6. Topic of choice (Importance of Passionate Guides)

Liam Mooney

As we’ve all grown to understand this semester, you can oftentimes tell when someone is genuinely happy (or unhappy) to be leading you on a tour.

Along our trip, I realized how all of the guides we met had very strong connections—ancestral, personal, or spiritual—to their certain church and its community. For me, this made the excursions much more authentic and meaningful. A number of the guides lived in houses just meters away from the churches they know so well. They told us stories of the past and included little gems of knowledge that are hard to come by as a roaming tourist in an unfamiliar land.

            This concept spans across many disciplines of tourism beyond just museums and heritage sites. Whether you’re skydiving, backpacking in foreign wilderness, or even checking out a zoo, having an impassioned guide will create a better experience for all involved. Throughout our semester, we’ve been lucky enough to have professors with this same mentality. Arne’s local knowledge of the land led us to some very sweet locations in Experience of Nature (think caves). Andreas’ connection to the Knut Hamsun Center and Hamsun's childhood home (and amazing reindeer soup), created an awesome experience there. And these past weeks, Petter’s background as an archaeologist and network through Nordlandmuseet gave us access to all of these exhibits. Also, how else would we have known that Kråkesølv just so happened to be playing at a little café in Bodø at lunch? Point being, having experienced members of the local region leading groups makes all the difference in creating authentic culturally immersive experiences.

5. Topic of choice (Anna Karoline)

Liam Mooney 

      I found our mini excursion to the Anna Karoline cargo ship to be pretty cool. Just seeing the huge size of this ship really impressed me, especially when noting how it was build in the late 1800’s. I tried to imagine the reality of being a man on board and constantly dealing with challenges (demanding steering technique, visual assistance needed from man perched up top, etc.) during the long journey down to Bergen. Lots of the technology that makes transport and shipping so easy and routine today were non-existent back in those days, which really caused me to admire the capabilities of these boat builders and crew members.  

            I also found Petter’s explanation of the preservation and future display of the massive Anna Karoline to be interesting. Particularly, the grey area of debate focused on the rebuilding vs. repairing of historical artifacts. Regardless, I feel that this will serve as a very historic and noteworthy exhibit for the inhabitants of Bodø and visitors alike.

4. A day at Alstahaug and Tjøtta

Liam Mooney         

        I really enjoyed this day as we were out and about walking through the woods and exploring the outdoors around our destinations. We followed a path to reach Kongshaugen, where we stood atop the mound and listened to Petter’s analysis of the spot which included the political and geographical significance of this locale in relation to the Viking age. Peeking through the trees, I noticed how many surrounding islands were visible from this overlook and could picture how this mount would be a noticeable landmark for incoming sailors and other inhabitants.

            Viewing and entering Alstahaug church was the first taste of our short-lived careers as professional church architects. Afterwards, we were then given time to roam around the Petter Dass Musuem which reminded me of being in the Knut Hamsun Center in Hamarøy. The unique, slanted architecture of the walls and floors creates a neat feeling for those walking around the exhibits of artifacts, short readings of the past, and even music. I found myself standing on the edge of the glass-panels overlooking the sea, which inspired me to head outside and explore. When doing so, I made my way up to an erected rock statue overlooking the classic landscape of Northern Norway. Once again, it dawned on me how these museums and monuments are enhanced by the astounding natural beauty of Norway surrounding them.

            Later on we walked to the stone of Eyvindr Finnson Skáldaspillir who was a prominent Norwegian skald. Here, I remember learning about the role of Ale in many Viking traditions ranging from birth to death. We continued on to Tjøtta, standing on this land of history that once acted as a meeting ground for district leaders and representatives. This spot served as a political ground connecting the various regions, allowing them to form consensus and such, along with carrying out traditions like sacrifices which took place in the center of the locale. We left Tjøtta and boarded a bus back as the fiery sun set on the horizon and drew my eyes back to those classic Norwegian mountains, reaffirming my choice to study abroad in this beautiful land.