, but we got a visit from these spooky charachters, and found it wisest to treat them with something sweet. It worked! “Knask eller knep” is the equivalent to the English “Trick or Treat”, only that the words have been switched around. Knask=Treat and Knep=Trick…