Aspevågen in hard wind

The central part of the harbor basin in Ålesund; Aspevågen, Steinvågen and Buholmstranda, is heavily polluted according to environmental officials. The cod-fishing is suspended due to this and cod-fatigue facts, but tons of "Borgundfjording"-cod (Møretorsk) have been served for dinners in Ålesund as a Norwegian delicacy in many many years. When I was a boy my mother went down to the quay and asked for cod. The fishermen just threw a large fish to her, asked for her own weighting and took 1 NOK per kilo. That was then.
My paintings today are not about codfish, but weather at sea and in the city with all the troubles umbrellas can create over the bridge connecting Aspøy and Nørvøy.
Take some minutes, see the youtube-video and listen to my old friend Knut Maaseide singing about Aalesund city´s Golden Gate

Breisundet and Eltrane Ålesund

At "Breisundet", south of Ålesund between Godøy and Hareidlandet you are forced out in the open sea. Power, wind and extreme depth variations can cause rough seas and difficult conditions in the waters. The sea go heavy and coarse, especially in western and north western wind. The outgoing flow from "Storfjorden" can be powerful at times, even though it normally remains at around one knots. The depth in Breisundet goes down to 300 meters.

I have made my painting from 2009 of Breisundet in stormy and rainy conditions. To the left you see the Eltrane at Sula island.

Godøya west of Ålesund

When you are at Molja (see post from Thursday) looking west you will see a large mountain-island: Godøy.
Far west on the island you can visit another lighthouse from 1876 at Alnes.The lighthouse is in operation and is accessible for tourists. It also houses an art gallery and a small historical museum.
Alnes is a small village in the municipality of Giske, Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. In 2006 its population was 205, but as the population dropped below 200 the next year, Alnes on Godøy is no longer counted as an urban settlement and its data no longer registered.

You can arrive Godøy and Alnes from Ålesund free of charge through 3 subsea tunnels (total length: 11492 meters) plus a bridge of 552 meters. When my girls was much younger I took them out there from Oslo (560 km away) in a heavy stormy weather, for the purpose to see the large waves and let them understand part of why I am as I am. Our ancestors on my mother mother side can be followed back to Torberg Arneson Giske (990 - 1050) and further back to Finnvid from Ønundarfjord, Iceland (850 -)

My winter-night moonshine painting is from 2007.

Molja Ålesund

Molja lighthouse is a 150 year-old lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour and Brosundet (the narrow stretch of water forming the inlet connecting the two wider areas of water north and south of Ålesund). Today the lighthouse also is part of Hotel Breisundet, and is known as Rom #47.
The interior of the lighthouse is completely round, only 3 meters in diameter, but through effective use of the available spaces, Molja now boasts a bedroom upstairs and a bathroom downstairs.
The interior design was carried out by Snøhetta, Norway's most well known architects (designers of Oslo Opera House and Ground Zero museum in New York City among many other landmark projects.) They have carefully achieved a wonderfully distinctive blend of modern facilities with historic and rustic interior.
The buildings of wood close to and behind the lighthouse was built before the city-fire in 1904. I have tried to make two expressions of this area through these paintings.

Naftadjupet Ålesund

I start my presentation of Ålesund-paintings by presenting "Naftadjupet" from 2002.

Naftadjupet or the Naphtha-depth is a part of Brosundet where some of my friends meet every Wednesday for chatting and coffee.

The history behind the Naftadjupet name is: When the whole city burned down in 1904, the local dispensing chemist was very agitated because he had to get rid of his naphtha supply due to the fire hazard it presented. And so he did, in a shower of sparks from the fire around him, he emptied it all into the water. His pharmacy was nonetheless destroyed by the fire.

Ålesund Fire

The Ålesund Fire happened in the Norwegian city Ålesund on 23 January 1904.The photo shows Ålesund in 1900 before the fire. The view is from the east looking west as seen from the city mountain Aksla.

The fire started a quarter past 2 AM at Aspøya, in the Aalesund Preserving Co.’s factory, which was located where Lower Strand Street 39 (Nedre Strandgate 39) is located today. It is actually stated that the fire started because a cow kicked a torch.
In spite of valiant efforts at suppression, the hard wind driven fire destroyed much of the town. In total, the fire destroyed nearly 850 houses, leaving approximately 230 houses remaining within the town borders.
Only one person was known to die. That was an old lady who went back into her house to get her purse.
Huge support and aid was provided to Ålesund both from within Norway and from abroad. The German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II had been a frequent visitor to the area and expressed a personal concern for the plight of the population. As a result, much of the international help was given from Germany, sent in Kaiser Wilhelm’s name. His first telegram was received while the fire was still being extinguished. He dispatched four ships loaded with personnel, food, medicine, materials for shelters and equipment.
The town was rebuilt in (at that time) contemporary Jugendstil (Art Nouveau). Modern historians have concluded that the fire was actually positive in terms of city development.

I have as many other "artists" born in the city of Ålesund, made some works expressing the spectacular motives to be found here and from the surrounding mountains and fjords. In the weeks to come I will give you some examples of these paintings.

HEDDA EMILIE DAVIDSDATTER BJØRKMANN BERRY

Yesterday our 4th grandchild was born. 13 weeks too early and with starting-weight of 647 grams will she have a challenging time ahead. So far she is doing well.
This is Trine and David´s third premature child, and we feel confident of a success-story once more.Her name is maybe the parents desire for continuing the Ibsen story, and this time referring to the stunning socialite Emilie Bardach: "Ibsen's unfulfilled longing for her was so great that it resulted in a decisive turning point in his work," accordingly accompanied by the creation of Hedda Gabler.
Helene: Helene Alving (Goasts) and Henrik Isak: Henrik (himself), being used previously.

HEDDA:
Meaning: Its source is hada wig, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Contention and strife." (Disagreement)

Languages: This girl's name is used in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish.

Nickname For: Hedvig (The wild duck)

EMILIE:
Meaning: Its source is Aemilius, a Latin name meaning "Eager."(Wanting to do or have something very much)
Popularity: The name Emilie ranked 460th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003
Narrative: Aemilius, a Roman family name, is also interpreted as ''laborious'' or ''rival.''
This name was used among ancient Christians in the Latinate feminine form Aemilia (the modern Italian form of the name). In time, it was altered to Emilia, then Emily.

I like the name very much.