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Scandinavia trip

april 2023
Een 15-daags avontuur van Dan Meer informatie
  • 41Footprints
  • 6landen
  • 15dagen
  • 214foto’s
  • 0video’s
  • 5,6kkilometer
  • 3,3kkilometer
  • 1,2kkilometer
  • 347nautische mijlen
  • 185kilometer
  • 4kilometer
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Datum oplopend
  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 6

    Bodø harbour

    12 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    We finished the day with pizza at Norwegian pizza chain Peppe's (imagine pizza hut, if it involved some fresh ingredients). A stiff arctic wind had blown up by the evening blasting between buildings and confining small boats to harbour.

    I capped my day's travels with a walk around the harbour and sea wall shortly after sunset. It was pleasant to listen to the harping rigging of the many boats in the marina and feeling the bite of the wind on my face.

    The day finished back in the guest room with Ross watching the latest chapter of the Mandalorian, for this is the Way.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 7

    PC rebuild and sewing

    13 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Today's main tasks were rebuilding/upgrading Nina's PC, installing a plant hangar and moving some furniture. On the sustainability theme for this trip, I also finished patching my work trousers with my terrible Frankenstein-style hand stitching and the knee from an old pair of mountain biking shorts. This means I'm now ready to start the paining jobs.

    Its been a mostly straight forward day, other than hitting my head repeatedly on that cursed lump of pig iron Nina calls a lampshade; it hangs at precisely the right height to bash me in the temple, and I think has managed to bash most of the circumference of my head.

    Rounded out the day with a walk in the direction of the tip of the peninsula upon which Bodø sits. Bodø is a growing city hemmed in by water and mountains; our walk took us around a relatively new development that built both up and out: tower blocks set on reclaimed land built up from the rocky shoals near the harbour entrance.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 8

    Heating refit part 1

    14 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ 🌬 6 °C

    With another busy day ahead, the first order of business was to see the latest episode 'Picard'. With the action well and truly dissected and predictions laid for next week it was time for more errands (partly to places we hadn't yet been and partly because we always miss at least one item off our lists). The mountains that frame the town in every direction were almost sparkling in the morning sun as we went about fetching and carrying bulky boxes with new radiators and other supplies.

    The main task in the flat was replacing an electric radiator with a higher efficiency (and more beautiful) unit. We explored the question of 'how many engineers does it take to unplug an appliance' when it turned out the original had been connected with wet paint on its plug, adhering it firmly to the socket. That hurdle overcome, we found that the radiator needed to be in the most awkward spot: directly in front of the main vent. With some modification, in the form of removing the cross brace and adding some quickly made wooden spacers we were able to mount the radiator in front of the vent - but not before it drew at least a little blood of its own.

    This evening it was taco night so as team cook I headed to the kitchen, whilst the other two battled with the tech to get us set up for a movie night. Cooking a spiced dish is a great way to test out how well you apply plasters to the various cuts on your fingers from fitting radiators: based on the burning feeling in those cuts, turns out I suck at it. Having discovered in discussions the previous day that at least one of us hadn't seen various great classics like 'Casablanca', '2001: a Space Odyssey' it was settled that it was my omission that was most egregious and pressing, so our movie was 'Happy Feet', which I had not previously seen.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 9

    Heating refit part II and study part I

    15 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    The day began relatively early with emptying the study for today's jobs which center on the study. The intent was to replace the study's radiator, completing the heating refit; paint a feature wall; replace the light fittings; and wrap the desk to give it a new look.

    Unlike it's living room based cousin, this radiator had the good sense not to be in front of a vent and could be mounted without modification; it was up in a flash. When we popped the can open, the paint was the most separated I've seen; so separated it was probably in a protracted custody battle. Even so, after putting some elbow grease into mixing it, the first coat of paint was applied without issue.

    You might imagine this would start us on a roll... it did not. Vinyl wrap, might have been more aptly named vile wrap; it is a member of the class of inanimate objects that makes you feel like there is a vindictive and stubborn quality to the ways it goes wrong. I would say that trying to wrap the desk left us in a sticky situation, but since the problems were largely caused by the 'self adhesive' film's complete disinterest in adhering to the wooden desk it was more just irritating.

    We'll leave the first attempt overnight to see how it looks but may have to start from scratch tomorrow; it will be a case of double, double toil and trouble - vinyl learn and do not bubble!    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 9

    Keiservarden (The Emperor's Cairn)

    15 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    This afternoon I headed out for an hour or so with Nina's sister, whose acquaintance I made on previous trips. We headed up Keiservarden (roughly translating to the Emperor's Cairn) a 366 meter peak a short way outside Bodø itself. Being a bit more inclined towards outdoorsyness than the friends I'm with it was a great chance for a scenic leg stretch and to catch up with someone I've not seen in years.

    We used a popular trail which starts at about 150meters above sea level. Despite a week of (relatively) warm weather, there was still plenty of snow around, much of it compressed to ice on this popular walking trail. Despite being a fairly experienced hiker, I rarely have to do it on snow, so I was immediately nervous that I would slow down my surefooted Norwegian companion.

    Fortunately the trail had been improved by a team of Nepalese Sherpas for the city's centenary in 2016, so natural stone steps now provide purchase on many steeper sections. Quickly we up the top making small talk as we went. The top, save for the provided walking shelter, gave play to a fierce wind, but offered excellent views in every direction.

