January 8 – Trondheim

Today we are in Trondheim, the third largest city in Norway.  We are taking the City Tour and Cathedral shore excursion. 

Sunrise was so late that we had photos of it as our tour was ending at around 10:00. 

We are taking a bus to go through the town and some of the neighborhoods. 

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More Trondheim
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First stop was the Nidaros Cathedral.  This cathedral was built over the burial site of King Olav II (Saint Olav).  The construction took from 1070 to 1300.  It was built as a Catholic Church.  However, in the 1500’s, during the Protestant Reformation, it became part of the Church of Norway.  It is the northernmost Medieval church in the world. 

King Olav is also known as Saint Olav as he converted Norway into a Christian nation.  He gave you a choice regarding conversion.  You could become a Christian or he would dispatch you with his axe.  Very effective. 

A statue on the façade shows King Olav holding an ax. 

The interior of the church is one of the most beautiful we have seen.  It is constructed of a wonderful, soft gray stone and isn’t as ornate as many churches we have seen.  The nave and transept soar on graceful columns and the windows are beautiful. 

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More Nidaros Cathedral
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Outside the church was an old cemetery.

The drive took us by the Old Town Bridge.

We stopped at a viewpoint high above the city.  The sun came out about that time…first we have seen since we arrived in Norway seven days ago. 

And it was still out when we got back to the harbor.

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More Trondheim
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It was still a bit sunny in places as we cruised out of the Trondheim fjord.