Trondheim

It was a lovely morning when we woke at Oysands this morning, the boys and Joyce went out for a game of tennis and a shot on the swings after breakfast, I got the van ready and were soon on the way to Trondheim. This was unfortunate actually, there was a nice looking wee hill out the back, quite craggy and covered in trees and I had asked the young lad in the campsite reception about it last night, but he wasn't forthcoming with information and basically pointed me towards the information board outside which told me nothing. When I asked the lady who was there in the morning she said there was path up the said hill called "The Pilgrims Path", told me how to get to it,  and said it gave a great view from the top. The lady may, or may not have been the young boys mother, but I wish it had been her I had spoken too last night. However we were on our way and that path and view will need to wait for another visit.

The roads into Trondheim were good, a new motorway for a short section makes getting into the city straight forward and soon we found our way to the Bobil parking area near Trondheim stadium. There are lots of roadworks going on in the area, and the boys loved passing all the JCB's and diggers that were working on the streets. We found the parking area and found a space, and then tried to work out how to pay for it. There was a parking meter but for some reason it refused to accept our card, I sought the help of a passer by who also couldn't work it out. On closer inspection at a few other vans, and reading the notes on their windows it seems the machine is caput, so we stuck a wee note on our window too and I think a free day and night of parking is on the cards. I had done a little research into Trondheim and found a boat tour run by a lady, called Trondheim by boat. The reviews were good and we decided to give it a go. I called her at 11:30 and soon we were booked on her 12:30 sailing, all we had to do was get to the harbour and find her. This was easy, and after a quick bite to eat in the sunshine beside the Ravnklo (Raven claw) fish market before we were welcomed onboard her little Klinker built boat called Froya. Callum and Logan were kitted out in nice orange life jackets, there were another 2 for myself and Joyce but we figured a wee cruise up a river would be calm and elected not to wear them.

Joyce was quite surprised about the small size of the boat, I had already seen pictures and was aware. It was probably about 16 feet long, has an outboard engine fitted midships and a long handle connected to the rudder. Soon we backed out the mooring and headed east I think along towards the main river. We passed wharf buildings, which had previously been fish merchants, passed under a couple of bridges and turned right onto the river. This led unto the old town and the wharf building here are very old, some dating back 400 years, they are built on stilt supports some of which are currently being replaced, not an easy task. The young lady captain of the Froya made some interesting manoeuvres to get her vessel turned against the fast flowing river, these boats could handle sailing up the Norwegian coast to the Lofoten Islands in winter storms, but making tight turns on a river was not so easy, however soon the river was gently pushing us back out beneath the bridges and out into the estuary where the incoming tide was producing some interesting and quite large waves, I certainly did question whether not putting on the life jacket was a mistake for a few moments. However the captain remained calm, she explained that a large rig type facility moored on the the shore was an oil rig training rig where helicopter ditch escapes are practiced. Adjacent to this was the nautical college where she had done her training to become a captain. So, I think we had little to fear.

Soon we passed an island called Munkholmen this island has a chequered history, it started off as a monastery, was sometime later used as a prison and also later used as a wartime defensive location. She explained it was a very successful defence and the fjord is littered with the wrecks of planes shot down during the war. At this point Callum was offered his chance to Captain the boat, Amanda allowed him back to the engine room where he took control of the rudder and checked the engine for correct operation. Soon we were sailing back into harbour passed a couple of big cruise ships, one the Arcadia one of P & O's cruise ships, the other was a Holland America Line vessel, quite possibly the same one we saw in Stavanger a couple off weeks ago. Soon we were back in harbour and off the Froya.

We walked up towards the Nidaros Cathedral, something we definitely wanted to see in Trondheim. This is a stunning building. It dates back over 900 years and is built on the site where king Olav was buried. If the outside is not impressive enough the interior is absolutely stunning. The masonry and architectural designs and workmanship inside the building need to one seen to be believed. No photography is allowed inside unfortunately but I did manage to sneak a couple of pictures. The St Olavs Orchestra and Choir were doing some rehearsals while we were inside so that was an extra privilege, they sounded fantastic inside the amazing building. I am sure it is no less impressive than some of our own large historical cathedrals, Westminster or York for example but it was a well worth the NOK's to see inside.

Afterwards we had a wander around some more of the streets, they are pretty in typical Norwegian style, quite angular, made of wood and some painted bright colours. The weather was lovely and there was a buzz about the place, maybe because it was Friday and the start of the weekend. The boys also spotted the Trondheim tram in the lines, its the worlds most northerly tram system, we didn't take a ride on it as time was short.

We wandered back to the van and got changed as we were going out for tea tonight. We were undecided about where to go and this lead to some debate, after a drink and a false start in an Irish gastro pub we found ourselves in a restaurant called Firta, an Italian just across the road. I had asked some ladies beside us in the Irish bar and also one of the bar staff and they recommended it. A quick call, and we were in and had a great meal, not cheap by British standards, but well worth it and a nice change to eating in the van.  We got chatting to a nice Norwegian couple from Bodo, further north and a place we will pass through in maybe a weeks time. Numbers were swapped and we have been promised some hospitality and maybe a fishing trip while we are in the area. A nice end to the day, and a late night out for the boys. They have been silent since going to bed. This is quite surprising as there seems to be a gig going on in the stadium beside us, I cannot find out what is is but its definitely quite lively. Tomorrow, we may take in a little more of Trondheim before heading further north, or spend another night here if the parking costs remain favourable.......