1999 Norway Trip Bill Irwin
Wed 28 Jul Fly South Bend Indiana to Chicago to Stockholm to Oslo to Tromsø
Thur 29 Jul Arrive Tromsø 4:05 PM. Hotel Nord, Parkgata 4, NOK 610
Fri 30 Jul University Tromsø Statsarkivet (Family History)
Hurtigruten (Coastal Voyage) to Kirkenes. Depart: 1830 hrs
Via MS Harald Jarl
Sun 1 Aug Met by Lister Kari R. on arrival at Kirkenes: 1145 hrs
Tour Kirkenes, Museums and Russian Border points
Small boat ride to Russian border in the middle of the lake
Reinsdyr (Rudolph) dinner followed by multer med krem
(Arctic cloud berries and cream), a supreme Norwegian delicacy
Us Norwegians go berserk when it comes to picking berries
Stayed overnight at Kari R’s parent’s Svanvik Cottage on the Pasvikriver
Mon 2 Aug Tour Svanvik Chapel (church) and Bjørklund farm museum
Depart Kirkenes on Hurtigrute: 1345 hrs
Via MS Midnatsol (Midnight Sun)
Tue 3 Aug Arrive at Øksfjord at: 1615 hrs (4:15 PM)
Hurtigbåt (catamaran) to Sør-Tverrfjord. Depart 1700 hrs
Stayed at Britt Thomassen’s, a sheep farmer, apartment
Tour Sør-Tverrfjord, salmon farms.
Wed 4 Aug Hurtigbåt (catamaran) to Øksfjord, Depart 0715 hrs
Met by Svein Solberg at 0815 hrs who had driven 200 km to pick me up
Rented small boat from Chris Stein w/outboard motor at Jøkelfjord
Visited island of Skorpa (was: Skorpen)
Toured a 2nd remote cemetery with Anna Gina Jenssen (holiday resident)
Visited ruins of Tverrfjord off Jøkelfjord
Drive to Burfjord and Kjækan
Visited with Tryggve Enoksen who knew the Kjækan Copper Mines
Coffee at Gildetun, met Hendersons, Elderhostel friends from San Diego
Stayed at Svein Solberg’s home with wife Elsa Strøm and
children, Hilde, Kristian and Tordis in Skjervøy
Thur 5 Aug Svein’s cabin cruiser to Island Haukøya (was: Hugøe)
Salmon fishing. Caught seven sei (fish) which Elsa fixed for dinner
Stayed at Solberg’s
Fri 6 Aug Early morning, 0630 hrs, Bus to Tromsø
University Tromsø Statsarkivet
Met Elsa’s Uncle Simon, a great guy
Hotel Nord
Sat 7 Aug Hurtigbåt (westamaran) to Engenes on Andørja, Depart 1500 hrs
Met by Cousin Solfrid Helgeson on arrival Engenes 1730 hrs
Drive to Sorvik farm (Ånstad) on Andørja
Stayed at Cousin Solfrid and Alf Helgeson’s Sorvik home
Met other cousins, mother Ella Karlsen, Uncle Ernst Johnsen,
Anna Fredriksen, Børre Kristoffersen
Sun 8 Aug Visit Island of Tranøy - Nils Andreas Lind’s birthplace
Attended church services followed by coffee
1000th Anniversary of first Baptism in Northern Norway
Returned to Andørja, and met with cousins again
Stayed with Cousin Solfrid
Mon 9 Aug Visited Island of Rolla (Ibestad), Kirke, Graveyard
Visited ruins of Karl Fredrik and Maren Lange homestead on Andørja
Complete auto tour of Andørja
Stayed with Cousin Solfrid
Tues 10 Aug Ferry to Harstad and Trondenæs Kirke
Trondenæs was Maren Marie Johannesdatter’s birthplace
Return to Tromsø via Hurtigbåt
Hotel Nord in Tromsø
Wed 11 Aug University Tromsø - Statsarkivet
Found g, g, g grandparents, Lars Ellevsen and Malene Olsdtr
Found Nils Andreas Lind family Trondheim emigration record
Met with Uncle Simon again and his nephew Svein Strøm from Narvik
Hotel Nord in Tromsø
Thurs 12 Aug University Tromsø - Statsarkivet
Filled in several family details from original church records
Hotel Nord in Tromsø
Fri 13 Aug Fly: Tromsø to Oslo. Depart 0700 hrs
Met at airport by Berit Antonsen (Kari R’s sister)
Met Sissel Nilsen at Vikingskipshuset
Berit took me on walking tour of old Oslo
Snacks on harbor with Berit and Sissel
Cochs Pensjonat, Parkveien 25, at Royal Park, NOK 420
Sat 14 Aug Train: Oslo to Bergen
Anchor Hotel, Vestre Torggaten, NOK 650
Sun 15 Aug Walk around Bergen, Domkirken
Andreas Lange, 4-g grandfather lived most of his life in Bergen
Ferry: Bergen to Newcastle, Depart: 1330 hrs
Mon 16 Aug Arrive Newcastle: 1230 hrs
Visited Scotland for three weeks
Mon 6 Sep Return National Rental Car to Newcastle
Ferry Newcastle to Bergen, Depart: 1500 hrs
Tue 7 Sep Arrive Bergen: 1630 hrs (4:30 PM)
Heavy, heavy rain. No taxis
Anchor Hotel
Wed 8 Sep Bergen Statsarkivet, Arstadv 22
Confirmed several family records found on Internet
Found Andreas Lange Bergen military records
Walk around Bergen
Thurs 9 Sep Bergen Statsarkivet
Found Andreas Lange’s will
Found 5-g grandparents, Peter Godsche and Rangele Larsdtr
Walk around Bergen
Fri 10 Sep Speed boat to Flåm in Aurland (Knut Bryn's suggestion)
Norway in a Nutshell, Mountain railway to Myrdal
Train to Oslo
Cochs Pensjonat, Parkveien 25, at Royal Park
Sat 11 Sep Walk around Oslo
Norway Listers Meeting – Tempest Restaurant
with Elin Galtung Lihaug, Laila Norman and
Anne Berit Hildrum. One guy, three gals, it doesn't get any better
Cochs Pensjonat
Sun 12 Sep Ferry to Norske Folkemuseum on Bygdøy
Walk around Oslo, Akershus Castle
Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum (War Resistance Museum)
Mon 13 Sep Fly Oslo to Copenhagen to Chicago to South Bend
An absolutely fantastic, once in a lifetime, trip