Before the rough weather starts

View from my job

Witch conference underway

Drawing of witch by Fransisco Goya

Hundreds of women were burned at the stake in Norway's northern city of Vardø in the early 1600s, accused of witchcraft. This week people gathered to draw parallels between the city's dark history and modern-day discrimination.

Many women were accused of witchcraft because they didn't conform to male expectations at the time. Many women continues to face discrimination, and suffer, in many countries around the world, because they don't dress the way men think they should, say things men disagree with or fall in love with someone other than the man their male family members have chosen for them.

Old house, Bergen, Norway

Mutilated females seek help

More than 250 girls and women have sought help from Oslo's largest hospital in recent years, because of physical problems resulting from female circumcision.
The mutilation, which many of the female patients were subjected to as young girls in several Muslim African countries and Northern Iraq, has left the women with severe urinary dysfunction, infections and problems after their vaginal openings were sewn shut.

Soccer mom berserk

According to NRK a furious mother charged onto the field during a girl's soccer game in northern Norway last weekend.
A 13-year-old girl from Bardufoss was physically attacked by the enraged woman during a football tournament.
According to NRK, a female parent from the visiting team came running onto the pitch and attacked a 13-year-old. She pushed the 13-year-old onto the ground, so the girl was lying on her back.
The girls were called a range of nasty names, and were also told to "get their ugly asses off the field", NRK reports.
The excitable mother from Tromsø was not content with insults and flinging a girl to the ground, she then took a stranglehold on the referee .

Calm water

Strawberries not always in good hands

Norwegian strawberries are finally pouring into local markets, but food safety authorities warn that the long-awaited delicacy may be a source of tummy trouble if their pickers haven't washed their hands.

They may be relieving themselves in the open air and then going right back to berry-picking, without washing their hands. And that can spread bacteria to the berries themselves.

To the pickers, always wash your hands before work!!

Sexual mutilation prevails

According to NRK, around 185 Norwegian-Somali girls have been sexually mutilated over the past three years. Their parents have paid to have the operation performed in Somalia.
NRK TVNews went to Somalia and interviewed 10 Somali midwives who say they have performed genital mutilation on 185 Norwegian-Somali girls.
School vacation has just started in Norway and many of the 18,000 Somalis in Norway will travel to their homeland on vacation.
This is the first time that NRK has been able to document the practice. The public broadcaster also showed evidence that also large number of girls living in other West European countries are being sexually mutilated in Somalia.
In Somalia, the operation costs around NOK 150, and is not criminal. But in Norway, sexual mutilation of children has been a crime since January 1996, also if the operation is performed abroad.

Hestmannen mountain, Norway

The coast of Helgeland is full of fabled mountains. Put your mountain boots on and climb one of the most famous ones – Hestmannen, the Horseman.

Blue tit (Parus caeruleus)

I'm angry

Moose warnings ineffective

You can see them all over Norway, those ubiquitous, triangular signs warning that moose may try to cross the road. They're popular with tourists, but studies show they don't help much to reduce collisions.

Sailing boat

New world diving record

Norwegian diver Ronny Frimann has spent 100 hours under water, without a break, setting a new world record. - Never again, he said when he surfaced Monday evening.

The record was made in a large tank on the square in front of the Oslo Central Station.

Norwegian sea eagle to Ireland

Fifteen Norwegian sea eagle chickens will be exported to Ireland this summer, in an attempt to re-introduce the bird to the island.

Ireland lost its last sea eagle in 1889. The 15 chickens will be put on a plane on Monday, and will be released in the Killarney National Park in the south west of the island.

In Norway the sea eagle population has increased since it was protected in 1968, and has now reached more than 2,500 couples.

The sea eagle is Northern Europe's largest bird, with a wing span of up to 2.4 metres.

Early in the morning

Challenge - try this!!!

From summer to snow

After last week's record high temperatures have given way to an even more unusual contrast.
This is extreme. We are after all in the middle of June, and it is especially remarkable given the high temperatures we have just had. I cannot remember similar cases.

Saltstraumen,the strongest tidal current in the world

Saltstraumen is a sound with a strong tidal current located some 30 km east of the city of Bodø, Norway. It is the strongest tidal current in the world. Up to 400 million m³ of seawater forces its way through a 3 km long and 150 m wide strait every six hours, with water speeds reaching 20 knots. Vortices up to 10 m in diameter and 5 m in depth are formed when the current is at its strongest; this feature is commonly known as a whirlpool.

An idyllic landscape

Curious bear pays visit

Tove Pleym Jakola had a visit from a bear, which came into her garden in Finnmark county, northern Norway on Saturday evening.

The bear wandered leisurely around in the garden, occasionally munching on grass.

