Wrong Priorities
Thought for the day “Light travels faster than sound. That’s why some people appear bright until they speak”
“If you can’t see the bright side of life, polish the dull side” (Rowan Atkinson).
Amazing to read again in the Norwegian newspapers that the police have arrested another foreign tourist for flying a drone. This time is was over the capital city of Oslo, as reported here –
https://www.nrk.no/nyheter/en-person-pagrepet-etter-droneflygning-i-oslo–1.16697099
What is amazing is that while a tourist flying a small drone (presumably causing no damage) gets arrested, on the streets below people can be seen openly selling drugs and injecting themselves. If, as the Norwegian Police keep saying, they do not have the resources to investigate many crimes in Norway, then why are they focussing on tourists flying drones??? Surely a much more SERIOUS issue is the open selling of hard drugs on the streets in the city centre (especially the areas around Storgata and Gronland) ? If you have limited resources then why focus on trivial ‘crimes’ (and I would not consider flying a small drone over most of Oslo a crime) then why not focus on the SERIOUS issues like hard drugs? There are also the other serious crimes, like the increase in knife attacks in the city, but Norwegian Police are arresting tourists flying drones. My experience when contacting the police in Norway is that their standard answer seems to be that they do not have the resources to investigate. I can guess why.
It seems to me that the Norwegian Police are concentrating on the ‘easy’ targets like tourists flying drones and motorists driving a few km/h over the speed limit, instead of the SERIOUS crimes like selling or using hard drugs. Surely, somebody using a knife in an attack or selling heroin should be targeted BEFORE a tourist flying a drone ???
Today’s photo is Winter in Norway, with cold and clear weather in the town of Honefoss in South Norway.
And another photo from the archives, the driver of the BRB steam train waits for his next trip up the Rothorn mountain in Brienz, Switzerland.
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Put Two and Two Together
Thought for the day “If you do not live for something then you will die for nothing”
“The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave.” Thomas Jefferson
Very surprising in Norway that people are not putting two and two together. Probably the same situation around Europe too. According to the newspapers, more than 65 000 people from Ukraine have come to Norway since the war started. Recently that number has been increasing by around 1000 new people each week.
A quick read of the Norwegian newspapers will show the problems and long waiting times that people are having to get appointments for visits to doctors and hospitals. Students are having problems to find apartments to rent, and prices for rentals have increased a lot. Supply and demand.
But people do not seem to be putting two and two together. More than 65 000 extra people in Norway from Ukraine and now a shortage of apartments and problems to get appoints for medical matters. And yet the Norwegian government is continuing to let in large numbers of people from Ukraine each week, so those problems will just get worse and worse.
But people do not seem to realize the connection. Rather obvious to me. Much like the captain of the Titanic saying that the Titanic is on course but it is the iceberg which must get out of the way.
When will Norwegian people wake up ??
Today’s photo comes from Cardrona near Pembroke on the South Island of New Zealand. The historic pub there has featured in advertisements and is a popular stop on the drive from Pembroke to Queenstown.
Water, water everywhere
Thought for the day “Success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone.”
“The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it.” Woodrow Wilson
Norway has been hit by some very heavy rains over the last few days, resulting in flooding in low lying areas. As usual, many trains were cancelled, although that is nothing unusual in Norway where rain, wind, snow or even sunshine stops the trains. But the heavy rains have produced some interesting photo opportunities, especially around the waterfalls in the town of Honefoss. Foss is actually a Norwegian word for waterfall, very appropriate now given the size of them. Here is a photo today, showing the huge amount of water. Great sky for the photo too !
And a photo from the other side…..
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More stupidity in Norway – Avis Car Rental
Thought for the day “If you count all your assets you always show a profit.” Wilson Mizner
“The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.”
There are more stupid people in Norway than I imagined. I hate stupidity, and I hate people who will not move with the times. Latest example of stupidity comes from Avis Car Rental in Norway, part of the same Avis/Budget Rental group. The Norwegian government issues digital driving licences which work through an app on your telephone. These are accepted by police and also border officials and can also function as an identity card (as they have the holder’s photo on them as well).
