July 15 - Hammerfest, Norway

 A few days ago I was using my laptop on my lap and made the mistake of pushing the screen a little too far back.  When I tried to close it, I heard cracking and felt resistance.  Uh oh.  Seems I have done something to one of the hinges.  Michael tried a few things, but then 3 little pieces of plastic fell out, so I think I am in big trouble.  Fortunately, it is still working fine.  So I'll just leave it open for the duration of the cruise and see what happens when I have to pack it up.  I'm thinking I may have a new laptop in my future when we return.

We had an early tour today (departing at 8:15) so we had to set the alarm for the first time this cruise.  It was a 2 hour bus trip to a couple of scenic locations first.

The monument commemorates the mapping of the meridian in 1955.  It was a collaboration among 10 countries and involved a lot of measuring.  It's a bit confusing to me, but this marks the northern measuring point.

Some day I will read all of this explanation. (or just check it out on Wikipedia)

A little more light reading on the subject.

These fellows didn't seem to alarmed by our presence.  They are often spotted walking down the roads in town and can be quite a nuisance.  There are reindeer fences to keep them out, but apparently they aren't that effective. 

Next was a scenic viewpoint from a high hill.

In parts of town, the homes are built away from the tall hills a bit, which means they lose some of the protection from the winter winds.  But alternatively, when the sun starts to finally rise over the the hills, they can have as much as 6 more weeks of sunlight into their windows than those in other parts of town. 

 

 As you see, the weather was bright and clear again, although it was noticeably cooler here, in the mid-50s with a wind at the top of the hill.  Our guide was in shorts and shirtsleeves and was still sweating.  We were bundled up accordingly.

The last stop was at a very nice museum which explained about life here before, during, and after the German Occupation of 1940-44.  A large focus was on the period of Reconstruction after the war.  The Germans burned down every last building save one church next to a cemetery.  It took many years, but Hammerfest was rebuilt by the mid-1960s.  Initially, houses were built in one of two styles: one- or two-story with a small basement.  Architects gave the plans to the people and they built them with help from their neighbors.  They were very simple, but effective homes.  They all had the same furnishings and there was a choice of 4 wallpapers and 2 paint colors.  Being built by "amateurs" resulted in no square walls anywhere.  Today, people have modernized them some, especially adding insulation, but replacing windows and doors can be a bit of a challenge with the haphazard measurements.

And more reading to be done.

All the homes had the same furnishings right down to the curtains.

This shows Hammerfest in photos before WWII, after the Germans left, and in the 1950's and 60's.

Hammerfest is using some of that national oil money to install heated sidewalks in the downtown commercial area.  The hydro-electricity is cheap, so they dig up the sidewalks and install the heating system on a few more streets each summer.  Good for the citizens and the businesses and cuts into visits to the hospital.

We were really lousy at Trivia today with 7/15, but had another lovely dinner at I Putus' table in Compass Rose.  The captain said we may get some minor movement of the ship tonight as the wind is picking up and that docking tomorrow in Honningsvag may be a bit tricky, but he has a plan.  Good to know.