Norway - an original and unique country (part 3)
The main purpose of the trip is the North Cape
We are going to the main goal of our trip to Cape Nordkapp. We make stops in the most picturesque places.
Our path runs along the Lyngenfjord - a fjord of the Arctic Ocean, surrounded by the Lyngen Alps. You can feel the fresh breath of the ocean, although it is sunny and warm. We make stops in the most picturesque places. Daredevils at the first opportunity decide to plunge into the ocean. For most of us, this was our first encounter with the Arctic.
The stop among the deciduous forest made a great impression. It is almost the same as we have in the Kiev region, but the greenery of the foliage and grass is more juicy. What a surprise it was when we saw real porcini mushrooms and flywheels, and even in large numbers! We were hardly "driven" into the bus, so we did not want to part with such a wonderful corner of nature. The guide assured us that further - no less picturesque places, which we soon became convinced of.
The next stop was made by climbing a mountain plateau. From here there was a beautiful view of the Lyngen Alps and the Lyngenfjord. The site is densely "populated" with stone trolls. I also left my stone troll after making a wish. Thanks to the signpost tree, we learned that the Nordkapp was 370 km away.
It's time to tell about the trolls living in the mountain forests...Trolls are the main characters of Norwegian legends, anecdotes and fairy tales. On the territory of Norway, they are everywhere and everywhere in the form of sculptures, stacked stones. Trolls hospitably welcome visitors at the entrance to shops and restaurants. Troll figurines of various sizes (certainly with the Norwegian flag) made of various materials line the shelves of all souvenir shops, they are depicted on plates and cups.
On the outskirts of Alta, we visit the Hemeluft World Cultural Heritage Center - a museum of rock art from the Stone and Iron Ages.
The museum is spread over a fairly large area. The paths between the objects are conveniently laid, and when buying a ticket, they are given a guide (in Russian) with a detailed description of each exhibit and a brochure with a list of all Norwegian sights included in the UNESCO heritage ...
Rapidly without stopping we rush to the north, we pass the last settlement in Europe, the last tunnel. On the way there are only numerous herds of deer and a northern fox watching our bus with curiosity. We literally fly to the Northern Cape service center to admire the midnight sun over the Arctic Ocean from the observation deck.
The diligence of our drivers was crowned with success: we manage to reach the goal for which we traveled several thousand kilometers, a few minutes before midnight. The sun is shining brightly in the north (which happens infrequently), we shout "Hurrah!
We take pictures together and apart.
The mood can be compared with the meeting of the new year, no, it is more upbeat and joyful, because it is unusual. We have happy smiles on our faces. Under the globe with the flags of Ukraine and Norway flying at the most extreme point of Europe, our guide solemnly presents each member of the group with certificates of "conquest" of 71 degrees. 10 minutes. 21 sec. northern latitude - Cape Nordkapp.
We get acquainted with the service center (see the photo below). It is beautifully equipped in a modern way: on several floors there are: a souvenir shop, a cinema, a post office, a restaurant, along the corridor there are numerous showcases with stories about the conquest of the North, an observation deck, etc. Time passes imperceptibly quickly, the center becomes empty...
Leaving the center building, we notice that our bus is standing alone in the parking lot (when we arrived there were a lot of buses, because
every day the center is visited by tourists from the large tourist liner "Hurtiruten"), but we do not want to leave the cape and we wander around its territory for a long time, studying memorable stone monuments - medallions. We celebrate the conquest of the Nordkapp in the Ukrainian way: with lard and moonshine brought from the Motherland, we sing our songs together.
Rest day in a fishing village
We come to stay in the fishing village of Repvag, 50 km from Cape Nordkapp, we settle in the fishing houses "rorbu", standing along the coast near the water on stilts.
The sun is still shining brightly, giving the peaks in the vicinity an unusual golden color, and the houses a picturesque bright red color. In the morning, some tourists go to the Barents Sea on a small boat for fishing and a safari for the king crab (the pleasure costs each participant 75 euros).