So imagine the stupidity of Avis Car Rental in Norway who refuse to accept digital driving licences. It seems like this company wants to live in the past, although presumably their cars run on petrol and not steam, so they can move with the times when it suits them. Numerous emails to their head office but still a refusal by Avis Car Rental to use this ‘new’ technology. They claim that it is due to ‘security reasons’ but refuse to say what these ‘security reasons’ are. So whilst the police and other government officials ARE happy to accept digital driving licences, Avis prefers to live in the past and refuse them. Pure stupidity. Avis is very happy to use the internet and modern technology to debit my credit card instantly, but when it comes to accepting digital driving licences, it is a different story.
I hope that Avis Car Rental company gets the success that it deserves with such a backward attitude like that. Some of us are happy to live in the 21st century (or more, depending on which calendar that you use). Avis prefers to live in the past. So whilst their prices are 21st century, their behaviour is certainly not. Guess who will NOT be renting from Avis/Budget in future ?
Waiting for the train in Sri Lanka for the photo today –
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Lufthansa German Airlines group and Economy class travel
Thought for the day…”Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
“A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.”
Too many companies are using coronavirus as an excuse now. Often it is being used to cover up their own failures but the excuse of coronavirus is being overused. Joining the bandwagon of companies blaming (conveniently) coronavirus is the Lufthans group (LH) airlines. Now this is why I am getting angry…..according to Lufthansa, they are no longer giving ECONOMY class passengers tea, coffee or food on flights of less than 150 minutes. This is to protect “your health and the health of our employees”
https://www.lufthansa.com/ch/en/current-onboard-services#short-haul
BUT if you are travelling Business class then you will still get food and drink. Now would the managers at Lufthansa like to tell me why Business class passengers are not seen as any risk whereas Economy class passengers are seen as a risk? Or is the real reason that Lufthansa just wants to save money and is conveniently using coronavirus as an excuse to make further cuts to Economy class services? I know which answer my money is on. And also why do Lufthansa no longer service food when other airlines ARE still serving food to economy class passengers?
Companies should stop trying to blame coronavirus for everything. Be honest with customers, and if you are going to cut out meals and drinks for Economy class passenger then BE HONEST and tell us the real reason….to save money. Do not try and blame it on coronavirus. We are not stupid.
And another photo from the archives, Ometepe in Nicaragua at sunset….
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Go Pro Be Gone
Thought for the day “Too many people miss the silver lining because they’re expecting gold.”
“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”
Go Pro make some good action cameras. But so do a lot of other companies (such as Garmin, which I own). My recent experience of GoPro Customer ‘service’ has made me determined that I will never buy a Go Pro product. Indeed, GoPro and Customer ‘service’ should not be used in the same sentence, as if you have tried to resolve anything with them online then you will know that ‘service’ is probably the opposite of what you will receive. Can you imagine an international company that REFUSES to accept emails? This is the 21st century, yet Go Pro will nicely send you an email telling you that they do not accept emails. How stupid is that? And if you dare to try their online chat (only available during certain hours), apart from the unhelpful ‘assistants’ (and that is the wrong word for them) then you may find that the conversation conveniently (for Go Pro) gets cut off. So they refuse to accept emails and their online chat will leave you searching for some (unprintable) words.
So the end result of all this frustration and failed emails…..I will not be buying anymore Go Pro cameras. Plenty of good alternatives out there (such as InstaOne and Garmin). If Go Pro will not accept emails then they will not be seeing any of my money. Bad customer service drives customers away, and it has done. Go Pro be gone.
Two photos from Stavanger in Western Norway for the pictures today. The first photo is of the Old Town which is next to the harbour. Normally these streets would be full of tourists and visitors from cruise ships, but because of coronavirus, are mercifully quiet at the moment. Add to that Spring sunshine and it is easy to get some great photos.
and staying in Stavanger for another photo, interesting shapes and colours on the waterfront. Both photos taken with the Fuji X-T30 camera and 18-55mm kit lens.
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Chapter 1 Vanlife begins
Thought for the day…..”If you count all your assets you always show a profit.”
“Life Always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow”.