Goat of Svolvaer (Svolværgeita)

The Svolvær Goat is one of the most popular climbing pinnacles in Norway. Who can resist the lure of climbing multipitch solid rough granite, then taking the leap from one horn of the goat to the other?

The Goat wasn't climbed until 1910 by Carl Rubenson, Alf B. Bryn, and Ferdinand Schjelderup. It was during the same climbing trip that they also were the first atop Trakta (the Funnel) and Stetind. Climb these summits today by their original routes, and you'll see how hot this trio was!

Svolværgeita has many routes, but all end at the Storhorn (big horn) with the following jump to the Lillehorn (little horn). The jump is 1.5 meters across, and about a meter down. It's the perfect climbing stunt, because it is just possible, but hard enough to give one pause.

From my garden: Rhodendron

Oslo, early in the morning

Most of last week, Southern Norway enjoyed summer temperatures well above the normal for this early in June, even above 32 Celcuis (90F) in the South East, competing with the hot spots in the Mediterranean.

Christian Radich, a full rigged ship

Christian Radich is a Norwegian full rigged ship, named after a Norwegian shipowner.

The vessel is 62.5 m long, with an overall length of 73 m including the bowsprit and a maximum width of 9.7 m. She has a draught of about 4.7 meters and a displacement at full load of 1050 tons. Under engine power, the Christian Radich reaches a top speed of 10 knots, while she can make up to 14 knots under sail.

The vessel was built for training sailors for the Norwegian merchant navy, and did so for many years. From 1999 and on, the ship has been on the charter market as well as sailing with paying trainees to foreign ports on summer trips, participating in the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race and large sail events in various European ports.

Oslo gears for dream weekend

A heat wave that descended on southern Norway this week left residents looking forward to a near-tropical weekend, with lots of sunshine, rapidly warming waters in the sea and lakes, and summer activities galore including a huge regatta on the fjord.

The Oslo Fjord has been dotted with a record number of boats of all sizes and classes this week. Thousands of sailors, both Norwegian and foreign, descended on the capital to take part in Oslo Race Week. The event has featured various regattas, climaxing in the annual Færderseilasen that was setting off from Aker Brygge at midday on Friday.

Influx of seasonal workers

Around 25,000 seasonal workers from abroad are expected to arrive in Norway this summer.

In the main they will be engaged in the harvesting of crops, but it is also becoming more common that they take part in taking care of livestock.

Hammerfest, Norway

Located at 70.664° N 23.69° E, Hammerfest claims to be the northernmost city in the world, although the title is disputed by Honningsvåg, Norway, Barrow, Alaska and Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The validity of the claim depends upon one's definition of a city; Hammerfest is the world's northernmost settlement of more than 6,000 inhabitants. It is also the oldest town in North Norway.

Family tragedy believed to be a murder-suicide

Trondheim

Police in Trondheim believe a 45-year-old woman killed her two daughters before taking her own life last week, after fighting to retain custody of them.

The bodies of the woman and the two girls, aged nine and 11, were found last week inside the family's home. The door of the house was locked from the inside.
The three were killed by gases from a smoldering fire.
The woman had met her ex-husband in court on Tuesday at a preliminary child custody hearing. No decision had been made on how custody would be arranged.

Hiding for the sun and the heat

World Evironment Day celebrated in Tromsoe (Tromsø)

The main international celebrations of the World Environment Day 2007, Sunday June 3th are held in Norway's northern city of Tromsoe, in cooperation with the UNEP. A range of events, reflecting the threats from global warming to the people and wildlife across the world, will be staged. 2007 also marks the start of International Polar Year.

The World Environment Day slogan selected for 2007 is Melting Ice – a Hot Topic? In support of International Polar Year, the WED theme selected for 2007 focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world.

Port of Molde

Rica Seilet Hotel is North-Western Norway's most complete and flexible hotel for culture and conferences. Part of the hotel just out into Romsdalsfjorden, with superb views of the surrounding mountains, with peaks above 1,000 metres. Rica Seilet Hotel is centrally located next to Aker Stadium, within walking distance of central Molde.

Kola "a nuclear bomb"

The vast amount of radioactive waste that is the legacy of Russia's nuclear-powered submarines has been known to be a looming environmental disaster - now it can be far worse.

Research now indicates that the enormous tanks holding discarded submarine fuel rods in the Andreeva Bay may explode at any time, creating a nuclear nightmare for Northern Europe.
The large tanks, each containing 21,000 rods, are near the sea. Salt water has entered the tanks and lead to the rapid disintegration of the metal pipes. The salt water has then entered the pipes, breaking down the rods, releasing small uranium particles that fall to the bottom of the metal pipes.