Page 16 - Boca Expsoure - November '20

Page 16, Boca Exposure
Norway: Land Of The Midnight Sun

By Don Kiselewski, MCC, Before the road, visitors came by ship
D.S., Palm Beach Gardens and scaled a path up the sheared face of
Travel Leaders the Cape. During the summer months
At 1,600 miles long the sun never sets at the Cape; instead
and just more than a mile it forms an orange ball on the horizon
wide at its narrowest point, at midnight. It is from this event that
the country of Norway has the Cape gets its name, “Land of the
a shape that resembles a Midnight Sun.”
tadpole swimming south. The Laplanders, with their unique
The southern portion is heavily embroidered four corner hats,
bound by the North Sea while inhabit the northern part of Norway.
the northern portion reaches These hearty people track their reindeer
above the Arctic Circle, and it shares a common border with herds across four countries and pay little
Sweden, Finland and Russia. Norway’s population is about attention to territorial boundaries. The Southern Norway’s fertile hills are ideal for farming.
5.4 million* and about one in four Norwegians lives in the Lapps, or Sami people as they prefer
three largest cities: Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger; English is to call themselves, trace their heritage
widely spoken throughout the country. back more than 8,000 years. There are
The southern portion of Norway is hilly, forested and most approximately 40,000 of these people in
fertile for food growing, while the northern reaches are stark all with about half of them to be found in
and barren, barely supporting the life of the Laplanders who Norway. Because of their self-imposed
live there. Norway is bound on the west by the Norwegian isolation and lifestyle, they have been
Sea, which slices through the sheared mountains to form a able to conserve their rich culture and
network of fjords. With these extremes in terrain, few places many unique traditions, such as the
in the world can compare for rugged beauty. Sami language.
Likewise, very few countries were influenced as much Less than a century ago, the Lapps
in their development by the terrain and weather as Norway. imported reindeer from the mainland
As the last ice age receded about 12,000 years ago, hunters to Mageroya, the island off the North
and fishermen edged northward along the coast and avoided Cape. The animals now graze openly By using soil to insulate their roofs, early Norwegians inadvertently created
the bitter cold of the interior mountain areas. These original on the sparse vegetation, and seem to be Chia homes.
inhabitants established communities along the coastline, the only life on the barren rock with the
taking advantage of the warm Gulf Stream. exception of tourists. The North Cape is
About the same time the Athenians were building the marked by a visitor’s center as well as a
Parthenon (500 BC), the warming trend suddenly reversed, globe-shaped location marker and two
bringing extreme cold to the area. During the warmer period, unique sculptural works.
contemporary drawings were chiseled into rock in Norway One of these pieces is called
depicting boats carrying as many as 30 men, warriors on Children of the World – this work by
horseback and four-wheeled carts drawn by horses. The Eva Rybakken features the sculpture
growth of the nation was sharply reversed by this new freeze of a mother and child facing north as
and a large portion of the population perished. the child points to seven bronze and
Survival during this period, by necessity, changed the stone wheel-like disks. These disks
way the people lived. Men, who before had worn only were sculpted by children from seven
a belted cloak, now wore underwear and trousers. The different lands, aged between 8 and 12, Children of the World by Eva Rybakken, located at the North Cape
nomadic lifestyle of the people became agricultural out of who visited the Cape in 1988. They
a necessity to secure food and fodder for their livestock. depict Norway as seen through the eyes
People and animals occupied either end of the same house of a child.
– an unhygienic but necessary form of central heating. On the other end of the nation is the
With the passing of time, construction techniques business center and capital of Oslo. Its
improved. Timber homes were now built utilizing soil on the skyline is dominated by the City Hall
roof for insulation. The farmers would often control the grass at the end of the harbor. The building’s
and weed that grew on their roofs by putting goats up there. interior walls are covered with murals
Today’s Norwegians live in a modern, independent and it even contains an art collection.
country, although remnants of these harsh times still exist The main travel axis of the city runs
as reminders of their past. Small farms cling to the edge of parallel to the end of the harbor and The Parliament of Norway Building, in Oslo, is the seat for the supreme legislature
the seemingly endless fjords, fighting Mother Nature’s steep of Norway, also known as the Storting. It was designed by Swedish architect Emil
mountain slopes to capture enough land to cultivate. Norway on page 17 Victor Langlet.
Norwegians are avid outdoorsmen and sportsmen. They
swim in water about the temperature that most Americans like
their beer. The country’s passion for skiing shines through
in their daily life, much the same as baseball and football is
reflected in ours.
The fjords gave Norwegians their great seafaring tradition.
From the early Vikings who found Scotland, Iceland and the
rest of Europe easier to reach than their own southeast area
around Oslo, to the modern traveler choosing a ship as the
most comfortable way to travel this magnificent coastline, Do you know a family member,
the sea provides the link. The fjords begin at Stavanger in
the south and stretch north to Hardanger. Along the way they friend or a neighbor in need of
encompass Bergen, the fjord capital and home of composer
Edvard Grieg, as well as the Storfjord fjord, which is found Home Health Care?
in an area of glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. The Storfjord has
many arms penetrating deep into the land, and ends in the Get 4 hours of free care
quiet calm of Geiranger, one of the most picturesque spots if you mention this ad
in all of Norway.
The North Cape, in Finnmark, is popularly known as the Home Health Aides / Certified Nursing Assistants / Registered Nurses to assist you with:
northernmost point of Europe. Tourism started here about 120
years ago with the visit of King Oscar II in 1873, and Thomas • Personal Care • Companionship • Respite Care • Alzheimers & Dementia Care
Cook arranged the first organized tour for 24 Englishmen in • Medication Management • Transportation • Meal Preparation
1875. However, it wasn’t until 1956 that a road was built from • Light Housekeeping • Grocery Shopping • Post Surgery Care
the port of Honningsvag to the Cape, some 20 miles north.
Complimentary In-Home Consultation

Care provided in the comfort of your Home, Hospital, or Facility

Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing We accept All Long Term Care Insurance Policies and Private Pay – Affordable Rates
Palm Beach County and is a privately
owned and managed company.
Captain’s is committed to providing Family owned and operated. Boca Resident for 30+ years and Boca Pointe Members.
dependable, reliable and professional
ground transportation to and from all CALL TODAY: 561.740.8667
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212
To reserve your vehicle: www.auracalshc.com
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com Florida Licensed and Insured NR# 30211558, NR# 30211706