Chapter 1. Vanlife begins. Despite having previously owned a campervan, the urge was always there to try building one for myself. Buying a ready-made campervan is easy, but it is always a compromise. Compromises in the long run usually make everybody unhappy. And given that I have a non-standard lifestyle, then a standard campervan was never going to work…sort of round peg in a square hole type of situation. So the campervan (a VW Karmann) was sold last year even though it was modern and bright inside and had all the essentials, including a shower. But it was a compromise. For use all year, a campervan needs great insulation, and for somebody like me who does a lot of sport then it needs a BIG watertank. I also need a lot of storage space for the cycle and sports equipment.
Since then I had been looking throughout Scandinavia for a replacement van. But finding one that would tick all the right boxes and at the right price was near impossible. On that great online university, YouTube I had become fascinated by the number of people who had bought ordinary delivery vans (Mercedes Sprinters for example) and had converted the vans themselves. The results that some of them have achieved are incredible. That idea about building a van just would not go away. And the vanlife videos kept appearing on YouTube.
So last week I took the decision to get a van and to begin converting it myself. Found a VW Crafter van online in Stavanger, Western Norway and purchased it FAST, without seeing it or without even test driving it. Experience had shown me that the good vans and good campervans disappear almost immediately, and with coronavirus then there were even more people after them. So I had to act fast, and bought it within a few hours. Took the risk to transfer the money online to a seller whom I had never met and my only contact had been via the online website. Big risk, yes. But there is a saying in English “sometimes you have to jump first, and grow your wings on the way down”. So the van was purchased and the transfer fees paid.
Now I know that there is a risk of failure, especially as I have never done anything like this before. The fear of failure should not stop people from trying, and there is one way to find out if I can do it. That is to try. It may turn out to be a costly mistake, but at least then I will know. It may turn out to be a success, but until I try then I will never know.
So I hope to collect the van this Wednesday. Then the real fun will begin !! Watch this space for photos and updates and probably a video or two.
To be continued……..
One photo from the archives -matruska dolls from Russia at a market in northern Norway
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The positive side of coronavirus
Thought for the day…”Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.”
“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Despite all the doom and gloom at the moment, there are some positive sides to coronavirus. Staff in shops and cafes have become noticeably better recently, and are happy to serve you now. Not only that but they have time to help and, with the lack of customers, are actually trying to help out. Shops and cafes have become more polite, with people waiting patiently in spaced-out queues. Cafes have started putting most items in plastic to prevent contamination, hand disinfectant is now common and for the time being, people are being very good at using disinfectants. And another bonus, the enforced free time is giving some of us some a great opportunity to catch up on things that previously we never had time for. So it is not all negative at the moment !! Stay safe.
The southbound Oslo to Kiel ferry passing the coast of Norway at Drobak.
and another photo from the archives….sunrise captured with the Fuji X-T30
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Oslo to Copenhagen ferry
Thought for the day..”Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why.”
“It is not the strongest of the species which survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change” Charles Darwin
Oslo harbour and the ferry which goes between Norway and the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Prices onboard this boat have gone up a lot, and the journey time has also been increased, making the trip now more expensive and also slower. This boat was previously owned by Viking Line, and sailed from Sweden to Finland. Whilst the ferry was previously a good option, with the high prices onboard and also with the improved road connections to Denmark, it is no longer a good option. Quite why the company thought that slowing the trip down was a good idea is a mystery, as is the logic of increasing the prices onboard. Just like the airlines, DFDS have started to charge for things (eg. internet onboard and the bus connections to/from the boat) that used to be included in the ticket price. It appears that nearly all the public seating onboard has also been removed, presumably to try and force people into the bars and restaurants onboard to spend more money. Sad to see the decline in standards on these ferries now, and the need to pay extra for so many things. The kayakkers had a great view of the ferry though……
and another photo…A dramatic sunrise over the hills of Pembroke, New Zealand. Great cloud formations are not unusual on the South Island of New Zealand due to the prevailing winds crossing the Southern Alps, which often leads to banding and wave clouds. Add that to the first sun of the day and the result is a great photo.
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An aviation classic – the Hawker Hurricane
Thought for the day…”I haven’t failed. I just found 10 000 ways that won’t work” Thomas Edison.
