Random Geographic Impressions

Northern Norway has been the center for northern tourism for a long time--the land of the Northern Lights and Midnight Sun, of the endless fjords and natural beauty--and it has magically remained Norwegian.

Tromso Fjord and Harbor

But, of course, there are touches of globalization like anywhere else in the world. First and foremost, Tromso's population is much more diverse than its geographic situation would make you think it is. Or maybe because of it? Tromso is a city of 70,000 inhabitants plus about 10,000 students who are not counted as residents since they come usually from elsewhere in Norway and the world. Of the 70,000 residents there is a large number of Russians--since Norway borders Russia in its far north, there is quite a lot of a mix of populations and, consequently, of collaborations in art and music.

Tromso is home to about 1,000 Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa and thus the site of the northernmost mosque in the world with about 450 members. Imagine being a Muslim so far up north--the rules of Ramadan hold that the faithful may not eat or drink until the sun goes down. What happens when the sun never goes down and Ramadan occurs? What are the rules when there is no dawn during Ramadan? Ultimately it became too painful for Tromso's Muslims so they asked Dr. Abdullah Bin Abd al_Asis al Muslih, a Saudi sheik who has never been to Tromso. Ultimately the community were given the choice between 1) adopting the fasting schedule used in Mecca, 2) adopting the fasting schedule of the nearest city where the sun actually sets or rises, or 3) establishing their own schedule binding every Muslim in Tromso. The Tromso Muslims opted for the first option. (Betzholz, D. (July 25, 2014).The Muslims of Tromso- Ramadan in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Spiegel online International http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/challenges-of-celebrating-ramadan-in-places-where-sun-never-sets-a-982101.html).

Even in Norway we find the presence of Europe's poorest minority, the Roma or Romani (formerly referred to as gypsies). Due to the European Economic Area agreements, EU residents can live in any EU or 'Schengenland'* country for three months but they are not entitled to benefit payments. Some Roma dot the streetscape; even in the middle of winter several of them sit on the pavement begging. I was told that few if any of them speak Norwegian or English which limits their ability to find work in the country so the only resource is to beg. In some municipalities begging is now banned but poor migrants can seek help from religious institutions.
* [Schengenland country refers to the borderless area in Europe which includes all EU states as well as some non-EU states such as Norway and Switzerland.]


Other signs of globalization would be the fact that Tromso is home to the world's northernmost Burger King which I frequented because it seemed to be a cheap way to find a bathroom (!).

I discovered a local adaptation, stimulus diffusion in geographic terms, to the familiar fish burger, a fiskeburger on a sign that advertised smoked salmon. Norway claims 400 salmon rivers producing fish of a remarkably high average size which translates into 1) salmon-catching fishery and tourism and 2) fresh, affordable food as advertised here:

Waldman, J. (9/2014): How Norway and Russia
made a cod fishery live and thrive. Yale-Environment360
-Reporting, Analysis, Opinion & Debate.
Retrieved from http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_norway_and_russia_
made__a_cod_fishery_live_and_thrive/2806/.

'Torsk' as advertised on this poster refers to cod--the fish that has been so overfished in the North American Atlantic that it symbolizes regulatory failure. However, in the Arctic circle there is a thriving cod fishing industry keeping nine fish processing plants busy in Norway alone plus a few in Russia as well. The reason for this surprising fact is a far-sighted collaboration between the Norwegian and Russian fisheries that had its beginnings in the 1950s and sports  a Joint Fisheries Commission--first between the Soviet Union and Norway, now between Russia and Norway--which sets harvest control rules.These rules and the outcomes of regular scientific stock assessments result in the total allowable catch of which the two countries share 80% with 20% going to other nations with historical rights to fish in the Barents Sea. It appears that these rules and assessments tend to err on the side of caution giving the fish stock a chance for recovery.  (For the cod fishery in Newfoundland check out my blog at exploringnewfoundland.blogspot.com).




European ladies still have a knack for high-heeled shoes, we are talking about 3-4 inch heels, even on those icy conditions in Tromso. I was full of admiration for these ladies' surefootedness and am sorry I didn't get a photo but didn't want to be so intrusive.

Traditional Sami Housing

Prior to the "Norwegenization" movement in Norway, the Sami people lived predominantly in their traditional dwellings which were adjusted  to the prevailing climate; snow and ice would prevail in winters and swampy and/or dry land in summers. The Tromso museum showcases how some of those traditional dwellings were constructed. They all are supported by a wooden skeleton the arrangement of which gives the dwelling its particular shape. There are dwellings for just a few people and then there are also longhouses for a more numerous family size. A dwelling on stilts for frequent swampy/flooded areas can also been observed.

Tromso Museum--Traditional Sami Exhibit

Generally, the dwelling types of indigenous cultures are categorized into six groups which reflect the groups' occupations and societal structures. These are: 1) ephemeral or transient, 2) episodical, 3) periodic, 4) seasonal, 5) semi-permanent, and 6) permanent dwellings. The first five housing types all refer to either nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples, Only the final category refers to permanently settled, agricultural economies with agricultural surplus. In addition, the geographic sites of those dwellings reflect social developments and worldviews of its people.

