Berlin - Trondheim

Thursday 1.9.16

With Norwegian it's super punctual at 14.00h to Trondheim. The machine is about 70% occupied and I have the seat next to me free. Free WLAN on board works well and although you could do something else in 2 hours flight time, I click around on the internet for a long time just for fun.

The airport in Trondheim is manageable. Immediately after leaving the plane there are large duty free shops visited by the passengers. At the exit there are several customs officers who look very carefully at what people are bringing into the country. I have 5 bottles of wine and 2 Piccolos in a heavy bag from the Schönefeld duty-free shop for Kirsten, but no one complains about that.

It's crazy that Kirsten and I are seeing each other here after so many years. The airport is 30 km outside the city and on the road towards Trondheim I already see the first warning sign for moose!

We chat, toast to our meeting and then walk through Bakklandet.

The old town has many colorful, low wooden houses that look beautiful in the diminishing light this evening. It's drizzling a bit and it's cool. We go to the old bridge.

Kirsten - a real tour guide - tells the story of Kong Olav who - born in 995 - fell in the battle of Stiklestad against the Swedes in 1030 and was buried by the river.

He initially led a life as a Viking and was a pagan. His life led him later to Rouen, where he was baptized and found Christianity. Back in his homeland, he wanted to Christianize the country. However, he lost his life in the battle of Stiklestad. He was buried in Trondheim by the river. Several miracles happened at his grave, so he was soon declared a martyr and saint, and his resting place became the destination of years of pilgrimages.

At some point, he was exhumed and moved away from the river bank for fear of flooding, and the burial took place where the Nidaros Cathedral stands today. At that time, a small wooden chapel was initially built, which was replaced by a stone church at the end of the 11th century - the beginning and foundation of the Nidaros Cathedral.

We go out for a delicious meal.

Shortly at home we chat a bit more, I book a hotel in Kristiansund for tomorrow evening and then it's off to bed. It rains all night.