“Turn your face to the sun and the shadow falls behind you”.
Wanaka, New Zealand hosts the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow every two years, and was at one time, also home to a number of Warbirds, such as this Hawker Hurricane. This particular aircraft had an interesting history, having flown in 1940 and crashed in Preswick, Scotland, then after a rebuild was damaged several more times before being transferred to the Soviet Air Force in 1941. It crashed again near Murmansk, Russia in 1943 and was recovered around 1990 and partly rebuilt in the UK from 1992 to 1995. It was fully restored in Wanaka and flew again from Christchurch, NZ in January 2000. It was later sold to a French owner based in Cannes. The photo was taken in Wanaka about 2010 prior to the sale to the new owner.
And a photo from Oslo harbour in Norway. The DFDS ferry travels overnight down to Copenhagen, Denmark. Unfortunately, journey times have been increased now and prices onboard are very high, making it much less attractive than previously, especially when the highway down through Sweden is a fast alternative. Why management wanted to slow the trip down is a mystery, as the boat is now much slower and leaves both cities too early to be much use to business travellers or people wanting a full day trip.
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Thought for the day….”One fails forward toward success”
“Life Always offers you a second chance. It’s called tomorrow”.
Off to the Himalayas and to Nepal for the photo today. As usual, the porters were carrying extremely heavy loads, this time including the kitchen table. Unusually though, these porters had good footwear, instead of the more common flip-flops or sandals. Climbing up with such loads is even more difficult due to the thinner air and often harsh conditions. The photo is from a scanned 35mm negative.
and another photo from the collection….Oslo city centre, which in parts is dirty, run down and full of beggars and drug-addicts. Far from the image of Scandinavia that many people have.
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Norwegian coast at sunset by drone
Thought for the day…”Coffee is a hug in a mug”
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.”
As always, it is a few bad people who spoil things for the rest of us. Just been out with the new DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone but nowadays the word drone makes people think of spying and that they are ‘bad’. Increasing restrictions on drone use are appearing all over the place, yet the responsible people who fly drones safely are being penalized for the actions of a few stupid idiots. Very sad that every week further restrictions are being placed on responsible drone users. The results from drones are amazing, and there is no need for more regulations. Go after the idiots who fly near airports, but let normal, sensible people fly drones and take beautiful photos.
Beautiful evening sunlight over the coast of southern Norway, taken a couple of days ago with the Mavic 2 Pro drone. Amazing calm conditions and great light for photos…..
and another photo from the archives…. carnival time and a happy woman……
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Rich Norway but icy pavements
Thought for the day…”Every failure is a step to success.”
“There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.” (Franklin Roosevelt)
Today’s photo is of some rare winter sunshine in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. One thing that you will notice if you visit Oslo in winter is how bad the Norwegians are at coping with snow, even in the capital. For some reason, the arrival of snow in WINTER seems to surprise Norwegians, leading to travel chaos. It is also very surprising that the local council in Oslo seems to be so bad at treating the pavements. On some days, walking around is extremely dangerous due to ice on the streets, yet the Norwegians seem very bad at treating the pavements. Compared with cities such as Helsinki in Finland, Oslo is a long way behind. So why is it that the arrival of snow causes so many problems in a country that should be used to it? As most of the country lies above 60 degrees north (and some parts of it are over 70 degrees north) then snow and ice should not be a surprise to them, but it is. And with all the money that rich Norway has, then why are the pavements so dangerous because the local councils have not cleared or treated them?? It is another surprise in a country that many think of as modern and advanced. As an example of how much money Norway has, the Opera House seen in the photo below cost around 4.1 BILLION Norwegian kronor, or about USD 700 million. Just to the left of the Opera house, the large new building being built is a new library. Estimated cost of that is 1.8 BILLION Norwegian Kronor. So, with all this money, why are the pavements being neglected when it is icy ???
and another photo from the archives….the legs have it…
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Oslo, Norway – Not the modern, organized place that you think…..
Thought for the day..”It is better to rust out than wear out.”
“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.” (Charlotte Wilton).
