23 Aug 2019 – Now Kongeparken

Wed-cont: started out walking down town on a glorious mid-morning passing by the schools that were&still are – Gylleborg elementary (the wall mosaic-mural was added on after my days), Kongsbakken videregående skole high-school and and the Maritime School. In front of the high-school (now a small park with a sculpture of the king) was  the former Old Latin-School and later Nordnorsk Musikkonservatorium where I worked, but sadly it burnt down in 1979 and the irony of it that it burnt the night after sprinklers were just installed but were not turned on yet!

https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordnorsk_Musikkonservatorium

Excited to find this useful site with old pix of the school which brought back fond memories running down F Langesgate towards town and just before Grønngate or Storegata? on the left-side, there was a wooden building where delicious fresh fish-cakes were made daily and you could buy them from the window – the smell&taste still lingers on…

https://lokalhistoriewiki.no/index.php/Parkgata_18_(Troms%C3%B8)

Marit Bockelie, one of my favourite artists (especially her mosaics), in this area was a neighbour when we lived in Nesøya in the 1970s, I think she still lives there part-time. Her first mosaic in Tromsø is hung@the Department of Meteorological Institute and she titled it Tor With The Hammer Over Tromsø. Her heaviest work is The Gyllenborg-Hanen (Hen) weighs 2+tonnes and is almost 80sqM.

http://blogg.nordlys.no/yngve/kunst-i-1000-biter

There is more time on this trip to research for the above topics – or perhaps being here now for the moment inspires me to want to find out more.

The new port terminal Prostneset Terminal, a hub for land&sea travelers is also where the Tourist Info is now located. Odyssey for the Future is also docked here for now – lucky me to see this unusual floating vessel, have not heard about it until now.

http://www.energy-observer.org/actu/en/energy-observer-the-odyssey-for-the-future-north-objective/

Slow walk towards Stortorget to KystensMathus for lunch – first time being served with this tomato-based fishsoup, quite good but personal preference is still the cream-base NOK139 S$22. Grey clouds were stating to gather and took the lazy way back by taking the bus NOK19 S$3 up the hill and just as I opened the main door to the apt block, torrential downpours fell from the sky. A good nap in this perfect weather.

Tkx to Claire&Stein for this scrupulous kveita/halibut (caught by Stein) dinner and multe/cloudberry dessert (picked by Claire). What a treat.

Thu: no worries about any weather with all these books around and the sweet fragrance of these roses from Claire’s garden. Managed to book tickets from the USA-OSL flying from Charleston-JFK US$90 S$125 JFK–OSL NOK1,590 S$245, total S$370

Fri: TGIF and a good weekend to all from this breath-taking view this morning – had to wake myself fully to see that it is for real and not a dream!

Strolling around Prestvannet taking in all the blue sky when it is there, especially with the mountain profile of a nose named Store Blåmann or Blåmannen 1,044m 3,425ft. Was introduced to this mountain as Karl Johans Nesa (Nose) when I first stepped foot in TOS in 1968 and since then, my relationship with this nose is similar to how Caesar was to Cleopatra’ s nose! Every time when I am back here, can never get enough of it.

If Cleopatra’s nose had been shorter, the whole face of the earth would have changed – Blaise Pascal

The paths taken@any Y-junctions have been and hopefully still be an adventure, especially when you meet a polar-bear who can forecast the weather!

Thank you to Laila&Morten for their graciousness for showing Claire&Stein how they have converted a small farm Småslett. to a country house, one of the most charming&idyllic summer places I have been.