Soggy Moose Travels : 11/15 Port of Rorvik

11/15 Rorvik

Last night we had our first sighting of the Northern Lights. The ships announcement was made at 0015. We sprang into action and made our way to Deck 9. Some images were grabbed.

Back in bed at 0200. Then awake at about 0800. Breakfast in Rost. Then we prepared for our walkabout of Rorvik.   Rorvik is a small fishing community and a hub of salmon fishing and aquaculture.   There was a nice wooden church in the community but sadly it burned down a few years back. It had since been rebuilt with a more modern structure. While for me the outer structure is a tad too modern for me, the interior, while modern, is beautiful. The inspiration for the new church is that of the Phoenix rising from the ashes.   We went inside and sat in the pews while a beautiful rendition of “How Great Tho Art” was played. It was a very moving and inspirational moment for me. I later learned the interior of the church was designed for the acoustics.

  We then made our way to the Salmon/Maritime/Fishing Industry Museum, Krystmuseet Norveg. This is a first class museum with some excellent interpretation of the community’s ties to the sea and fishing. Here the lives of the first settlers is examined in large dioramas. The the early days of the herring fishing, from the catch to the drying process to the storage. Then modern aquaculture is explored, from the standpoint of environmental sustainability.

By chance we met the curator and developer of this museum. We learned many additional facts about the salmon industry. For example, the salmon harvested from Norway is flown to Dubai and then distributed across the globe. 50% of the sushi salmon is Norwegian. Should one visit Rorvik this is a must. To support this gem, I purchased a sweater in the gift shop and Lynn got a headband.   Next we were off to a local grocery store where we procured some local jams to enjoy when back home.

We then walked to a local grocery storer some local jams, then through a local shopping mall, where we found store called Nille. It is sort of a kitchen supply store of nicknacks and chocolate. We had a most wonderful conversation with the clerk, learning that gnomes are named by their color of their hats. Green, red, and grey precede the word gnome.

  Back to the ship for lunch of crab cakes, again amazing. These were complimented with a nice ale from the Mack brewery of Tromso. The culinary skills on this ship are beyond words.

When we leave port today, we will pass the Statue of Sjo Sara. She was a young lady who was fascinated by the sea and working as a seaman. She started her seamanship at the age of 8 and worked her way up through the ranks. A true Norwegian pioneer of woman.