Northern Adventure
Notes on a refreshing break in Scandinavia
Hello Friends,
My post this week is a bit of a smörgåsbord; but instead of tasty morsels on bread, I offer some observations from my recent holiday Scandinavia and I’ve arranged them on a platter for your enjoyment. Here goes.
The Midnight Sun
I couldn’t believe that in my jet-lagged state I was hiking up Rekvikeidet, a mountain near Tromsø in the Arctic Circle around 10.30pm. My mission was to view the sun, still above the horizon at midnight before rising again. Known as the Midnight Sun, the phenomenon lasts from about 20 May to 22 July. Of course in six months time, the opposite occurs when there is 24 hours of night instead of a full day of sunlight.
After the hike, I noticed on the drive back into town that none of the houses had their curtains drawn. Perhaps residents of the Arctic Circle opt for eye-shades during their summertime slumber? Or maybe they don’t mind the natural light because it’s only there for a limited time only?
It turns out Scandinavians revel in their seasons and accept the weather rain, shine, or snow. They make the most of a few months of summer (with enviably low levels of ultra-violet light ) and then they embrace their winters. Every season is a good one for the great outdoors. The Norwegians have a word for it: friluftsliv, translated as "a simple life under the open sky" Nordic residents are encouraged to pursue education, adventure and physical activity outdoors, all year round. Even when it’s below freezing. My Finnish guide, speaking of winter with nostalgic relish, told me that minus eight degrees Celsius (minus 17.6 Fahrenheit) is the “optimal temperature because the air is very pure and very clean and you can see far into the distance.” Another frequent quote I heard was “There is no bad weather, only bad clothes.”
Viking History
For years I wondered about the 7% Norwegian in our family DNA results. Turns out that between the 8th -11th Century the Vikings took to their long-boats, reaching the shores of the British Isles, raiding, trading and intermingling with the hapless Anglo-Saxons who were powerless to defend themselves from the Norsemen. Viking culture were sophisticated and focused, if ruthless and violent. And in several places you can still see these fabulous chiselled granite markers.
This rune (pictured above) marks the edge of a road which was built by Viking lord Jarlabanke nine hundred years ago near Lake Vallentuna in Sweden. Jarlabanke’s road was so successful it was used until the 1960s. Runes were the Viking equivalent of ‘social media’. It took around eight months to carve and inscribe one and only the rich could afford to commission a rune. This one reads:
“Jarlabanke raised these stones for himself while he still lived and he built this bridge for his soul and alone he owned all Taby. God help his soul.”
Munch
Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) painted The Scream. Actually, there are five versions of The Scream, a motif that Munch came across during a walk in the countryside on day. The Screams are Norway’s equivalent of the Mona Lisa although the number of visitors wanting to view the painting is far more manageable. Only one Scream is open for viewing at any one time because they are fading.
The Screams are famous but my favourite motif was a subject Munch painted eleven versions of. It’s called Jealousy. Do you like it? I love the way envy is portrayed as a mask.
‘The Law of Jante’
In Australia (it’s not exclusively us) someone who gets ahead of themselves is described as tall poppy. In Norway there’s a set of unwritten rules (first described in fiction) that a Norwegian shouldn’t regard themselves as above another. Society comes before the individual. Boasting is not cool. Nor is being jealous of another person.
It’s widely discussed and debated but some researchers feel this law, or idea, holds Norwegian society back. There is so much opinion and research on this which I don’t intend to go into to. However, I did think as I travelled through Norway that people seemed humble in the achievements of their nation and genuinely did not like to blow their own trumpets so to speak. Quietly impressive.
Islands
The west coast of Norway is dotted with inlets and islands and dreamy little houses. Sometimes the house IS the island. Maybe the house also serves as a beacon for shipping.
In other places along the coast (and in fact all through natural parts of Scandinavia) it’s common to see little red wooden houses. Or boathouses. Or mountain huts to shelter hikers. Sometimes, they are no bigger than a garden shed. Sometimes they are garden or farm sheds. I wonder what it would be like to live there… could I really live there? Could you? For me, the little red house is the image I will keep in my writer’s heart. The little red house is quaint, hardy, comforting, safe, independent. Much like this part of the world.
No Small Talk And Other Rules
In Finland people do not tend to ‘make conversation’. It’s impolite to talk too much and silence is preferred to polite banter. Apartment buildings have a silence or quiet rule from 10 pm to 7 am where you’re supposed to keep the noise down. You can’t buy alcohol (except for beer and lightly alcoholic drinks) after 9 pm. It’s very much about being aware of your social footprint.
Silicon ABBA
Ok, this is trivial, but this is a pretty trivial post, right? The Fab Four of Stockholm circa 1970s were created out of silicon as an alternative to wax. I see them as modern sculptures! I love this Swedish ingenuity by make-up artist Göran Lundström from the now world famous Effektstudion. Silicon is definitely less waxy in appearance, and though I went to many beautiful museums in Stockholm and Norway, this work made me smile and cry.
So that was a bit of a patchwork but I hope you enjoyed my smorgasbord. As always I can’t wait to hear about your adventures and stories. If you living Sydney I’d love to see you at The Seymour Centre for my show Difficult Conversations with Jane Hutcheon next month.
See you next week!
What an incredible adventure, Jane. Jet-lagged and hiking straight off the plane, now that’s as impressive as the Midnight Night sun over Rekvikeidet! It sounds like you could travel through a couple of countries and experience the culture and the scenery. I have family living in the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago off the coast of Norway. We can compare Scandinavian stories, as I’m heading there again soon. Breathtaking scenery, so worth the travel if you ever go back to Scandinavia. What’s insightful from my experience of ‘No Small Talk And Other Rules,’ is learning how these ‘rules’ of communication impact the work environment. So different from other countries. One last morsel on the Substack smörgåsbord from me is about silicon ABBA. If you ever get a chance to see the ABBA avatar show, those silicon sculptures come to life and sing like they did in 1970s. It made me return to teenage angst all over again! Best wishes for your Seymour Centre event.
There are some pearlers in this ‘smorgasbord’.
Thank you for the when about the midnight sun and the implications of long daylight days. I did not expect to see a rune as a marker stone!
The house on the rock doubling as a beacon for boats at night is novel. The mooring for their boat would be at best a boat shed. The red cabin as shelter for hikers makes the tiny home even more of an option for travellers!
And Munch’s art to finish.