One of the great mysteries of life is why in Norway, the arrival of snow in winter causes such chaos. Norway lies mostly above 60 degrees north (parts of it are over 70 degrees north) so is Artic or sub-Artic, yet the arrival in WINTER of snow seems to cause such chaos. Do the Norwegians not expect snow in WINTER? Are they not used to snow arriving in WINTER? It appears not. As anyone who has been in Oslo recently will have experienced, the streets have been extremely difficult to negotiate. Pavements have alternated between sheet ice and deep snow, all of this in the CAPITAL of a country that is rich and that is supposed to be modern. It sure shatters a lot of images when you work in Norway, those images that many people have of a modern, well-organized society soon change when you see how it really is. And I just cannot but help wondering what the local council in Oslo is doing (or rather, not doing). The one plus side to the chaos caused by the snow and ice is that is has forced many of the begging gypsies off the streets. Again, the gypsy problem is something that the Norwegian government and police seem unable to deal with, same as with the heroin problem in Oslo. Whilst drug sellers operate openly in the city centre, nothing appears to be done about the problem. Oslo has been called the “heroin capital of Europe’, with the statistics showing the big problem with heroin addiction and deaths in the city, but the authorities do not seem to be doing enough. Have a look at some of the videos of the problem on YouTube. So if you have any ideas that Norway is a modern, clean and well-run society, then a short visit may change your views !!
One photo of the Norwegian capital, Oslo, taken before the snows arrived…..
and another photo from the archives Rafsundet near Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands, Norway.
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Time to Delete…..
Thought for the day….”Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.”
“Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eyes off his goal.”
Autumn is a good time to get around to sorting the thousands of photos that are sitting on discs and hard drives. Those of us over about 30 years old will remember that at one time, you only got 36 pictures (37 if you were lucky) on a roll of film, and even on a long holiday, you did not come back with thousands of photos. But with digital cameras, it is far too easy to click away and end up with hundreds of photos. I am looking back at my earlier photos and putting them through a test. First question is “would I be proud to show this photo to somebody else? ” and the second question “is this photo special to me?” If the answer to both questions is NO then it is time to hit the delete button. Rather like pruning trees after the summer, it will result in a leaner, cleaner and better photo collection. Hit that delete button !
Classical buildings in the Frogner part of Oslo for the photo today, originally a colour photo that I have converted to Black & White.
and another photo, the lunchtime Wideroe Dash 8 Q300 aircraft arriving in Honningsvag, in North Norway. This is only about 30km from the North Cape, which is claimed to be the top of Europe at over 71 degrees north. That said, North Cape is actually on an island (Mageroya) so whether or not it is actually the northernmost point of Europe is debatable. 
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Think before you install……that app may not be so innocent
Thought for the day…”What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens.”
“If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.”
It is amazing that so many people install apps on their mobile phones without any regard for just how much information those apps may collect. I recently wanted to install an app to control the flashlight on my mobile phone, but refused to install it when I discovered that it wanted access to my camera, email contacts and microphone. Absolutely no need for a glorified light switch to need access to my emails or the microphone on my telephone. And a second flashlight program proved just as bad.
Now there is the news on the internet about Amazon, and their plans to open physical stores in the USA. Apparently, they are going to monitor shoppers mobile phones, and will block their internet access if they attempt to check prices at other stores or online. So not only will Amazon be able to see what you are interested in, they will also be able to stop you comparing prices, and presumably, will also be able to see other sites on the internet that you are interested in. No doubt many people will quickly install a new Amazon app, without thinking about the loss of privacy. 50 years ago, people would have demonstrated against the idea of carrying something that gave authorities the power to see where they were within a few metres, and also what they were reading/eating/shopping/listening to. Even installing a flashlight app may now mean that somebody is listening to your conversations. Privacy is important, yet many people are now readily giving it up.
A photo from Spitsbergen of the Artic poppy flower, braving the cold weather…
and another photo….early morning in Riverton, in the far south of New Zealand. At one time, this port received freight boats from Australia before the estuary silted up. Now the railway and the larger boats have long since gone, leaving just the small fishing boats and a few tourists who pass through Riverton whilst driving the Southern Scenic Route.