    To the south west a clear view of how compact this little city is, and the geography that forces it to be so. To the north west, a great view of Landegode a moderately sized island featuring huge pair of peaks (and site of some of my more precarious Norway adventures in the past). To the south east, across the expanse of the Saltfjord, lies Saltstramen, the world's most powerful maelstrom.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 10

    Study part II

    16 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    After a late brunch of overnight oats, it's was time to press on with the study. We applied a third and final coat of paint, then tidied up and secured the desk wrap with our old and dear friend duct tape.

    Since everything needed time to dry, we headed down to the basement to help sort Nina's storage unit; a timewarp of nostalgia and final resting place of most Christmas gifts I have sent to Nina. It's an interesting development where each flat is provided a self-storage style unit on the lowest basement level. It also includes some communal facilities like the bookable guest rooms, where Ross and I are staying; it strikes me as a neat way to provide for visitors whilst keeping the development compact and economical with resources.

    We had an early (and delicious) dinner with Nina's parents. Fom their dinner table we saw a small parade of Bodø Glimpt fans (the local football team) marching to the stadium for the Sunday match.

    Nina's dad had kindly used the lathe in his workshop create plugs for the holes left by Nina's old lights. Having collected them, we headed back to fit them via copious sanding and just a dab of frustrated brute strength.

    Ross and I have both worked on the wiring in this flat before, but it was only now coming back to us how wacky it is (even before we got to it). The 'special features' left by the original electrician include sockets that are only powered up when the lights are on (Norwegians not sharing the British convention of lights and sockets on separate circuits). When I went to the breaker panel (upgraded since I was last here) I thought my Norwegian was much worse than I had believed - the breakers didn't control what I understood the labels to say. A quick check with my host though reassured me that my Norwegian isn't absent (just awful) and it's the labels that are wrong. We cracked jokes about 'how many lights do you see?' over the echoes of the electricians' spurs and managed to get the new lighting unit fitted.

    The now mustard and dark blue study was mostly back together in time for the evening. Only the carpet and a few finishing bits left now.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 10

    Nyholms fort

    16 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    With work done for the day we headed out on a walk to Nyholmen Skandse (Nylholms fort) - an approximately 200 year old structure that houses a battery of cannon intended to protect the harbour against raids during the Napoleonic wars. Norway at the time fell under Danish rule, which had in turn become a satellite of Napoleon.

    The fort is on the end of the spur of land that encloses Bodø harbour. The walk is about an hour each way and provides some decent (sea level) views back at the city of Bodø.

    On our way we spotted a railway turn table (which added to the sense that railways in Norway could be taken directly from a Thomas the Tank Engine story). We also spotted a yacht called 'Marverick' with a home port of Newport, Rhoad Island (not clear how it came to be on the shores of Norway). On the seaward side, we could also see Landegode - the island's peaks lost in dense, but highly localised clouds.

    The walk was also a great chance to chat about things other than measurements, repairs and logistics. A moderate rain shower came in on the walk back, but it failed to dampen the occasion.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 11

    Balcony part I

    17 april 2023, Noorwegen

    Today had a slow start, we ambled around town had some coffee and generally relaxed before getting down to business. First task was to drop the things from yesterday's storage clean out at the recycling centre. The centre in Bodø has a neat design with vehicles on a elevated causeway so it's easy to drop waste into the relevant bins; recyclables are free, but general waste is charged by weight which I also approve of.

    Then I got cracking on removing rust and flaking paint from the balcony rails, whilst Ross touched up some paint details in the apartment. It was about 5 or 6 Celsius out on the balcony and scraping off paint and rust with a screwdriver and wire brush was tedious, time consuming job so it was tricky to stay warm. Once I got to respraying it started out pretty well, until I finished with the first can and found the nozzle on the second can to be defective.

    Spraying completed as far as possible, tonight was lasagne night, so it was time to don my cooking gear. It was only when when Ross and Nina came back from finding more paint that I found out that my face was streaked with paint. Worryingly it had gathered around the nostrils, so I dread to think how much I might have breathed in despite the well ventilated balcony.

    It was difficult to get some of my usual ingredients up here, so the lasagne was a bit of an improv. I made a conventional roux based white sauce, with mushrooms, paprika and some vegetable stock in lieu of more typical flavourings like nutritional yeast and miso. The red sauce was a medley of vegetables with chopped tomatoes - probably a contender for the most nutritious meal my friends will have all year. Topped with sesame seeds and hot from the oven it was really yummy, and I was very pleased with it for a hack.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 11

    Saltfjord

    17 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    After dinner, Ross and I headed out on a walk to the Saltfjord, which bounds Bodø and it's suburbs to the south. We passed the Norwegian national aviation museum on the way there and back, so we paused to look at some of the outside exhibits.

    When we got close to the shore we found our way from the city tarmac onto a costal footpath. In the late evening the light levels were low, but still sufficient to keep our footing. Across the fjord we could pick out the collision lights on the bridges at Saltstramen (the maelstrom) and the tall peaks on the opposite side of the fjord.    Meer informatie

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  • ReizigerScandinavia trip
    Dag 12

    Balcony Part II

    18 april 2023, Noorwegen ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    With our second spray can of metal paint broken and no more to be had in town we had to resort to old school brushing. In the colder temperatures at these latitudes and with time running out it was vital to get the next coat on as soon as possible as the paint would dry slowly in the cold evening and night time temperatures. We got the balcony covered and feet masked and after an hour or so in the cold we had a decent coat of paint on the railings and a partial coat of paint on ourselves.

    A second coat of interior spray paint on the plant stand, left me a with a new set of 'war paint' streaks on my face lined up with the gaps on the mask I used. With those cleaned off we headed back to 'Espresso House' for more blueberry pie and coffee. The chain operate across Scandinavia and Germany and make a lovely brew.    Meer informatie

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