Downtown Trondheim
A short paddling trip through the city of Trondheim, Norway (spoiler alert: we did not see any Vikings but we did ear whale..).
We're sitting in the Trondheim train station waiting for our midnight train to Bodo (way in the north of Norway). We'll be on the train until 9am tomorrow, attempting to sleep while sitting up. We just finished cooking a veggie stir fry in the train station (don't worry, all burning gas parts were done just outside).
Today we took a short kayak trip through downtown Trondheim and the harbor. We rented boats from Trondheim Kayakk, which is a pretty new company started by a former NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) student from Lithuania. She helped us get into our boats about 4 miles upstream of the city on the Nidelva River. The boats were nothing special - plastic light touring boats, the paddled were heavy, and the PFDs smelled a bit unbearable, but it was still a fun way to see the town. For the 1.5 hour trip it cost us each 400 NOK (about $50), so not cheap.
The river was quite high due to two weeks of rain, but today the weather cooperated, and we even saw some patches of blue sky. The first part of the trip took us through a "nature area," which felt more like peoples' backyards. Here the current was strong - we coasted quickly while hardly paddling. Then we reached the magical downtown where most of the photos below were taken. Trondheim is a very old city - founded in 997 - that prospered through the Viking Age as a trade city. It's located at the confluence of the Nidelva River with the Trondheimsfjord. The city has experienced major fires many times - sometimes burning 90% of the city! It was occupied by Nazis for 5 years during WW2. In the winter there are only about 4 hours of sunlight. Right now, in June, it's light until almost midnight.
We landed the kayaks in the harbor and began the walk back to the launch site (Trondheim Kayakk) doesn't provide return transportation to the car - its a 45 min walk). We lingered in the city for a while, tasting whale and fish burgers and typical pastries. We continue to be amused by the Norwegian language: our favorite is "Max Fart: 20 km/hour." (speed limit). It gets us every time. We returned our beloved DP with sadness. DP is the white Citroen car we've come to love for his fuel efficiency and in spite of his utter lack of clearance on dirt roads. He's enabled us to be autonomous and adventurous. The Lofoten Islands will be a struggle without him!
Today we took a short kayak trip through downtown Trondheim and the harbor. We rented boats from Trondheim Kayakk, which is a pretty new company started by a former NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) student from Lithuania. She helped us get into our boats about 4 miles upstream of the city on the Nidelva River. The boats were nothing special - plastic light touring boats, the paddled were heavy, and the PFDs smelled a bit unbearable, but it was still a fun way to see the town. For the 1.5 hour trip it cost us each 400 NOK (about $50), so not cheap.
The river was quite high due to two weeks of rain, but today the weather cooperated, and we even saw some patches of blue sky. The first part of the trip took us through a "nature area," which felt more like peoples' backyards. Here the current was strong - we coasted quickly while hardly paddling. Then we reached the magical downtown where most of the photos below were taken. Trondheim is a very old city - founded in 997 - that prospered through the Viking Age as a trade city. It's located at the confluence of the Nidelva River with the Trondheimsfjord. The city has experienced major fires many times - sometimes burning 90% of the city! It was occupied by Nazis for 5 years during WW2. In the winter there are only about 4 hours of sunlight. Right now, in June, it's light until almost midnight.
We landed the kayaks in the harbor and began the walk back to the launch site (Trondheim Kayakk) doesn't provide return transportation to the car - its a 45 min walk). We lingered in the city for a while, tasting whale and fish burgers and typical pastries. We continue to be amused by the Norwegian language: our favorite is "Max Fart: 20 km/hour." (speed limit). It gets us every time. We returned our beloved DP with sadness. DP is the white Citroen car we've come to love for his fuel efficiency and in spite of his utter lack of clearance on dirt roads. He's enabled us to be autonomous and adventurous. The Lofoten Islands will be a struggle without him!
Date: Friday, June 12th, 2015
Distance: 5.3 miles (with the strong river current)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Weather: Almost warm, almost not rainy
Distance: 5.3 miles (with the strong river current)
Duration: 1.5 hours
Weather: Almost warm, almost not rainy
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