posted on 17th July 2011 under History, Nature, Summer, Travel Abroad, Travels
Sailing with M/S Marianne from Mariestad, known as The Pearl of Lake Vänern, to Sjötorp (the beginning or end of Göta Canal), is on our top 10 must do list for summer vacation. We often save this adventure for when we have guests visiting us at our vacation home like last year with my FIL (click to read the story) and this week with my sister and parents. As always with my Nokia N8 mobile phone at hand, I tried my best to capture some highlights from the tour + stops and I gladly share it with you.
Let’s start with some passengers you might recognize on board, leaving the harbour of our vacation town, Mariestad:
M/S Marianne on Lake Vänern:
Lake Vänern is Sweden’s largest inland body of water, and the fourth largest in Europe. There are more than one hundred tributaries, the main ones flowing into the northern part. Lake Vänern drains into the Kattegat Sea (the Atlantic) via the Gota River and the combined area of these two bodies cover 10% of the total area of Sweden. About 139 Km (80 miles) long and 70 Km (43 miles) wide, it is a significant cruising area in itself, with numerous guest harbours and natural harbours with wonderful sand beaches.
The charming M/S Marianne motor ship built in 1897 and it’s enthusiastic crew from the association taking care of this treasure set you in the right mood and take outdoors recreation into a new dimension:
Left: The crew on the bridge – Right: A lighthouse by an Iceland
Scenery from the boat: On shore and a bridge (Torsö)
Mariestad:
Mariestad lives up to its nick name as “Pearl of Lake Vänern“. It’s the most evocative stopover among the lake towns, known both for its architecture and as a center for exploring the district. It’s famous for the many well-preserved old structures in Gamla Stan (or Old Town), including one building from the 17th century, all of which have survived despite several widespread town fires. The town founded in 1583 lies on the eastern shore of Lake Vänern, taking its name from Maria von Pfaltz, the first wife of Duke Karl (later Karl IX). He also build the dome church, an icon and landmark, easy to spot on our boat trip:
Sjötorp and Göta Canal:
About 10 miles north of Mariestad, at the Göta exit, we arrive at the village Sjötorp. This is the end (or beginning) of the Göta Canal, and the gateway to Lake Vänern:
There are small charming shops by the locks, and a canal museum featuring tools used to dig the canal in the 1800s, a large collection of outboard motors, but probably the most interesting is a collection of items retrieved from the canal (including an old model mobile phone).
Shops with ice cream, refreshments, smoked seafood and handcrafts.
The Göta Canal is one of the most remarkable waterways in the world and historically an important communication links between the inland industrial Sweden and the rest of the world. It’s 190 km long, dug out by hand between 1810 and 1832 by some 58 000 soldiers removing 300 000 cubic meters of rock and earth in order to create the three-meter deep and 14-metre wide canal. The construction foreman and certainly the one who promoted the project most strongly was Baltzar von Platen.
Today it is little used for trade but more and more by tourists who are using the canal. Since you can enter from both Stockholm and Göteborg (connection from the Atlantic ocean), they represent all kinds of nationalities:
Left: Dutch. German, Danish and Swedish – Right: Even Russian
Boats in a lock
A trip like this on M/S Marianne gives our guests a view of our summer paradise in a nutshell. One experiences the city and the country, the lake and canal, not to mention the culture and the history of the Mariestad area. It has the additional bonus of being a recreational day with a 2 hour trip on the water and a chance to explore the local area.
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posted on 27th May 2011 under Culture, History, Nature, Spring
The Vigeland Sculpture Park is the most striking part of Oslo’s Frogner Park. Gustav Vigeland’s (1869-1943), 212 sculptures attracts over 1 million visitors a year – even more: Vigeland also designed the layout of the entire park. It’s a popular recreational area with a human message presented through the many sculptures depicting the life cycle, and is a must see when you visit Oslo.
The history of Vigeland Park is internationally unique: There is no other park of the same size, which has been developed by one single artist. The photos in this post are from spring time –let me start with the artist himself, surrounded by tulips:
This park is more than trees, lawns and awesome statues by Gustav Vigeland. It’s love. Love for summer, fall, winter and spring, love for nature, changing colors through the year, love for children, for barbecuing, football, Frisbee even the dogs and the ducks (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
The Tree of Life:
The sculptures are formed in bronze, granite and wrought iron. All together, the collection consists of 600 figures with the human life cycle from birth to death as its theme. Vigeland modeled the figures in full size in plaster, while he left the carving in granite and the casting in bronze to his talented craftsmen. He was also responsible for the architectural setting and the landscaping of the more than 70 acres of park area. This fountain at the center was the starting point of the parks design:
The Fountain is the earliest sculpture unit in the park. In the center of the basin, six giants hold the large saucer-shaped vessel aloft and from it a curtain of water spills down around them. Water, a universal symbol of fertility, is used within the fountain complex in a meaningful juxtaposition with the twenty “tree groups” on the surrounding parapet, the latter evidently symbolizing the “tree of life”.
