70 DEGREES NORTH

It was time to leave the lovely Lofoten and journey even further north.
Our destination was Alta & to get there we needed to fly, so it was goodbye to the big car & hello airports.
With 4 hours between flights in Tromso, we had a golden opportunity to see a bit more of this northern town & we were very grateful that this time it wasn't raining.
Our first stop was the A-frame Arctic Cathedral which sat across the fjord from the central township, & was linked by a large bridge.

After paying 100 kroner ($20 Aus) we were rather disappointed with the interior.  The stained glass window was impressive, but we'd not been given any information about it or the artist, there were no information panels & that was it! Five minutes.

The walk across the bridge took 15 minutes & we appreciated the exercise after our early start & airport sitting.  A lot of the buildings in down town Tromso are made of wood panelling and painted pastel colours.  We were very surprised to see 3 Thai massage parlours within the first street block.... clearly a lot of stressed people here... must be the winters!!!

We may have been disappointed in the Arctic cathedral, but we were more than impressed with the North Northland Culture Museum.  This was a small but perfectly set out museum.  They focussed on what it was to live & be in 'the North'.  Small exhibition spaces dealt with people & place, both having artworks from various time periods & in a variety of styles.  There were 2 other exhibitions, one was clearly regularly changing & on a theme, currently that theme was surrealism.  The other exhibition was that of a single artist. 

This was where we were introduced to the exquisite work of Britta Marakatt-Labba, who is a textile artist.  She tells stories of her people through the slow combination of needle & thread, drawing wonderful portraits of Sami life.  The works were breathtaking & the photo above is a pitiful representation of the reality.

At the end of the exhibition there was an opportunity for viewers to make their mark on a stretched piece of linen, so of course... I did so!!

The museum clearly encouraged interaction, as they had set up a wonderful section of chalk board spanning 2 walls, where, before exiting the museum, we could contribute a visual representation of what we thought of as 'north'.  It was fun to have a go.

From one way of recording impressions & memories to another!
At last we were in Alta & our main goal in the less than 24 hours we had here, was to see the UNESCO protected rock art!
We were overwhelmed!
First, by the setting. The museum is set on a hill that rolls down to the very rocky water's edge of Altafjorden. In that space was a forested area & lots of wild flowers.  Looking out from the balcony of the museum, you would not believe that there was oodles of lovely rock art down there!

The art was carved into the rock face as much as 7000 years ago, with the oldest having been coloured with red paint at some stage, so that it could be seen.  We found the quantity of images here incredible.

Walking on well maintained boardwalks from section to section, we were to learn that this was a regular meeting place of ancient peoples, as rock art was made at different time periods.  There were changes in the way boats, animals & people were illustrated.
This walkway covered a 3 km circuit, leading us from the oldest to the more recent.

The most recent being 2000 years ago.  These were not painted red, which meant that we were now engaged in a treasure hunt to try & find what the accompanying booklet told us was there!  It was very interesting to have an afternoon in which the weather changed from clear & bright to quite cloudy in frequent succession. It was easier to see some images in one light than in the other, but even that varied depending on where the image was carved into the rock face.

 

These were also closer to the water's current level, so had been significantly eroded over time.  Never the less, there was plenty to see & we enjoyed every minute.

Inside the museum, there were a few exhibition areas which gave us a sense of the peoples who have valued this area over time.  This included a space that talked more about rock art in the broader region & had a few samples on display.  We had noticed whilst walking around the rock art, that within the spectrum of a given subject ie;deer images, there was a lot of variety. This subject was raised in the museum & is something that has interested scholars.  Even with the stick figure-like human images, some seemed to have added bits that gave them character!  The above stone is a good example of this.  It is known fondly as the 'Pippi' stone after Astrid Lundgren's wonderful storybook character, Pippi Longstocking.

I was pleased to FINALLY see something about the Sami culture. The exhibit was about mythological beliefs & this is a magic drum decorated with meaningful symbols.  We were interested to learn of the powerful symbolism of the reindeer in Sami culture.  It was a food source, but also associated with the sun.

 

 

 

It had been an  inspiring visit & our day wasn't done yet.  On arrival back in Alta centre, we went straight to the Northern lights Cathedral. 

After paying another 100 kroner entrance fee, we were delighted to given an informative pamphlet about the beautiful cathedral.  This made up for our disappointment in Tromso!!


On the outside, this Cathedral is even more interesting to see than the photo reveals.  It spirals up from the ground to point heaven ward & this sense of gazing up from where mere mortals dwell, was continued inside.

Immediately inside the door to the sanctuary is a concrete chamber, lined with seats & candelabras for contemplation & prayer.  This is the inside of the high rising cylinder & above our heads, a golden 'Jacob's' ladder led those prayers to heaven.
On the back of this wall are 12 panels of gold mosaic with symbols that represent the 12 apostles.  We were impressed with this, because it was a modern nod to the ancient rock art nearby.

Turning towards the alter was this vision.  LED lights are hidden behind those squiggly lines, which bring icicles to mind & behind it a window hides, letting light down on an upward facing golden Christ figure.
This really did make us want to sit & be present for a while.

When we went back outside, the cloud had become very dark & threatening & we were taken with the glow of the remaining light on the titanium shingles clothing the exterior of the building.  As we walked around the outside, the Cathedral went from a spiral to a tug boat, dragging the weight of the world behind it.