Changes in Latitudes

Right now I am on the fishing vessel "Kings Bay" for what will likely be my last mackerel survey. From next year I will be joining the North Sea herring survey, which runs approximatley the same time. Before heading out on this tokt, Idar, Pancho and I did some more building on the van for 6 hours one afternoon before driving our van south to Uskedalen for a music festival called Festidalen. Idar's sister, Ingrid, was singing in one of the bands (Moyka). By the time we hit the road we had boxed in the wheel wells and built a box where all the electrical would be placed. The previous weekend I had managed to find some couch cushions from IKEA that will be perfect for the pull out bed we plan to build. We slept on those on the floor of the van and and it was much more comfortable than our camping pads. We didn't hit the road til 10:30PM and that meant that we would have to take detours around the tunnels because of maintainence. That meant we also missed the last...

Last weekend felt very productive for the van build. We found a guy who would install our solar panel for us next week, bought some mattresses for our fold-out couch to build the bed based on those, and finished our walls! This week I have been working on boxing in the wheel wells so that they can be insulated, and then we will have the electrical system hidden within a bench that can double as storage. Idar will get help from one of our friends with the ceiling since I go on the boat on July 3rd. Very exciting stuff! Materials we used for the walls: 50 mm Glava insulation Spray foam insulation for the ribs in the ceiling (2 cans) Condensation barrier Duct tape 25 mm screws 6 mm plywood  The biggest concern is making sure that the insulation is waterproof, so we are really hoping that this duct tape does the trick. Most van builds we have seen are able to use Reflectix, a waterproof insulation material, but that is not easy to come by in Norway without ordering it o...

Work on the van has been slow, but we don't want to feel stressed with the project either. We want it to be fun! So far we have put in a new sub-floor on top of some insulation as well as one wall. Before we put up the other walls and ceiling, we have to wait to hear back from an electrician if they can put together the wiring for the lights, solar panels and leisure battery (needs to be done by a registered electrician according the the Road Authority). Nevertheless, we took the van on its first long-distance trip on Friday to Lillehammer for our trail race! On Wednesday and Thursday, I  went to Bergen's main music festival, Bergenfest. I missed out on Friday and Saturday due to the race, but I was not disappointed. My highlights included Bon Iver, Ryan Bingham, Moyka (fun fact: Idar's sister sings back up), The Tallest Man on Earth, Novo Amor, Charlie Cunningham and Barns Courtney. We already bought tickets for next year! Idar's sister, Ingrid (to the right...

On May 18th Idar and I purchased a 2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter which is to become our adventure van! The following weekend we did a bit of shopping for materials and have so far completed laying out the electrical (primarily lights and the fan), installed a fan, and put in insulation. We were only able to find Glava fiberglass insulation, and it was easy to work with. However, I found a damp spot near the sliding door, so we need to patch a hole and replace the insulation before putting panels on the walls. Luckily, it rains enough in Bergen lately that we were able to find this out before it got too late in the building process! Uffda. But after a bit of research, it seems like it should still be OK as long as we find all the holes to be patched up. There are a few restrictions in Norway with regards to how a vehicle is registered, and for us to change the registration of the van from cargo to camper, we have to make sure that the kitchen area is of a certain minimum size, as wel...

The 17th of May is Norway's constitution day and Idar threw together a breakfast for our friends in Bergen. The sun was out and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves! We took the bus downtown to see the parade and then came back up to our apartment to eat homemade sour cream porridge and pavlova and have a sing-a-long. Our neighbours upstairs enjoyed it from their balcony as well. Breakfast in the sun The two super Norwegians in their bunads Idar's birthday is the 18th, so it usually goes uncelebrated because most people are tired after partying hard on the 17th. But I managed to gather a small group of people for a surprise party at the lake where we like to walk with Pancho. Idar had no idea, and I think he really enjoyed it! At first, only one of his friends was there by the time we got to the lake, so since he was already a little suspicious he thought that would be it, but then gradually more people came and that was the bigger surprise. Her...

This Easter was spent mostly climbing on rock faces outdoors. I did my first outdoor climbing session with some coworkers the Tuesday before at a place called Telavåg where Pancho could join and run around in the grass while we were busy climbing. We brought a little grill and had dinner there after a few climbs. Before we knew it, we had been there for five hours! Arna, Sara and Adam..Pancho on his way to greet Adam down from his climb. A view from the top Sunset over Telavåg. That Saturday, Idar and I drove to Telavåg to climb with his cousin, Emil. Again, we spent the entire day climbing. After a bit of errands, getting our summer vacation booked, cuddling some lambs at our friend's farm, hanging out in hammocks with friends and another climbing trip on Turøy, by Wednesday we were restless to get out of town. So Idar called his grandma and let her know we would be driving down to visit for a few days. We packed quickly Thursday morning and drove a couple of...

On March 22nd I headed out on the annual blue whiting spawning survey west of Ireland. We headed right into a storm, but luckily it was the better end of the storm that the Viking Cruises ship got stuck in frather north. We have had trouble finding fish, so I guess that means the biomass estimates for this fish will be reduced. After two weeks of rough weather, we finally had some sunshine and calmer seas and I was able to enjoy some sunshine on the deck. Hopeful flock of gannets expecting some blue whiting. Pretty little deep sea creatures: three types of lantern fish and a squid After two weeks of bad weather, finally some sunshine. Other updates since my previous post... Pancho and I have added another person to our home. Idar moved in with us at the end of February. We see him on the weekends because he still works out on site from Monday to Thursday. We make the most of our long weekends and do lots of hiking and climbing. Idar has a colleague who lives in B...