From the Monolith view point:
The word monolith means literally “one stone”. It took Vigeland over 10 months to make the original model in clay then it was done life size in plaster. The stone monolith was begun in 1929 and took 14 years carve all the figures. It contains 121 figures climbing up towards the sky and is meant to represent man’s desire to connect with the divine.
Below you see the view from the monolith platform back over these two smaller fountains and in the background you can see the Tree of Life and the view across the park centered towards the cathedral in the distance. Vigeland originally wanted to use another church which did not lay exactly on the axis of the park – and because of that he wanted them to move the entire church. This was not done but the church in the background was built intentionally to line up with the park. So great were his visions!
As you can see in the photos above there are many tulips and spring flowers, but an army of gardeners which maintain the park change the flowers several times to match the seasons. This park is lovely to visit and popular throughout the year both with tourists and the locals. Are you tempted to take a guided tour now?? Come and visit us and we will be more than happy to show you around.
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posted on 21st May 2011 under Culture, History, Nature, Spring
Finally its spring here in Oslo, and summer is just around the corner. Everything is blooming and soon we will be swimming in the ocean, and sunbathing all around the fjord. Spring in Norway is quite intense due to the abundance of water (melting snow) in conjunction with plenty of sunlight and quickly rising temperatures (typically in May). Be aware that daylight varies greatly during the year. In Oslo, the sun sets at around 3:30 PM in December. North of the Arctic Circle one can experience the midnight sun and polar night (winter darkness). Today the sunrise in Oslo was at 04:27 and sunset in Oslo at 22:01 – that’s over 17 hours of daylight and the days will only get longer until the 21 of June. At Oslo’s latitude, summer nights exist in the form of prolonged twilight during June and July, these gentle “white nights” can be a nice and unusual experience for visitors.
«Spikersuppa» in “The National Mall of Norway”:
Eidsvolls plass (Eidsvoll Square) is a square and park in Oslo, located from the Parliament, along Karl Johans street, through «Spikersuppa» or “Studenterlunden” down to The National Theatre. It has been referred to as “The National Mall of Norway“.
Left: Spikersuppa & behind the trees: The Parliament
Left: view from Karl Johan into «Spikersuppa» behind the trees – Right: National Theatre at the end of “Mall of Norway”
In 1956, a plan by architect Arnstein Arneberg was set into motion, creating a decorative pool of water at Eidsvolls Square. Funded by the company Christiania Spigerverk (Christania nail factory), it was nicknamed «Spikersuppa» “nail soup” – an old folk myth similar to stone soup in other countries). The pool has a fountain in the middle and a group of trees as well as statue of children playing by the water and deer:
From ice cream to ice skating:
«Spikersuppa» – surrounded by trees with a pond, a fountain and benches on either side – is a popular place to sit and enjoy an ice cream in spring and on warm summer days, the pond is filled with children. However – talking about significant change of seasons in Norway; in winter the water is frozen, making the pond a popular skating rink:
«Spikersuppa» – Above: fountain in spring – Below: skating rink in winter time.
Let me end the story with some more photos (click to bigify & enjoy!) at “The National Mall of Norway“. All four seasons have it charm, but spring is the most colourful – don’t you think?
Spring in Oslo: Flowers all around “The National Mall of Norway” : -)
Norwegians really know how to enjoy the spring season. As all of you have seen we are outdoors quite a lot in winter as well, but having this intense difference between cold winters and warm summer we are all out charging our batteries in the spring and summer months to recover from and prepare for the long dark winter. The contrast also serves to intensify our appreciation of all the seasons. It is in the differences and the contrast which makes the enjoyment so intense.
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posted on 22nd April 2011 under Food, Habits, History, Nature, Spring
Easter Bunny or hare eggs dates back to pagan times and is more about fertility and celebration of spring than recent Christian Easter traditions. Honoured in many rite-of-Spring festivals, during the span of history, eggs represented mystery, magic, medicine, food and omen. So it represented the rebirth of the earth – the long, hard winter was over – the earth burst forth and was reborn just as the egg miraculously burst forth with life. The egg, therefore, was believed to have special powers: It was buried under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil or pregnant young Roman women carried an egg on their persons to foretell the sex of their unborn children. French brides stepped upon an egg before crossing the threshold of their new homes.
Why a rabbit lays eggs?
In the pagan spring celebration, they worshipped the goddess Eastre, the goddess of fertility and springtime and her earthly symbol was the rabbit. It was no ordinary animal, but a sacred companion of the old goddess of spring. The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the spring season. I’ll get back to our family tradition later, but just try to illustrate why spring when nature wake up from hibernation is significantly celebrated in Norway:
After a long, dark, cold winter: snow has gone and spring is in the air!
