It's been awhile since I've posted anything. The following pictures and events took place over the past few weeks. Many of them have little to do with one another. Also, throughout reading this post, you'll read and learn a lot about an ancient Viking village that once was live and well here in Norway. I made the pictures larger this time for better visualization. Enjoy!
This photo was taken on a hike I went on about 1 week ago. I often see beautiful nature and feel compelled to document it. Unfortunately I don't always bring the camera with but instead use my cell phone to take photos. This view is much nicer with a better camera and especially nicer in person.
This waterfall is real close to where I live. I often pass it during hiking trips.
I want to thank all those who were kind and sent Kristine and I a Christmas card. Everyday around Christmas I was excited to check the mail and see if we would get a Christmas card that day. For some reason this picture wants to be sideways. I tried rotating it 90 degrees multiple times but it always went back. Kim, Justin, Chris, and Sarah: Thank you all for sending Kristine and I a Christmas card. I am sorry it wasn't included in this photo. I took this photo just after Christmas and your card didn't come until one day ago.
Ahhhh finally! My parents sent me Mullins Cheese. In my opinion, Mullins makes the best cheese. Mullins Cheese is located 45 minutes south of where I grew up. As a gift for Christmas, I also received moose sausage so that goes well with the cheese I got. To top it off, I used Ritz crackers. This is my idea of a great snack. I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life.
As many of you have probably seen on facebook, the cabin got pounded with snow. This photo demonstrates that very well. Bjørn is standing on 2 feet of snow. Notice the garbage can next to him and how only half is visible. Usually there are a few steps behind him leading into the cabin main entrance. With the snow, we can basically walk straight in.
This picture was taken from the parking area up the hill and behind the cabin. It will give you a better idea of how much snow actually surrounded the cabin. As you may also see, the back right side of the cabin roof is touching the snow on the ground. When we started to clear the roof, we walked right on without a ladder. Normally the roof's eave is many feet above our heads.
I GOT A JOB, I GOT A JOB!!! Finally, after many awkward encounters with Norwegian employers, and countless applications filled out, I got a job with Eltel. Eltel is an electrician company. My good friend David has worked for Eltel as an electrician for many years. I am blessed to have people like him in my life. Without him, I could very well still be unemployed. I am by no means an electrician so I assist David throughout the day. I work 8-4 Monday through Friday so the hours couldn't be better. They match up well with Kristine's work hours. This is the vehicle David and I ride around in all day.
This is David doing electrician stuff. To nobody's surprise, I know absolutely nothing about this line of work so I'm in the process of learn as much as I can each day. David does a good job teaching me. We mainly do house calls, assisting individuals with exterior cable (wire) problems.
Each day, we drive all over Karmøy helping people wherever there is a need. I'm learning about a lot of places I never knew about. That's helpful for new fishing and hiking trips. While David was doing what we're supposed to be doing, I was wondering off taking pictures. This is a long skinny lake located in the southern end of Karmøy. It's a small peaceful farming area.
This was a fun job. We were assigned to help a lady with a cable running from her house to a telephone pole. The pole was located behind her house on a huge rock. The pole was then 15 feet or so on top of the pole which made quite the view! While David was up there working, he took my phone up and took a few pictures.
The pictures don't do justice as the view in person was much better. This city/town is called Skudenes and it's the southern most community on the island.
He also decided to take a picture of me. We have a good time together.
It's been in the 30's lately here on the west coast. Normally it's been in the 40's and sometimes even in the 50's. Now that it's colder, a fire should be made to keep me us from freezing to death. I just so happen to be hungry for tomato soup so I figured I'd place the kettle on the fire. It felt odd at first but it also reminded me of how people used to live before the modern day stove. I think it's fun.
Okay...now for a little history. If you don't like history, don't feel bad by not reading the rest of this post. I'll do my best to be historically accurate for the next portion of this blog post. This church is called "The Church of Avaldsnes". This church was built around a once wooden church. King Håkon IV Håkonsson gave permission to build a church around the year 1250. It was not completed until nearly 1320, and was then the fourth largest in the country. Just as many churches years ago, it's surrounded my many graves (I took this photo while standing in the graveyard).
There is a stone next to the church that is literally 2 inches from touching the building. It's leaning toward the church but has yet to touch it.
This is a closer look at the large stone that's nearly touching the exterior wall of the church.
These are all the graves in front of the church. The church is Gothic in style with stone walls and a wooden roof. After the sun goes down, the church is lit up real nice.
A little fun fact relating this church and WWII:
The German occupation in World War II became dramatic for the church. The Germans asserted that the high steeple was used as a landmark for Allied planes, coming in over the strait of Karmsund (area of water separating Karøy and Haugesund) to drop bombs in the water. German authorities demanded the steeple be demolished. Many people were engaged in the task of saving it, and they persuaded the Germans to let them camouflage the whole church with timber. This was to be done in 5 weeks, but the whole job lasted a year.
Now heading from the Church of Avaldsnes to the ancient Viking farm...I took time to research the information you're about to read. I hope you find the following information to be interesting.
I realize I've taken photos of this once Viking village and shared them but I never really explained the history of this place and the buildings that occupy it. This is the Leidang Boat-House. The boat house is a reconstruction of a leidang boat house found in 1991 at Rennesøy in rogaland County. It is about 32 meters long and 15 meters wide (at the widest part). This building was a naval defence system developed in the during the Viking age. The leidang was divided into ship's crews, and a certain number of farms were responsible for providing a ship with equipment and crew. The leidang was in one way or another a means of taxation and conscription. The ships had a crew of 90-100 people.
This Viking village is made up of reconstructed buildings that were common during the Viking age. Most of the buildings have been found during archeological excavations in Rogaland County. At this Viking farmstead, you can see how a Viking community once lived. The Vikings are often portrayed as pirates and barbarians, but they were above all, farmers, fishermen, craftsmen, and merchants. They were also capable seamen who traveled all over on long sea journeys. And no, the Vikings did not wear helmets with horns. That's a silly misconception that people should remove from their minds. Don't let the Minnesota Vikings mascot fool you. They're terribly wrong.
This photo was taken to show you a variety of buildings at the village.
When family and friends come to visit me in Norway, we'll definitely go explore this area.
As you can see, the boat house is near the water similar to modern day boat houses for easy boat-into-water action.
A much closer view of the boat house. It was such a nice day so some of the pictures turned out really well.
The circular building in this photo is called The Round House. The round house is a reconstruction of finds made during archaeological excavations near the city of Stavanger. Here, four holes from poles that had held up a roof were found, and around these holes, the archaeologists discovered tofts marking a wall. This house is made of pine and oak with standing wall boards set on a stringer. A hearth is placed in the middle and the roof has an opening with a hatch to let out the smoke. The roof is made of pine boards.
Ok...so...The large building toward the back left is called the Viking Long house. I really wish I would have gotten a better picture. The whole area is fenced off as you can see but a closer picture is possible. Anyway...the Long House dates back to 950 A.D. It's 25 meters long. The curved side walls were typical during the time. The roof has a double curved shell and is covered with 100,000 hand carved pine shingles. During the Viking Festival held each June, people can walk inside these buildings which is always fun.
This is the sign as you enter the Viking village. It says "Welcome to Bukkøy".
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