We are venturing way out of my comfort zone this weekend. But also, in many ways, for me, this is the kernel of the Norway trip. Our family is journeying to my ancestral homeland in Langenes, Vesteralen, on Norway's northwestern coast, to meet relatives on both the paternal side (Larsens) and maternal side (Solbjorgs) of my Norwegian family. It's a pilgrimage my parents, brother and sister have all made. I have heard stories of this place my whole life, and it feels important to experience it.
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It's just that, my God, it's so far north. The 68th parallel north. If you look on a map of the United States - look at Alaska, and then look for Point Hope - the same latitude as Langenes. Tomorrow we're flying an hour and a half from Oslo (way south) to Bodø (straight up) to meet Dan where he'll just have completed a week of teaching. Then we find our rental car and load ourselves on a ferry (which only leaves 2x a day in the winter months) for a 3 hour trip to Moskenes in the Lofoten Islands. From there, we drive 2 hours north to Svolvaer and spend the night. The next morning, we wake up and drive another 2.5 hours to Myre where we will be meeting with Norwegian relatives in the afternoon and touring the area. The conditions are changeable, the route will be unfamiliar and remote, and we are making this trip in January. Adventure travel!
My great-great-great-grandparents, Lars Mikkelsen and Helene Hansdatter were born in Vang and Biri, towns just north of Oslo. Around 1872, my great-great-grandfather, Hans Larsen, a farmhand, moved hundreds of miles north to start a new life in Langenes. Tonight I talked with my Mom on the phone, and I asked her, why there? She couldn't tell me.
I understand fishing as a way of life, and I've lived through cold weather in Alaska, but... wow. I hope to learn more this weekend.
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