Tour of Norway (Hemnes)

various Norwegian web-sites | May 3, 2005 | self

[franksolich]

Hemnes is a port city in the middle third of Norway, or about as high as the upper third of Alaska, on the globe; about 20 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

I am not sure the population of Hemnes proper, but the commune, township, county, whatever, has circa 4,500 people, or a little less than 5 people per square mile.



Some waterfall:









Some lake:







Some houses:



Some more houses:



Some church:





Correct me if I am wrong, but the kid is fairly representational of the Suomi (Lapplanders), right?

This looks like a perfect set-up for an electric train.

[franksolich]

Another in the series of "unknown Norway," brought to you by popular demand.

[franksolich]

Ping for the Norway ping list.



You know, "furniture making" must be very popular in Norway; just about every web-site I have read points out how this area or that area or this place or that other place excels in home-made furniture.

It must be a "rite of passage," for Norwegian males, much like First Communion or Bar Mitzvah or the driver's license or graduation from high school here in America--once a Norwegian lad has built a houseful of finely-crafted furniture, he joins the community of the adults.

Actually, not a bad thing; if I had a kid, I would rather he built furniture, than hang around with the wrong sorts of people, using drugs or getting girls in trouble.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

To hear of such craftsmanship is a true joy. I commend anyone who pursues the arts.

Thanks for the thread and the ping, once again.

[Purrcival]

Love the pictures - breathtaking scenery! The waterfall ranks among my favorites.

Furniture-making sounds like it would be fun. Have never tried it.

[franksolich]

Well, it must be a really popular hobby in Norway, making furniture.

One wonders why Sweden has IKEA, when apparently the best craftsmen are in Norway.

I've probably read 1500+ Norwegian web-sites, looking for pictures of Norway, and it does seem that just about every area of Norway, every town of Norway, boasts about its furniture.

My father and brothers all liked "woodworking," but I never acquired the patience myself.

[wizr]

Thanks for the beautiful photos. Looks like heaven, except for the short summers. I wonder if they have the mosquitos like Alaska?

[Quix]

Much agree about furniture and kids.

Beautiful pics.

THX.

[franksolich]

Hmmmm.

We'll have to find out from an authentic Norwegian actually in Norway, about the mosquitoes.

I was not aware Alaska had mosquitoes.

However, I do remember that the first and only summer I ever spent in Minnesota, the mosquitoes were thicker than air; probably because the 10,000+ lakes in that state are fertile breeding-grounds.

Tomorrow's (Wednesday's) tour of Norway, probably: Gamvik, another one of the best-kept secrets.

[kmiller1k]

Frank, I can't tell you how much I love these picture tours of Norway, thank you.

[XavierXray]

mosquitos?
Oh yes!
Oh Bloody heck yes!
but they don't swarm in large groups, however, if you fall asleep near a lake or fjord, you'll wake up itching in five different places (three of which you have no idea how they got into)

[XavierXray]

Pictures from my home town of Bergen
http://www.stpaul.no/bilder/bilberg.htm
How people from Bergen see their town:

How people from other parts of Bergen see the town:

[risk]

How well are your Norwegian firearms rights respected by the government? Can you own semi-automatic weapons without registering them? Can you conceal-carry? Can you own a fully-automatic weapon? Is it possible to find pistol, shotgun, and high-power rifle ranges within an hour of most urban centers?

Thanks in advance.

[risk]

Ping to #12.

[kassie]

These pictures are beautiful! Thanks.

[kassie]

Great pictures.

[Eurotwit]