It has been found that less complex societies tend to live in more disadvantaged environments such as deserts or tropical rainforests whereas permanent dwellings appear to be in the temperate areas. However, such generalizations have to be viewed with some scepticism because shifting and difficult environments will most certainly aid in the development of complex societies as is the case with the Sami. At the same time, however, the hostile environments make living conditions difficult so that a lot of energy will be put into surviving.

(Source: Dieda: http://www.utexas.edu/courses/sami/dieda/anthro/architecture.htm)

It is interesting to note that the Sami culture produced a myriad of different types of dwellings which reflected their respective occupations within certain geographic environments as well as their need to move within these environments.
Most likely the dwelling that is easiest and quickest to erect would be the tent-type one depicted in the upper right-hand corner. Below is a picture of such a skeleton tent, a lavuu, in reality:

Notice that the bottom of the area is snow-free; the poles get their support from the snow/ice mixture at the perimeter and then they come together in the middle where an opening is left for fire fumes to escape.
In general, the finished lavuu is constructed of reindeer hides sown together. The Tromso University Museum displayed it looking like this:

Photo taken of a 'lavuu' at Tromso University Museum

Above is the finished version of the dwelling; it is larger than those usually built 'in the field' in order to accommodate more people for demonstrating traditional living. Notice that there are wooden planks all along the perimeter (octagon-shape) with entrance door. The opening on top is open for fumes to escape and roof is steeply slanted for snow and ice to follow gravity's path.

Stew

From the inside, the outlet looks rather large as depicted on the left. The furniture consisted of tree stumps covered in reindeer fur. The dwelling was kept warm by the fireplace centered in the middle. When I was visiting we were served reindeer stew--a bland sort of stew with tubers (see photo below).

The Sami--Northern Scandinavia's Aboriginal People

Having grown up with Scandinavian stories of both trolls and 'Lapps' as the Sami were called then, it follows that these topics would be close to my heart. While the troll stories are still rather silly and at times funny in a predictable sort of way, exploring traditional and current lives of the Sami population has proven quite an interesting and rich subject-matter.

Photo taken at the Tromso University Museum

The University of Tromso's anthropological museum devotes two exhibits to the Sami; one from the early 1970's showcasing traditional life-styles of mostly reindeer Sami as romanticized in so many stories and seemingly unchanging and another one from 2000 displaying the people's struggle for autonomy and greater political clout in the Norwegian parliament creating an area named 'Sapmi' encompassing Sami land and nation.

In principle one can differentiate between three basic Sami lifestyles, 1) those living  at the coasts engaging primarily in fishing and other such activities, 2) those living inland who are primarily farmers with cattle holds and then 3) those that are the traditional semi-nomadic reindeer herders who  follow the needs of their reindeer. And reindeer have special needs--who would have thought that they need to avoid the great inland mosquito-swarms because their bites would make them anemic? Who would have thought that they prefer to eat ice to drinking water? And who would have thought that their annual rite of losing and re-growing their horns would cease to happen once the bulls are castrated?

Photo: Tromso University Museum

The range of the Sami stretches across four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Of these countries, the Norwegian laws have been the most favorable to the Sami (information from a Sami).

As a whole, the Sami people went through several stages to arrive at their current status—as an officially recognized nation within a nation. Along the way many Sami turned their back onto their own culture because it appeared that ‘Sami’ and ‘poverty’ were synonymous. At the end of the 19^th century the king of Norway ordered the Sami Norwegianization with assimilation as its final goal. Norwegianization was helped along by the German evacuation and torching of northern Troms and Finnmak in 1944 which left many Sami without important material possessions—no homes, boats, tools and household goods. As a consequence the Norwegian government launched an all-encompassing reconstruction scheme; here it was helpful to fill out applications in Norwegian, a language that many Sami had not learned.

Photo taken at the Tromso University Museum

Houses based on standard government plans were developed complete with barns for 2-3 cows and children were sent to schools, often boarding schools. Neither the houses nor the schools left room for the Sami culture to flourish—the houses did not consider Sami culture, the primary language in the schools was Norwegian It actually was the school teachers that started the long path back to Saminess since many of them thought that educating children though their native language was a human right. Starting in 1959 the Sami language could be used in schools, only there were hardly any Sami-speaking teachers nor books in Sami and the curriculum remained Norwegian as well. In general, prosperity went hand-in-hand with leaving the Sami culture behind; Sami were either romanticized as reindeer herders or seen as the ‘stupid, drunken Sami’; another incentive to leave that part of history behind.

Sami political awareness arose with the building of the Alta dam which brought electricity to the northernmost edge of the country and with it some industries but which was very much against many Sami wishes. The resultant protests made Sami agendas internationally public and ultimately caused the recognition of the nation within a nation in 1989. There is Sami presence in Parliament these days.

Many of the Sami have rediscovered their roots and proudly showcase them these days--often in connection with tourism. Reindeer sledding and Sami farm visits are offered for tourists in the winter months; a 3-4 stay with a Sami family is offered in the summer.