We are a small company going to get acquainted with the Arctic tundra.
No matter how hard they try not to get their sneakers wet, it fails: moss is everywhere, stepping on which water seeps through. Undressed, we continue on our way. The impression is that no human has set foot here before us. Moss, on which tiny russula and unripe cloudberries grow, is replaced by slate hills, small lakes. In one of them, for some reason red, I decided to swim. The water is cool, but clean, you can swim. During our 4-hour walk, we met deer several times, one of them rushed past me, almost hitting ...
Back in the village, we wandered along the coast in search of a local beach. We found a suitable place away from the houses, on its stone-slate "beach" a deer rested peacefully, but when he saw a group of tourists descending to the sea, he quickly jumped up and galloped away ...Cheering each other, we decide to go into the cold waters of the Barents Sea.
The water is unusually clean, clear, calm, tastes very salty. We swam a little, but we do not dare to dive - suddenly a cramp will seize. Proud of "conquering" the Arctic Ocean, we decided to sunbathe. Surprisingly, a pleasant warmth emanated from the earth and stones. It is quite possible to equip a real beach. Leaving the "beach" and going upstairs, we saw that the weather had changed dramatically: a dark cloud was approaching from the north, which covered the sun, a strong arctic cold wind blew. We go into the village in our summer attire, and there all the people walk around dressed in warm jackets. Here he is, the North, insidious!
In the evening, a pleasant surprise awaited us: our fishermen returned, brought a rich catch of fish and four king crabs, cooked in the kitchen and invited the whole group to a fish picnic, where we enjoyed fish soup, fish and crabs, and also exchanged impressions of the day.
Everyone was happy: the fishermen - successful fishing, the rest - walking and swimming.
Visiting the Saami
Leaving the country, on the 9th day we visited the theme park "Saami" in the city of Karasjok - the largest ethnographic museum of the Saami people in the world. Here you can watch an interesting film about the life of this people in winter, learn about their way of life, visit their homes, and communicate with representatives of this northern people.
The Saami are the northernmost of the European peoples, living in Norway (40 thousand people), Sweden (18 thousand), Finland (4 thousand), Russia (on the Kola Peninsula - 2 thousand). The traditional Saami economy is characterized by a combination of hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. The reindeer has always played a huge role in the life of the Saami, providing meat for food, skins for beds and dwellings, and served as the main means of transportation and draft power. The Sá mi herd reindeer with the help of a shepherd's dog, a husky.
The center also offers tourists a restaurant in the national style, a souvenir shop.
What, besides the unique nature, conquers Norway?
Norway is an amazing country. Nature generously rewarded Norway with truly stunning beauty: mountains, fjords, unique wildlife. All the advantages are simply not listed. However, we must be fair: nature has rewarded, and people have preserved and tirelessly take care of these gifts. It is thanks to the reverent attitude of the Norwegians to the nature of their country that we still admire the beauty of Norway. The Norwegians have managed to make sure that any corner of their country is of great interest to tourists. And it does not matter whether it is the capital or a large industrial center of the country, or maybe even a small town, the only important thing is that you want to go everywhere and see everything with your own eyes.
Increasingly, tourists, having visited a particular country, are trying to see not only accessible historical monuments, capture picturesque landscapes, but also get acquainted with the life of the people. In this sense, Norway is original and unique, just like its nature. Having gained full independence only in 1905, the country decided not to enter into any political unions, but to build its own life in its own way. For this reason, Norway is not part of the European Union.
Norway is original and unique in terms of language. There are 2 official languages in this country that are studied at school: Bokmå l and Nynorsk. Bokmå l, a legacy of past Danish rule, is the literary language. In the middle of the 19th century, the poet and philosopher Ivar Osen created the Norwegian language Nynorsk from several Norwegian dialects.
