Havila Castor: Trondheim

 This morning at 9:45 the mail was delivered to Trondheim, Norway's 3rd largest city.  This seems so wrong to me.  I would have guessed that all the biggest cities would be huddled around the southern coast of the country.  Established by the Vikings in 997 it was the capital of Norway for 300 years. 

With the 24 hour clock, it is not 7-11

Us on the "Old Towne Bridge"

The Old Towne Bridge

By a wide margin the largest church in Norway is “The Church of Norway”.  It is a result of the Lutheran Reformation.  It is still the state church, but unlike in the past, it is no longer a part of the King's civil service.  Over the years more and more of the Church's secular responsibilities were peeled away and given to the civilian government and finally in 2017 the church became just an independent religious organization, though the king remains the titular head.  Trondheim Cathedral, Nidaros, is built over the burial site of King Olav II, who became the patron saint of the country.  Construction on the church began in 1070 and took 230 years to complete.  Sandy and I visited this remarkable cathedral while in port.  

Trondheim Cathedral, Nidaros

Trondheim has a population of around 180,000 people, 40,000 of whom are students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.  Because of this school and businesses partnering with it, Trondheim’s economy centers around its technology sector and aqua-agriculture.  Norway's number one export is oil from the North Sea and its number two export is farm raised salmon.

Norway is extremely tech driven.  Money is hardly ever exchanged.  I’ve a pocket full of Norwegian Kroner and have twice been told "we don’t take cash".  They even look at me as if I am a Neanderthal when I use my credit cards, almost everyone pays with apps on their iPhones.

bridge we went under