Tour of Norway (Kristiansand)

various Norwegian web-sites | May 6, 2005 | self

[franksolich]

This "tour of Norway" describes the city of Kristiansand, which with about 75,000 people, rates as one of the major--in the top ten--cities of Norway.

The population- and land-density statistics say Norway is underpopulated, vast, and empty, but in my "U-2 flights" across the country, examining every square inch of our gallant allies in the war against terror, it seems to me (a Nebraskan) that Norway below Narvik, way up north, is crowded; too many people.

If I were to go to Norway, I would immediately high-tail it up to Narvik, so as to get some breathing-room.



Kristiansand is a relatively new city, not being established until circa the middle of the 17th century, and so there is not much ancient history there. I am not sure the main occupation of the city, but I found no references to furniture-making.



Wearily, one cannot possibly do much "justice" to Kristiansand, which in reality is a very aesthetic city; but one must take whatever is on the internet.



Apparently, the airport at Kristiansand.



The railway station at Kristiansand.



Boats in Kristiansand.



The commercial center of Kristiansand.



Apparently, the main square of Kristiansand.



Some sort of business in Kristiansand.



I am not sure, but probably a diaper-service in Kristiansand.



Land Rovers in Kristiansand.






Another house in Kristiansand.



Houses in Kristiansand.



Apparently a school in Kristiansand.



I have no idea what this is, other than that it is in Kristiansand. It reminds me very much of the "repo lot" here in Stanton, Nebraska (population 1,500), where the police and banks store unpaid-for and repossessed automobiles.



Church choir in Kristiansand.



Countryside near Kristiansand.



Night near Kristiansand.

[franksolich]

By popular demand--I actually got SEVEN e-mails asking for this today--another in the series of a "tour of Norway".....by someone who has never been there.

I am not joking, however, when I say one cannot "do justice" to Kristiansand here; it is unfortunate for such a lovely, charming city, that "internet resources" dealing with photographs of it are so few.

[franksolich]

Ping for the Norway ping list.



I was really and truly stunned, to actually get e-mails asking for a "tour of Norway" feature tonight; it just blew me away, because these "tours" are buried in the cemetery of Free Republic, "General/Chat," where no one usually goes.

I was not quite prepared for Ada and Grimstad, and so decided to show off Kristiansand instead.

Thus far on the "tour of Norway" statistics, the "tour" of Gamvik, way far up north in Norway, has drawn the least audience attention, which mystifies me; such a charming wonderful city, Gamvik.

Gamvik is like a beautiful woman surrounded by men--blind men who cannot see her.

[Rodney King]

Nice tour. Don't go to Narvik, however, go to Tromso instead. Tromso has the benfits of being a unviversity town. Plus, the Tirpitz was sunk in the Tromos frjord. More importantly, the local drink in spring is beer with seagull's eggs.

[Purrcival]

Interesting, as usual. I look forward to more tours.

[Travis McGee]

I was in Narvik with the Navy in 1982. We did some rec dives on a couple of German and British destroyers which sank there in 1940. Beautiful area.

[GoLightly]

Kristiansand was the last Norwegian city seen by many of the early emigrants from Norway, including half of my Norwegian ancestors. The exit passports would have the city as the location they left, which might explain why you got so many requests for it.

It's in the Vest-Agder Fylke (a fylke is like a "state" or "province" & doing a search on just the fylke took me to:

http://www.webcamsinnorway.com/webcams.php?search=&searchtown=&region=vestagder

Now if we could figure out how to get the timing just right, it might be fun to get any of our Norwegian Freepers in sight on one of the live cameras that seem to be stationed all over the country & have them wave to us. LOL I'm not seeing any kind of traffic or any people in any of the views of Kristiansand in the links that work there right now. I did see a blue van on the road in one of the other views in the fylke, but that's it for signs of anyone awake on this early Saturday morning there.

I'm still trying to find more specific information about the other half of my Norwegian ancestors. They were among the first couple of hundred to leave from the Hafslo Parish, which is in Sogn og Fjordane.

[alisasny]

How about a tour of Tonsberg. I have been friends with a lady there since I was her penpal at age 8. I am now 38. I have been to Norway twice and traveled around the country.

It is indeed beautiful country. I went to school in Trondheim to learn Norwegian but gave up. Didnt help that everyone can speak English. : )

[Eurotwit]

Not to forget that I was born there as well :-)

Lovely town.

[fredo1070]

Some Photo's of the church in Kristiansand...they lock the church during the day so I wasn't able to get inside and take any photos...

[fredo1070]

A picture of a botanical garden, a famous ship (I can't remember its name), and a picture of Norway's first king...it's in a photo above bit this is a little closer view, of course this is all in Kristiansand taken in October 2003...Fredo