Transportation

One expects snow in mid-March in Tromso and--the area obliges. It snows, it gets very cold at night so roads ice over, the plows seem to be busy at all times of day but particularly at night removing snow to the sides and compacting it on the road. No salt, very little sand.  And, cars just zip by at mind-boggling speeds making me wonder why I am slipping on the slopes and they are not.

Well, winter tires and spikes--of course. Some buses even have chains on their back wheels, they must really get into icy and mountainous terrain. I was informed that what really makes it all work is the law which clearly states that if you end up on the road in a ditch or worse and your car isn't prepared for the weather, you'll get a fine, a hefty one. This also applies to freak snow storms that may happen in, say, late May. This means that winter tires will have to stay on for a long time and need to be replaced often.

And, of course, schools don't close when it snows unless it happens to be a severe storm. Interestingly enough while riding in a van through what I would consider a medium-heavy snowfall with quite decreased visibility my British neighbor announced that the world would stand still in Britain if so much snow were to fall all at once. That sounded very familiar. It all boils down to preparedness of the driver and road conditions. Chicago vs Washington, northern Norway vs Britain.

Ah, Norwegian road conditions are a dream!! I saw one pothole in the city.  I guess the others are iced over or didn't have the chance to develop yet--the roads are great, not only within the city of Tromso but all the way to the Finnish border. I can attest to that.

http://www.norwegenservice.net/tromsos-tunnelwelten

Downtown Tromso had some other surprises in store. A underground tunnel system--one enters a tunnel but one never seems to have to leave it. Indeed there are three roundabout within the tunnel system (see map to the right). On tunnel spoke leads directly from the city center to the airport, another almost to the other side of the island. In addition to all that, the area sports the undersea tunnel crossing the Tromso Sund. This tunnel system was built between 1988 and 1999 and is financed by a gasoline tax.

The tunnel also serves as underground parking lot with direct entrances to the city; about 900 cars can find parking. Not for free, of course, but for a better fare than in the city itself. There is no such thing as free parking. As a result, the streets can be kept free of the worst snow.

The video above gives a good impression of what it feels like to drive around the tunnel system.

Norwegians treat pedestrians as if they mattered--cars have to stop even if there is no crosswalk; all one needs to do is show intention of crossing the road. Obviously one wouldn't want to abuse this wonderful rule, on busy streets it is easy enough to find a crosswalk.

The public transportation (bus)  system is not only very good, it also employs incredibly nice and helpful drivers! Since my room with my Norwegian family is way out in the suburbs, I get to worry when 'my' bus stop appears--clearly I live in a neighborhood with rock names, how appropriate. 'My' stop is at Granittvegen (granite) which is after Gneisvegen (gneiss) and Quartsvegen (quartz). Waiting for the buses has taught me a lesson in adding more layers to my wardrobe, if that is even feasible.

'Hurtigruten' ships come to shore at 34 ports along Norway's
west coast
Source: Hurtigruten
 http://www.hurtigruten.com/de/Norwegen-
Reisen/klassische-seereisen/die-klassische-postschiffroute/

But this chapter wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention the shipping route along Norway's west coast. Founded in 1893, the first regular ship service connected the northern Norwegian area with the south. At first the route led from Trondheim to Hammerfest, later and still today from Bergen to Kirkenes--the latter a trip of about 1 week. This particular shipping line was called 'hurtigruten'--'quick route' and that is the name for today's cruise ship industry which has expanded from it Norwegian coast all the way to Antarctica. In Tromso, one of the 12 ships of this particular line will appear at 2:30 every day.

In the 1970's my parents took a tour with the old postal boats, the precursor to the more modern cruise ships--nowadays, mail is distributed by air and land. The boats concentrate on cruise tourism and port-hopping for the locals (a limited number of cars can be boarded as well)-an important alternative to driving in winter as the roads can get blocked due to winter conditions. The boats can transport between 290 - 1000 people; some of the boats were built in 1959, 1964 and 1983, but most hail from the 1990s and three from the 2000s.

Central Square downtown Tromso with Hurtigruten ship in background.

Preparations and Arrival in Tromso

Aurora Borealis

Source: University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Geophysical Institute. Retrieved on 3/7/2015 from http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthPolar/2015/03/10

My daughter Vanessa convinced me to travel to Tromso Norway to meet up with her and her boyfriend and to experience the area together. It didn't take a lot of convincing since the timing was perfect--her planned visit somewhat overlapped with my spring break. In preparation for the trip, here the forecast of the Aurora Borealis for the first day that I intend to spend a night outside.

Other preparations include adequate gear for winter temperatures and winter photographs (spare battery) as well as room accommodation with a Norwegian family. Below find an overview map of Scandinavia:

Compliments of SAS,  March 2015. Scandinavian Traveler.

After three uneventful flights (see photo below), I arrived in Tromso, stumbled through a supermarket, met my new landlady and her daughter, admired the view and fell asleep in a comfy bed.

At the Oslo Airport March 9, 2015
Bright sunshine, relatively warm weather

Tromso Airport March 9, 2015

Oslo is located at 59*57'N and Tromso at 69*40'N. What a difference these 10 degrees latitude-a 100 minute flight from Oslo due north and a little east- make! Check the pictures below. From spring back to winter.