Feeling guilty about arriving late one spring, the Goddess Ostara saved the life of a poor bird whose wings had been frozen by the snow. She made him her pet and filled with compassion for him since he could no longer fly, she turned him into a snow hare and gave him the gift of being able to run with incredible speed so he could protect himself from hunters. In remembrance of his earlier form as a bird, she also gave him the ability to lay eggs – in all the colours of the rainbow – but only on one day out of each year. The eggs should be given to the children attending the Ostara festivals that were held each spring. The tradition of the Easter Bunny Eggs hunt had begun:
Hunting Bunny Eggs in the woods:
Outdoor recreation goes with my family – especially in weekends and holidays – and hunting the Easter Bunny Eggs is a tradition I can remember since I was big enough to sit in my father’s rucksack. Every year the feeling of anticipation and excitement takes me down the memory lane. You may say I’m a bit childish, but I’m just fine with that and it’s important to get the right spirit – and of course: you have to love being outdoors too. Here are more photos from last ears hunt, to give you an idea (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
Left: Egg catch of the day! Right: Capturing the catch & share by mobile phone.
Spring outdoor recreation:
Beside the thrill of the Easter egg hunt, this is also about enjoying spring – outdoors – after a dark and cold season. Since settlement of mankind in Norway, thousands of years back, we take advantage of, are celebrating and enjoying the feeling of spring – a significant change in seasons – and therefore an important part of our rituals and habits. Let me give a clue with a few example photos from last year:
Grill hotdogs on a stick on the bonfire.
After the ice on the sea have melted: Left: Skipping stones – Right: Kayoing
We are soon on our way to my home town to meet my parents and sisters family for this adventurous tradition. When I post this in advance this year, it is to give you all the chance to have fun the same way. Have you tried? Or would you like too? Tell me what you think in comments please!
I have of course posted about this over the years and here are the previous ones:
Spring Equinox and an Easter Egg hunt
Hunting Easter Bunny Eggs in snow
Easter Bunny Eggs Hunt in Norwegian Woods
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posted on 5th March 2011 under Culture, Habits, Nature, Sports, Winter
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in Oslo, Norway’s national arena comprising both the Holmenkollen and Midtstuen hill or ski jump as well as the Cross-Country stadium is a compact venue in the true sense of the word. The three competition venues all lie in close proximity to each other, surrounded by the Cross-Country tracks which provide many scenic views towards the city, the fjord and of course the venue:
Having been rebuilt or reconstructed 18 times throughout history, the new and spectacular Holmenkollen arena is just being finalised for this Oslo2011 (click pic to bigify & enjoy).
The Ski World Championship 2010 in Norway Winder Wonderland.
A cultural event:
I was there with some friends and my wife on Monday 28th (sponsored by the food company Stabburet, which used my photo in an advertisement – read details in the post here) and gladly invite you along. I promise it’ll be fun, even if sport isn’t your cup of tea! You see, Holmenkollen is not merely a sports venue; it is also a tourist magnet of note with over a million visitors every year and this event is a celebration for all with a variety a cultural events as well. Let me give you some examples of what we met on our way from one venue to another:
Lively characters, even Trolls from Norwegian fairy tails, as well as storybook bakers from popular children’s stories.
Combine sports mania & outdoor recreation:
Every day there are thousands of spectators at Holmenkollen, 20 minutes by Metro from Oslo City Center – they expect around 100 to 150 thousand on Sunday – fully equipped for a one day outdoor folk festival:
Most have a backpack, some have skies and of course they have flags too!
You see, if you are dressed right and have sufficient supplies, like coffee, toddy, an extra hip bottle and pack a good lunch, a day like this can be a blast:
Enjoying sports event is for everyone the Norwegian way : -)
If you are in for more luxury, there are of course tribunes too – very often occupied by invited guest from all over the world:
So as you can see this event is something for everyone to enjoy, both young and old, Norwegian or visitor there is something fun and exciting for everyone. Of course there have also been some very good sporting events hehehe, and I will be telling you more about it in my next post. In the mean time stay tuned and follows along with the news in Nordic Skiing, because there is still more fun to come!
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Sailing with M/S Marianne from Mariestad, known as The Pearl of Lake Vänern, to Sjötorp (the beginning or end of Göta Canal), is on our top 10 must do list for summer vacation. We often save this adventure for when we have guests visiting us at our vacation home like last year with my FIL (click to read the story) and this week with my sister and parents. As always with my Nokia N8 mobile phone at hand, I tried my best to capture some highlights from the tour + stops and I gladly share it with you.
Lake Vänern is Sweden’s largest inland body of water, and the fourth largest in Europe. There are more than one hundred tributaries, the main ones flowing into the northern part. Lake Vänern drains into the Kattegat Sea (the Atlantic) via the Gota River and the combined area of these two bodies cover 10% of the total area of Sweden. About 139 Km (80 miles) long and 70 Km (43 miles) wide, it is a significant cruising area in itself, with numerous guest harbours and natural harbours with wonderful sand beaches.
