Norway- North of the Arctic Circle

Approaching snowstorm north of Harstad

Somewhere between Harstad and Finnsnes- first sunrays at a quarter to ten on a very cold winter morning.

Seen at Bardu Bygdetun., a group of traditional farm buildings from the 1860s that are part of Midt -Troms Museum. Link in Norwegian: mtmu.no/museer/museumsanlegg/bardu-bygdetun Bardu Bygdetun ist eine Gruppe traditioneller Bauernhäuser aus den 1860er-Jahren, die zum Midt- Troms Museum gehören.

Eurasian lynx at Polar Park. This northernmost (or so they say) animal park only keeps native animals in very large enclosures. Apart from small huts the natural arctic environment has been left unchanged. If keepers wouldn't tempt the animals with food visitors would rarely see them. See inset for another take. HFF everybody!

Lynxes at Polar Park polarpark.no/HOME

polarpark.no/animals/?Article=27 HFF everybody!

Looking over Ofotfjorden towards Narvik.

Rising moon near Harstad at 8.49 a.m.! At the same time the sky in the east was very slowly turning red in an arctic dawn.... 1,7 steps underexposed, spot metering

Trondenes ist the northernmost medieval stone church in Norway and also the world's northernmost surviving medieval building. The current church was completed around 1434 and is richly decorated inside, boasting of 3 gothic triptychs (see inset photo). Two other churches were found to have been built at the same site, a stave church in the 11th century and a fortified church in the 12th century. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trondenes_Church Trondenes ist die nördlichste mitteralterliche Steinkirche Norwegens und das weltweit nördlichste erhaltene mittelalterliche Gebäude. Die bestehende Kirche wurde um 1434 fertiggestellt und ist berühmt für ihre prachtvolle Innenausstattung mit 3 gotischen Flügelaltären (s. PiP). Die Kirche hatte 2 Vorgängerbauten an gleicher Stelle, eine Stabkirche im 11. Jh und eine befestigte Wehrkirche im 12. Jh. www.nordnorge.com/de/?News=62

News on Ipernity team blog: www.ipernity.com/blog/team/4652240

MS Kong Harald, seen from MS Vesterålen. Every morning a southbound and a northbound Hurtigruten ship meet at Harstad.

On board MS Nordnorge in Harstad harbour- in the middle of a snow storm. The icicles consisted of frozen sea water.

Harstad harbour on a winter morning. Freight for MS Nordnorge is being loaded, the waiting cars went in last. HFF everybody!

Downtown Harstad at 8.30 in the morning. The snow plough has removed excess snow but that's it- no salt or grit on the roads...

Graffiti at Harstad harbour HFF everybody!