I found this: A Brief Summary of Norwegian Gun Laws Revised: 1st October, 1998 This law affects all firearms, The Firearms Act paragraph 1: "A firearm is a weapon that by the use of a charge of gunpowder or by a mechanical device can shoot bullets, shot or other projectiles." The following fall outside the law and can be sold freely: air guns, harpoon guns, flare guns, starting pistols, humane killers, modern firearms that are permanently de-activated. Antique guns: rifles and shotguns manufactured prior to 1885, pistols manufactured prior to 1871 (these may be fired). To acquire any firearm in Norway you must obtain a "Permit to Acquire" from the police. This costs N.Kr.125 (ca. GB£12) per application. There is no upper limit on the number of firearms you can apply for. There is no set time on how long the application takes to process, but in my area 10 to 14 days is normal. With the permit in hand the gun can be purchased. The seller countersigns the form and returns it to the police. The gun is registered in the name of the purchaser and a Firearms Permit is issued and sent to the buyer after a few weeks. The original form acts as a temporary permit. The Firearms Permit is valid for the rest of that persons life. The police have a register of local gun owners. The permit must be shown when buying ammunition, and only ammunition in the calibre shown on the permit can be purchased. The permit must also be shown when buying primers and powder (gunpowder). To be considered for issuance of a permit the applicant must have "valid reason". Valid reasons include (but are not limited to): Hunting, Vermin Control, Target Shooting, Collecting, Self-Defence. A self-defence permit allows the person to carry a pistol concealed, but these are rarely granted. No type of firearm is banned in Norway, however the type of firearm you can own is dictated by the use to which it will be put: Hunting or Vermin Control: any shotgun and any rifle except military style semi-auto rifles. Target Shooting: any shotgun, rifle or pistol appropriate to the type of shooting. For example you wouldn't be granted a permit for a pistol if you were a member of a Skeet Club. Collecting: any type of firearm (including full-auto). In recent years collectors have been asked to define their "Area of Interest". A collector who has as an area of interest of "German Military Weapons 1890 - 1945" would be allowed to collect full-auto Schmeissers, Maxims, etc. A collector who has as an area of interest of "Winchester Rifles" would be limited to rifles from Winchester. Members of the armed forces (this also includes reservists and part-timers) are entitled to a permit for any gun, except full-auto. The minimum age for acquisition is: 18 years for rifles and shotguns (16 years with parental consent). 21 years for pistols. To acquire a rifle or shotgun for hunting you must first have passed the hunter safety course (Jegerprove). To acquire a rifle shotgun or pistol you must have been a member of a pistol club for six months, have shot at least 15 times (with the club's guns) and have passed a gun safety course. To gain collector status you must first have a collection (Catch 22 eh!). The collection could be of antique guns, or deactivated guns, or even militaria like uniforms or bayonets. When the collection exceeds 25 guns you have to install extra security at home, and the police have to approve this. Guns in a collection can be fired. Oh, and by the way silencers are available over the counter - no registration or anything. The use of a silencer is seen as an act of good neighbourliness. A gun acquired for one purpose can be used for other purposes (as long as it is legal). For example a collector could go hunting with one of his rifles, whilst a hunter could use her shotgun for shooting trap. You must provide secure storage for you gun at home. When the house is unoccupied the gun must be stored unloaded and locked up (or a vital part removed). The ammunition must be locked up separately from the gun. The police may inspect your storage and if they consider it inadequate make recommendations as to improving it. About one adult in eight possesses a registered firearm. There are large numbers of (legally) unregistered guns in addition to these. Somewhere between one household in three and one in four have a gun. The government supports target shooting with direct subsidies of millions of kroner each year. Large numbers of skilled riflemen are seen as beneficial to the nation's defence - the fullbore rifle association has some 200,000 members (Not bad for a country with 4.4 million population). Foreigners can visit Norway with guns and ammunition to participate in hunting and/or competitions. A visitors permit is issued. Apply beforehand at your local Norwegian embassy. They will need a letter from the person or shooting club that is inviting you. Unless you are royalty or a visiting head of state a visitors carry permit will not be issued! Foreigners moving to Norway with guns should alert customs beforehand. They are pretty laid back about shotguns and hunting rifles, and owners of these are often allowed to carry them through. Owners of other types of firearms may find that customs (or a local firearms dealer) hold these guns until the owner has joined an appropriate shooting club. If you have any other questions just ask. Andrew Walls Near the arctic circle Norway http://www.dvc.org.uk/~johnny/dunblane/andrew.html

[Eurotwit]

Let me try again:

A Brief Summary of Norwegian Gun Laws Revised: 1st October, 1998

This law affects all firearms, The Firearms Act paragraph 1:

"A firearm is a weapon that by the use of a charge of gunpowder or by a mechanical device can shoot bullets, shot or other projectiles." The following fall outside the law and can be sold freely: air guns, harpoon guns, flare guns, starting pistols, humane killers, modern firearms that are permanently de-activated. Antique guns: rifles and shotguns manufactured prior to 1885, pistols manufactured prior to 1871 (these may be fired).

