Norwegian-isms: Enjoying Codfish...

Aye aye, cod heads galore a-drying in their thousands, and the stink of the rotten ones below was overwhelming.  (Even Dovre wasn't keen to investigate - it was a very rich aroma!)  

Easter Sunshine 2012

(..oops. bit of a late blog-entry, but surely late is better than never? ...apologies ;0)...)

So, it was EASTER time again, in Norway. In Northern Norway this means a trip to the mountains, to relax, to ice-fish, to drink schnapps late at night, and generally to enjoy the sheer joy of this sunshine-laden heavenly snowquality time of the year! I Love Easter should be the North Norwegian motto, as people seem visibly relaxed after the hard winter. The sun is back, it's not going to disappear for MONTHS to come now, and the worst is behind you. (mind you, I do love magical winter trips in the dark-time also - but I think you have to enjoy this part of a Northern winter to be able to manage here).

So, it was with a full pulk and an eager husky that Per and I set off for the Swedish border this year. I was out 6 days, and Per for 10.  (I have this little issue of a Norwegian Exam looming: not nice, but needs some attention, hence the foreshortened tour for moi) :( 

Mind you, one can't complain at all, when the temperature drops to -20C at night and is pure sunshine in the daytimes! We were lucky, out in the hills, as back in Tromsø it snowed the whole week - we were definitely in the Right Place. 

So, I was able to enjoy some days camping with Per and the dog, before Dovre and I peeled off, circled back through the woods and returned to the car... I drove out of the hills, and I caught up with friends back in Målselv for a few days before departing back to the city...  In Målselv it was lovely to be 'home' there, as having lived their 2 years I just love the place now I have left! (funny, but natural how that happens...). Whilst I was there, I entered an Ice Fishing Competition on Andsvatn, the lake where I used to rent my cabin (didn't get a single bite...), drank excess coffee and caught up with friends and had a lovely daytrip up the local hills :) All in all: a good Easter.

So, here you are: a sample of Easter 2012, for you all. I wish many of you could have seen and experienced it with me. It is such a simple pleasure to ice-fish and it is pure delight to pulk on skis in a thin layer of snow on a hard surface beneath.  Ah! 

I am lucky to be here, in Norway, and active and able to do all I am doing. I don't know who I should thank for this, as I am not the religious type - but I do count my blessings on such trips away. 

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." 

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) 

 (at the Swedish border - a sign reveals a warning of missile/rocket testing range area. 

Yes! We had been camping there. ...small wonder it was so quiet and we had the place to ourselves ;))

 One happy, tired puppy!

 Ice-fishing competition, Andsvatn, Målselv. 

People are SERIOUS - little or no small-talk between the competitors.

 Just row upon row of intent 'fishers'!  

It is 2 hours of intense concentration: not sure I can stand the suspense of more competitions like that. Think I would rather kick back and fish in my own time! ;)