Arctic Ocean Cathedral, Tromsø

The “Arctic Ocean Cathedral” is a famous landmark in my hometown; Tromsø. The building was completed in 1965 and is an example of the work of Jan Inge Hovig, a famous architect and husband of Ingrid Espelig Hovig who was the firs TV-chef in Norway. These pictures are showing fractions of the building in the landscape. I like the trees.

Architecture Svalbard

Longyearbyen is becoming a place where modern high tech and architecture goes hand in hand. The new university is an excellent example. The new part of the university building is designed by Jarmund/Vigsnæs AS and have been nominated to the prestigious Miles van der Rohe-price. This is the European Union price for best contemporary architecture.

The Sun is back in Tromsø

...Jippi!! The sun is back and I saw it for the first time today. Nevermind the dirty office window and the rubbish mobile camera the picture is taken with.

As you see, my solar charger from solio.com is charging environmental-friendly energy for my iPod and my mobile.

I will try go get some better pictures at a later stage of this planet (that we don't take all that much for granted up here in the Arctic).

From the 20th May to the 22nd July it is Midnight Sun in Tromsø. (doesn't set in that period.)

TIFF '07

Tromsø International Film Festival (tiff.no) is going on and it's peak season for cultural events in Tromsø. The Film Festival is the most influental Film Festival in Norway and it is a very inclusive event where northerners like myself can make "travels" to exotic places and cultures in the cinematic darkness. Close to 45.000 tickets are sold during the six days of the festival and between viewings it seems like everybody is drawn to the local waterholes to zip a wine or a caffe latte. Social life is booming and it's just a very nice and social atmosphere in the city. My personal favourites of what I've seen is the Mexican 'El Violin' directed by Francisco Vargas Quevedo and Tommy Lee Jones' 'The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'. They both had a setting in Mexico - I think I have to go there some day...

Kattfjordeidet revisited

Sunday offered snow, low visibility, and wind. That's why Olof and I packed telemark skis and drove about 20 minutes out of Tromsø to go backcountry skiing at Kattfjordeidet. Conditions were quite good, but visibility was not much to talk about. Here is Olof struggling his way up while I just trail in his tracks behind. The shoot just above his head in the background offers good skiing when the snow has set later in the season.

Waiting for the sun...

Been lazy posting here lately. I'm working on a project at the Norwegian Polar Institute at the moment and they have been kind enough to supply me with an office with a magnificent view. I took this picture today. In about ten days I will see the sun for the first time tipping up from behind these mountains.