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Flying variety – old and new, north and south
Thought for the day….”Success – keeping your mind awake and your desire asleep.”
“Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can.”
Two photos from the opposite sides of the Earth….the first is a Tiger Moth aircraft seen here in Pembroke, New Zealand. This type of aircraft was designed in the 1930s by the De Havilland company, who went on to make over 8800 of them. Many pilots learnt to fly in these, and they are still popular for teaching pilots their initial tail wheel training. Typically, it had a 120hp Gypsy Moth engine, which required hand starting as there was no electrical system in the aircraft. Top speed was 140 knots.
and another photo….the lunchtime Wideroe Dash 8 aircraft arriving at Honningsvag in Artic Norway. The aircraft carries 50 passengers, and is often used in Norway on the ‘milk run’ service in northern Norway, stopping at many of the isolated towns along the coast.
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Not a nuclear explosion, but sunset over the Baltic Sea
Thought for the day…”Well done is better than well said.” (Benjamin Franklin).
“To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.”
A wonderful story in the news at the moment from Washington, DC, about ‘Steve’, the security robot who fell down some steps into a water fountain. The high-tech robot was fitted with ultra-sonic sensors, infra-red sensors and HD video, yet still managed to fall down the steps and into the water below. His makers, Knightscope, have been providing updates on his ‘condition’ from ‘hospital’. The security robot is quoted as thanking his human helpers for saving him, and he is also quoted as saying that he did not see the ‘No Swimming’ sign before entering the water. Apparently the water has played havoc with his electronics (natually). His condition was reported as ‘critical’. So despite all the high technology, the ‘intelligent’ robot still managed to end up wet and useless. And this is supposed to be the future !!
Not a nuclear explosion, but sunset over the Baltic Sea near Sweden for the photo today…
and another photo…Lake Hawea on the South Island of New Zealand, another Fuji X-T20 photo..
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The Far North of Norway
Thought for the day…”Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.”
“We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.”
Two more photos from the far north of Norway (70 degrees north). At this time of year, there is 24 hours of daylight, as the sun never goes below the horizon. Whilst the Norwegians may get excited about having 24 hours of daylight, it is not in fact very useful, because you still have to sleep. And the other side of the coin is that in winter it has 24 hours of darkness (the so-called ‘eternal night’) so it must be extremely depressing then. Seen here in the photo is one of the many cruise ships which visit at this time of year, this one the ‘Mein Schiff’ from TUI Cruises. Built in Finland at a cost of some 360 million euros, it carries around 2500 passengers, so is much smaller than the 6000+ passenger ships that cruise the Caribbean. Seen here in Honningsvag, Finnmark, Norway.
and another photo….Mehamn in the far north of Norway
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KFC goes into space
Thought for the day…” Do not watch the clock, do what it does…keep going”
“You can’t expect to hit the jackpot if you don’t put a few nickels in the machine.”
Saw an interesting story in the news recently about KFC, who are going to send one of their ‘Zinger Burger’ chicken sandwiches into space, through a company called World View. The project is partly being finance by KFC. So it will be interesting to see the effects of zero gravity and no oxygen on the burger. Of course, KFC will be posting the details on their webpages live. Not that KFC are first with their idea, previously a pie company has sent one of its meat pies into space to space to study the effects of space on it. Interesting, that ‘launch’ took place from outside a pub in northern England !!
Today’s photo comes from 70 degrees north, in Finnmark province at the top of Norway. The reindeer are easy to spot at this time of year, especially as they come near the towns lower down to feed on spring grass. The photo was taken hand-held using the Fuji X-T20 and Fuji 100-400mm lens.
and another photo….a cross country train starts it trip from Penzance, Cornwall, England
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Money well spent, or not ???