To acquire any firearm in Norway you must obtain a "Permit to Acquire" from the police. This costs N.Kr.125 (ca. GB£12) per application. There is no upper limit on the number of firearms you can apply for. There is no set time on how long the application takes to process, but in my area 10 to 14 days is normal. With the permit in hand the gun can be purchased. The seller countersigns the form and returns it to the police. The gun is registered in the name of the purchaser and a Firearms Permit is issued and sent to the buyer after a few weeks. The original form acts as a temporary permit. The Firearms Permit is valid for the rest of that persons life. The police have a register of local gun owners. The permit must be shown when buying ammunition, and only ammunition in the calibre shown on the permit can be purchased. The permit must also be shown when buying primers and powder (gunpowder).

To be considered for issuance of a permit the applicant must have "valid reason". Valid reasons include (but are not limited to): Hunting, Vermin Control, Target Shooting, Collecting, Self-Defence. A self-defence permit allows the person to carry a pistol concealed, but these are rarely granted.

No type of firearm is banned in Norway, however the type of firearm you can own is dictated by the use to which it will be put:

Hunting or Vermin Control: any shotgun and any rifle except military style semi-auto rifles. Target Shooting: any shotgun, rifle or pistol appropriate to the type of shooting. For example you wouldn't be granted a permit for a pistol if you were a member of a Skeet Club. Collecting: any type of firearm (including full-auto). In recent years collectors have been asked to define their "Area of Interest". A collector who has as an area of interest of "German Military Weapons 1890 - 1945" would be allowed to collect full-auto Schmeissers, Maxims, etc. A collector who has as an area of interest of "Winchester Rifles" would be limited to rifles from Winchester. Members of the armed forces (this also includes reservists and part-timers) are entitled to a permit for any gun, except full-auto.

The minimum age for acquisition is: 18 years for rifles and shotguns (16 years with parental consent). 21 years for pistols. To acquire a rifle or shotgun for hunting you must first have passed the hunter safety course (Jegerprove).

To acquire a rifle shotgun or pistol you must have been a member of a pistol club for six months, have shot at least 15 times (with the club's guns) and have passed a gun safety course.

To gain collector status you must first have a collection (Catch 22 eh!). The collection could be of antique guns, or deactivated guns, or even militaria like uniforms or bayonets. When the collection exceeds 25 guns you have to install extra security at home, and the police have to approve this. Guns in a collection can be fired.

Oh, and by the way silencers are available over the counter - no registration or anything. The use of a silencer is seen as an act of good neighbourliness.

A gun acquired for one purpose can be used for other purposes (as long as it is legal). For example a collector could go hunting with one of his rifles, whilst a hunter could use her shotgun for shooting trap.

You must provide secure storage for you gun at home. When the house is unoccupied the gun must be stored unloaded and locked up (or a vital part removed). The ammunition must be locked up separately from the gun. The police may inspect your storage and if they consider it inadequate make recommendations as to improving it.

About one adult in eight possesses a registered firearm. There are large numbers of (legally) unregistered guns in addition to these. Somewhere between one household in three and one in four have a gun. The government supports target shooting with direct subsidies of millions of kroner each year. Large numbers of skilled riflemen are seen as beneficial to the nation's defence - the fullbore rifle association has some 200,000 members (Not bad for a country with 4.4 million population).

Foreigners can visit Norway with guns and ammunition to participate in hunting and/or competitions. A visitors permit is issued. Apply beforehand at your local Norwegian embassy. They will need a letter from the person or shooting club that is inviting you. Unless you are royalty or a visiting head of state a visitors carry permit will not be issued!

Foreigners moving to Norway with guns should alert customs beforehand. They are pretty laid back about shotguns and hunting rifles, and owners of these are often allowed to carry them through. Owners of other types of firearms may find that customs (or a local firearms dealer) hold these guns until the owner has joined an appropriate shooting club.

If you have any other questions just ask.

Andrew Walls Near the arctic circle Norway

http://www.dvc.org.uk/~johnny/dunblane/andrew.html

[risk]

Not too bad. Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer, and Diane Feinstein wouldn't approve.

[risk]

Thanks again.

[Eurotwit]

No worries.

Looks like there are some "gun nuts" in Norway as well :-)

http://members.cox.net/7.62x51mm/frames.html



Cheers.