Wireless Internet - Digger Style

We've been without phone or internet for 24 hours, thanks to a a digger involved in the demolition of the building next door to us.
Here's what the phone cable looked like after he'd finished with it.

The digger driver had been told that all the cables were dead, so it wasn't his fault. But God I really missed the internet last night, sad ain't I.

Bicycle Lift - TRAMPE

I'll get back to the Trondheim trip properly, soon.
But here's a little something which I thought might be of some interest, since it's the only one of it's kind in the world.
Trondheim has more bicycles per head of population than any other place I've ever seen, to the point where it's dangerous to be a pedestrian, since they're allowed to ride on the pavements.
Since there are a few steep hills in the town, cycling can be difficult, or easy, depending on which direction you are traveling.
This is the hill in question for this world first, the track of which can be seen to the right.

The TRAMPE - Bicycle lift was built in 1993.  Here's a closer shot of the workings.

Simply put a card in the slot, set your foot on the starting point, where the  wooden block is, push the button, and you get to the top of the hill with no effort. Here's the info board, well the English half.

Here's a couple of links for more information:
TRAMPE.no website
TRAMPE on Wikipedia
youtube Video of the lift operating

Personally, I think it's a brilliant idea, and I can well imagine such a thing being an asset in some of the Lerwick lanes.

Yun's aa fir enoo

Still on macro images...

Here's one for Shetlandpeat, just to make up for him scaring me with a bumblebee.

This is perhaps my favourite beastie picture. The 'face' on his back is amazing.

I suppose at this point that all ladies are running for cover, and calling me lots of bad names, for posting such a nice image of a very much maligned and misunderstood creature.
;) ;)

French Cuisine, well maybe not...

Been playing with the macro function on my camera a bit lately and it's amazing what can be snapped.
This little fellow was crawling along the door frame this morning. Only about 2.5cm long, so I guess it would take a lot to make a meal ;) ;)

May Day

Yesterday, the 1st of May, was yet another of the many Flag Flying days here in Norway. Although I suppose it would be more accurate to call it a Flag Washing day, considering the weather.
Folk here take great pride in flying the flag at every possible opportunity.

Although the reason for flying the flag on the 1st of May doesn't quite fit with my work ideals. May 1st is "Arbeiderenes Frihetsdag", which roughly translates to "Workers Liberation Day". Personally I would translate it as "Another excuse not to work day"  ;)
Everything is shut down for the day, including shops.

But May 1st happens to be my birthday, and since birthday's are another common reason for flying the flag here, that's the reason that our flag adorned the side of the house, accompanied of course by the Shetland Flag.

At least both flags are nicely washed and blow dried now.

Of course, being my birthday, I didn't have to cook yesterday, and 'she who cooks when she absolutely has to' prepared my favourite meal, Pinnekjøt, sausage, neeps, and tatties.

Followed by a nice birthday cake which she'd baked earlier.

Ahhhh, sweet ain't it... And yes it is. An absolute calorie bomb in every slice.

And, yes, I do feel older. But the first slice of cake I cut took out the number 5, which made me feel better.
Candles might have been better than numbers, but I think she thought it only fair to let the fire brigade have a day off like everybody else. LOL

Yun's aa fir enoo.

Trondheim Trip - Part 2

Here's a selection of scenes from the town centre of Trondheim.
The first one, seen from across the river, is Nidarosdomen. Trondheim's Muckle Kirk.

Next is a bit of clever tree surgery which caught my eye. Should straighten it up nicely.

The building in the background is the local Student's Union.

This memorial caught my attention. It's a memorial to the sportsmen from the area who died in World War 2

Here's a view of the main bridge across  Nidelven (the river Nid), there has been a bridge of some sort across the river at this point since about 1178.

Trondheim has a very varied architectural heritage, which can be seen from the following pictures:

Such as the Trøndelag Theatre, below.

Which is just alongside this architectural disaster of an extension to an old building.

Perhaps the building which enthralled me most was this one. Vår Frues Kirke. (Our Lady's Kirk)

The tower was built in 1739, but some parts of the church which can be seen from the reverse angle here, date from the 12th century.

The town square's main features are the Trondheim Torg shopping centre and the statue of Olaf Tryggvason.

This building just looked impressive.

And this is a nice example of how architectural features which are normally only seen on stone buildings, were adopted by wood workers in the 18th century.

Here's a view across to the other side of the river from the town centre. On the hill can be seen Kristiansten Festning, the local fort. And just to the right of that the top of the Tyholt Tower which has a rotating restaurant  that sells beer for 99 kroner for a pint (well 60cl).

I'll add more pictures from the other side of the river in one of my next posts.

But here's a picture I just had to add as an example of the sculptures which appear everywhere in Norway.

This one is at the St Olav's Hospital, and I think it's quite brilliant. Public buildings in Norway have some sort of obligation to display art of one kind or another, and often, like this one, they are classics. :)

There are some more pictures from Trondheim, which I took in January, in this Photobucket album.

Yun's aa fir enoo, mair eftir.

Great Tit

Local name, Kjøttmeis. Latin name, Parus Major.

I've never seen one of these little beauties close up before which leads me to think that they aren't very common in Shetland. But here in Norway they are very common, and this one is busy building a nest somewhere in or around the house. Hopefully it's not in the ventilator or we'll be in for a lot of noise in a few weeks time.