Thought for the day…” Hope but never expect, Look forward but never wait”
“Obstacles are those frightful things that you see when you take your mind off your goal” (Henry Ford)
The waterfront of the Norwegian capital, Oslo is changing fast. Currently it is a mass of cranes and building sites. A photo from yesterday taken in perfect weather and warm temperatures, showing just how much building is going on. The white building on the right is the Opera House, which was completed in 2007, supposedly based on an iceberg shape. The exterior is covered with Italian marble, Carrara marble. This is an odd choice to use, as the architects had perhaps not read about the problems that this same type of marble had when it was used for the Finlandia concert hall in Helsinki. Whilst Italian marble may be very suitable for use in the Mediterranean, it does not handle the extreme cold temperatures of Scandinavia well. Much of the marble used in Helsinki on the Finlandia Hall had to be replaced, so it is interesting to see it used in Oslo, which has a similar climate. Time will tell ! The cost of the Opera House in Oslo was over 4 BILLION Norwegian kronor, or over USD 700 million. Would this money have been better spent on a new medical centre??
and another photo showing the whole building….
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Norway duo – the Fuji X-T10 camera at work
Thought for the day….”If we were meant to stay in one place then we would have roots instead of feet’
“Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die’ (Buddha)
The photo today comes from Svolvaer, the ‘capital’ of the Lofoten Islands in Norway. About 4500 people live in this town which was built on cod fishing. Nowadays, summer tourism is very important with about 200 000 tourists visiting each year. It is served by ferries from Bodo on the mainland and also by a regional airport. Day trips operate from here to the nearby Trollfjord and also Rafsundet. Being Norway, everything is VERY VERY expensive, making a holiday here a costly trip. When a Norwegian is asked to name something that is cheap in Norway, they usually struggle to think of ANYTHING that is cheap. The words ‘cheap’ and ‘Norway’ do not go together.
and another photo…..the very small village of Urke in the Norwegian fjords. Both of the photos today were taken as jpegs using the Fuji X-T10 camera.
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Two from the opposite ends of Norway
Thought for the day…..”If you cannot do great things then do small things in a great way”
“Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”.
So the crazy ‘security’ people in the good old USA have now decided that the humble Kindle e-book reader cannot be taken onboard flights from certain countries, nor a laptop, digital camera or tablet. Yet people flying from some other countries CAN take the exact same items. Just another sign of how stupid the USA has become. And I am even more surprised that the travelling public in the USA is putting up with more and more of this nonsense. Nothing to do with security, just a way for the Department of Homeland ‘Security’ to exercise even more control over people, without making flying any safer. Even Australia is now making the use of the naked body scanners compulsory, with no opt-out option, yet another intrusion into personal privacy and personal rights. Based on these stupid, groundless ‘security’ procedures ( security scam would be another way to describe it) then I will continue to avoid the USA, UK and Australia. Airport procedures now are beyond reasonable.
A photo of the west Norwegian city of Bergen, taken from Mt. Floyen in perfect light. Again great colours from the Fuji camera, taken as a jpeg.
and another photo….the fishing town of Vardo, Norway. This is the easternmost town in Norway, and actually lies further East then Istanbul or Kiev !! One of the town’s slogans is ‘Eternal light, Eternal Night’, which is a reference to the 24 hours of constant daylight during summer, and the 24 hours of constant darkness during Winter. The Russian border is only a few km away across the bay.
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RESPECT, FAIRNESS, CONSIDERATION
Buying local – the advantages
Thought for the day….”It’s better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life.”
“A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind.”
There was a time in my younger days when I would spend hours looking for the cheapest price. Getting something for the cheapest price was the target, and an important one. But gradually I have come around to looking at VALUE, rather than price. I have just had delivery of my new camera. I know that I could have ordered it online cheaper, but because my local photo shop (Photo & Video International, Christchurch, New Zealand) has given me such great service, then it was an automatic and easy decision to order from them. True, I may have paid more for the camera, but when I need help or advice, the dealer will be there, and will be only too happy to help, even if there is no direct profit in it for him. Not only that, but it makes trading much more friendly. And it is good to know that when I need some extra bits, that he will supply them, even if there is little or no profit in it for the shop. Previously I would have gone for the cheapest, but the value of personal customer service from a shop cannot be measured in money terms. The best part is that at the end of the transaction, that both the buyer and the seller come away feeling satisfied and happy. Too many negative experiences with online ‘shops’ located in far off places, who once they have sold you something, do not want to hear from you again. Long live the friendly local shop !!!
And a couple more photos from the old camera…….
and another photo from the archives….the Finnish capital of Helsinki
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