Light Seeking Light: Trondheim

Our Nordic Expedition, Part 9 -- Touring Trondheim

Morning found us at Trondheim, the third largest, and in many ways the most interesting of Norway's cities. Founded in 997, Trondheim was the capital of Norway during the Viking age and has since been the traditional coronation site for Norse kings. Trondheim is a university town -- about one fifth of its 170,000 residents are students, and its cultural landscape features hundreds of student organizations and activities.

Munkholmen -- an island in the Trondheims Fjord that in the past has served as a fortress, a prison and a monastery. Today it is a tourist attraction.

Leaving the ship we boarded a bus that took us on a tour of the town. After driving through the center of town, the bus climbed a hill overlooking the city and took us to a winter recreation center featuring this ski jump.

Another turfed roof on the administration center of the recreation area.

Trondheim from above with Munkholmen in the distance, the Nidarosdomen Cathedral in the middle distance, and, in the foreground the Nidelva River, around which the town developed.

A closer view of the cathedral.

And the cathedral close-up.

A window on one of the cathedral outbuildings.

In the city center there are a number of these statues, illustrating various aspects of the city's life and heritage.

The downtown shopping district with, of course, the obligatory McDonalds.

Another statue supposedly illustrating student life, or is it an abduction?

Another statue -- this one celebrating Lief Erikson and his discoveries.

God is terminal? I really hope not. That would be terrible.

Another statue of Lief Erikson, looking westward toward the ocean he spent his life exploring.

Sailboats on the Trondheimsfjord.

Our tour of the city came to an end far too soon as we boarded the ship to continue our travels northward. But we would be returning soon, on our return journey.

Our Nordic Expedition, Part 29 -- The Trondheim Yards

The port of Trondheim has transformed much of its old extensive shipyards into an outdoor museum where visitors could view remnants of the city's industrial past. We were lucky to be able to view it in the early morning on a day with excellent weather. In fact, our entire trip was blessed with extraordinarily good weather.

As we left the shipyards we entered a gorgeous neighborhood in which twisty little streets opened onto circles garnished with works of art.

This picture is not out of focus. The blurry effect comes from the texture of the wall covering.

What a lovely place to live -- but the best is yet to come, just around the corner....

Our Nordic Expedition, Part 30 -- The Nider River

After our stroll through lovely residential streets we turned a corner and were treated to this vision. That is the Nidelva river. It runs through the middle of Trondheim and we got to it early on a still morning while the water was glassy smooth -- perfect for taking pictures.

The only disturbances were caused by these ducks and they soon went away.

Warehouses line both sides of the river.

These two boats fascinated me and I took a lot of pictures of them from different angles.

This is the "Old Town Bridge of Trondheim" -- a wonderful place from which to take pictures.

Looking east from the bridge.

Looking west from the bridge. The large structure at the top of the hill is the main building of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology -- an important national institution. Approximately one fifth of Trondheim's population is students, which makes for an interesting local culture.