Kristiansand, Norway

 Kristiansand, Norway                                                                                 Sunday, May 15, 2022

               Because we were scheduled to dock at noon and were still sailing till then, we were able to have our interdenominational worship service at 9:00.  It’s become a family event, I believe, as Jesus always hopes.  Opening prayer, announcements, hymn, Gospel, prayers of the people, Lord’s Prayer, benediction, and sending.  Familiar and comforting.  The best.

Artwork is found everywhere!
Even on manhole covers!



Wooden houses painted white looked like white wooden houses.  When that is listed as a thing to see in a town you do have to wonder a little bit.


               Did you know that Norway once belonged to Denmark?  Then to Sweden?  Now it’s one of the richest countries in the world.  We noticed that as we walked around and saw the cars parked on the streets: BMWs, Mercedes, etc.

               Today is Jerry’s first time to land in Norway.  Tomorrow we go to Oslo, so we’re saving energy for tomorrow.  Today, we decided to walk around the town ourselves even though most of the town was closed.  It’s labeled a seaside resort, a summer destination.  Today, the sun blessed us, kept the temps near 62ish, and we found ourselves basking in a Sunday morning with a whole lot of locals who were celebrating Sunday and spring.  Trees were blooming, tulips were trumpeting, peony bushes were resplendent, perennials in parks sparkled, ice cream shops had long lines of customers, the cathedral was still open so that we could take photos, and we found the blocks upon blocks of wooden houses painted white. These houses are in the Posebyen Quarters and are the largest collection of low, wooden homes in Northern Europe.  I was reminded of Okoboji.

Locals out for a stroll - most in short sleeves and shorts - most of the ship was in multiple layers.

Architecture is often interesting - seems to be a thing in Europe (along with churches and opera houses)



Church organ (also a thing in Europe apparently)


The "Concert Hall", not "Opera House"

               Wikipedia says that the Kristiansand area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In 1996, the well-preserved skeleton of a woman dating to approximately 6500 BC was discovered in Søgne in western Kristiansand.  In 1600s, it was heavily fortified and became a garrison.  After the American Revolutionary War, it became a shipbuilding port and flourished.  Kristiansand is strategically located on the Skagerrak, and until the opening of the Kiel Canal between the North Sea and the Baltic was very important militarily and geopolitically.

Old fort that now sits empty. Swans are also quite prolific - seen often at most stops currently.

               We walked the circle back to the ship and took artistic photos of a stack of three shipping containers.  A novel use of context.

There is an excess of shipping containers - So, why not use them to create an access point with a perk of having it a piece of artwork. 
Below the bottom container has an entry



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