Efforts to bring Bokmå l and Nynorsk together, uniting them into Samnorsk (pan-Norwegian), continued for a long time, but, without success, were discontinued in 2002. The Norwegian language has much in common with Danish and Swedish, so the Danes, Swedes and Norwegians do not experience any difficulties in communicating with each other on any of them. In many ways, the similarity of languages u200bu200bis due to historical reasons - Norway for a long time was in union with Denmark, and then with Sweden. All Norwegians are fluent in English.
It should be noted the high educational level of the Norwegians, who, during their studies, completely lack such a familiar concept for us as cheating. For this, a very severe punishment threatens - expulsion from an educational institution.
"Alt for Norge! " ("Everything for the sake of Norway! ") - the motto of the kings Haakon VII, Olaf V and Harald V. They implemented and are implementing this slogan and are an example for the people.
The most amazing thing is that the people really live according to this principle, and one can only envy the sincere patriotism and self-sufficiency of the Norwegians. Respect and love for members of the royal family, the state, strict observance of laws that are equal for everyone, the eradication of drunkenness, adherence to a healthy lifestyle, respect for the environment, oil production in the seas, industrial fishing - this is the key to their well-being and prosperity! The country directs its funds to social needs, to quality health care and education, to the creation of quality roads, the construction of tunnels. As a result, today Norway is among the world leaders in per capita income - $ 45.473, an average salary of about 3.800 euros, and also a leader in life expectancy (life expectancy: total population: 78.65, men: 75.73, women: 81.78 years). A life of 4.6 million
Norwegians can be envied in a good way, they constantly feel care from the state. A portion of oil revenues is deferred. Therefore, Norway has excellent prospects for the future.
The modesty of the Norwegians is also striking. Despite their high incomes, they live in modest houses, dress simply, do not drink expensive alcoholic beverages, drive inexpensive cars, and prefer skiing or cycling. It should also be noted that Norwegians are good family men. Here there is no boasting of either one's high social position, or origin, or prosperity. And we felt the benevolent attitude towards the guests of the country throughout our trip.
10 opportunities for which you should visit this northern country:
• See the unique nature (fjords, waterfalls, bizarre forms of mountain peaks, seething mountain rivers, motionless expanse of lakes, centuries-old forests, endless sea), feel the intoxicating crystal clear air.
• Drive all over Norway from south to north, visiting not only the capital, but also many cities and small fishing villages, giving a more complete picture of the country.
• Visit original museums and theme parks ("sea" in Oslo, Vikings in Lafoten, salmon in Grong, "polar" in Tromsø , rock art in Alta, Sami in Karasjok and many others).
• Visit, swim, swim in the three seas of two oceans.
• Visit the Lofoten Islands and the Vesterene Islands.
• Travel along beautiful Norwegian roads, bridges and tunnels, including the unique Trollstinger and Atlantic roads.
• Cross the Arctic Circle, see the Arctic with its unique nature, feel the beauty of the white nights and the never-setting sun, live in a fishing village in rorba, wander the tundra, plunge into the coolness of the Arctic Ocean, take part in fishing and safari on the king crab, chat with deer .
• Reach the northernmost point in Europe at the North Cape, see the midnight sun in the north.
• Relax in a Scandinavian way in good hotels with breakfasts abundant in local products from environmentally friendly places.
• Get acquainted with the life of the state and its people.
In this country, I wanted only one thing: for this fairy tale to never end. I fell in love with this beautiful harsh country forever, in which I left a particle of my soul, and brought with me a feeling of admiration for its nature, spiritual simplicity and purity of its people.
I would like to end my essay with lines from the Norwegian anthem, the author of which Bjornson very accurately identified the Norwegian character:
Yes, we love our native land,
The edge of wooded steeps,
Sea, unsociable wind,
The sky is in flakes of clouds.
We love the smoke of our home
Both father and mother.
Chill cheerfulness is familiar to us,
Sun's grace.
And how our grandfathers fought -
The pride of our lyres, -
We will fight to win
But for eternal peace!
