Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Fjords of Norway

The countryside of Norway is pristine and beautiful. This is a scene near Loen, Norway, in the fjord country. The homes, farms and villages are at lower elevations, near the water, because the Atlantic Ocean causes the temperatures to be warmer.
When we sailed into Oslo, we saw this sailing ship in Oslo Fjord.
The captain of one of the ferries we took in the fjords looked exactly what one would expect of a Norwegian ship captain.
This is a small, traditional church in the small town of Balestrand, which is located on Sognefjord. Scandinavian use of wood in construction is artistic and charming. The design of this church is reminiscent of the design of the ancient stave churches.
Sadly, there are very few stave churches remaining. They used to tear them down until they realized that they are n architectural treasure. This church is 800 years old. It is remarkable that a wooden structure would last that long. The design of the wood is intricate, although it is virtually impossible to photograph the interior because they lack windows and are very dark.
This photo is typical of the views of villages in the fjords. This photo was taken in Aurlandsfjord, a little west of the end of the fjord in Flam.
Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a seaport that was one of the towns of the old Hanseatic League. Half of the area around the harbor has old streets and buildings such as this photo. The other half of the harbor is surrounded by buildings built after World War II because a German ship loaded with munitions blew up and destroyed the buildings on the other side of the harbor. The new buildings lack the charm of what you see in this photo.

16 comments:

Phivos Nicolaides said...

Stunning pictures as always! If you have time please have a look at the magazine my son is editing. Thank you. PULSEmagazine

brattcat said...

A wonderful series. You make me long to visit there.

Joop Zand said...

My compliments for this lovely pictures.... i like them all.

Greetings and a nice sunday.

Joop

Crazy Tourists said...

The photos are amazing!! I would love to be there!!

Memphis MOJO said...

Excellent series. I particularly like the last one (the street scene).

Traveling Hawk said...

Charming! I would like to see Norway one day! Been so far in Sweden and Finnland. Great photos!

Tash said...

Ahhhhh, such rustic splendor! Looks like you had very nice weather or that you know how to take great photos in varied weather conditions.
I took some interest in Norway when I discovered Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy (about a fictitious Norwegian woman living in the 14th C) by Sigrid Undset. Your photos rival those of the published photo books on the country.

Tash said...

PS - I left a comment for you on the Hvar post. Thx for steering me to it (pun intended).

Tash said...

PS - also loved your Art of London post - esp the Mill. Bridge with St. Paul's. Check these shots from my point & shoot when you have a chance. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/tash50/sets/72157625290500784/)...I still have 750 photos from the DSLR to weed thru!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this wonderful journey.

Please have a good Tuesday.


daily athens

glenda said...

What a beautiful country! You have some great photos. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

The churches are so diferent and beautiful! I also have to mention the top shot, it's a winner.

Nefertiti said...

c est magnifique,merci du partage !

http://unephotounsouvenir.blogspot.com/

Halcyon said...

Wow, those churches are amazing! Looks like something straight out of Disney world.

Costea Andrea Mihai said...

I saw wonderful photo reports in your blog ! thank you for share us!

Cezar and Léia said...

Wow my beans want to visit the fjords of Norway some day, it's wonderful!
They have visited Oslo and now they need come back!
Thanks for sharing
purrs and love
Luna - WE LOVE LUNA

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