Week 31: Monday I had free. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I worked, mostly getting choral repertoire ready for the choir. Friday was a beautifully clear day. I decided to take a boat trip up to Træna, a group of islands north of here about 60 km (40 miles). The arctic circle intersects Træna. When I got off the boat I wasn’t really sure where to go, but I found out that Husøy (the main island of Træna) is so small you can’t get lost. The church, from 1773, was open and I walked in. Organ music filled the church. It turned out the organist was Chris with whom I had played a concert in June at Alstahaug Church. Chris is the director for Helgelands Chamber Choir and he was there for a wedding that took place later in the afternoon. Small world (on a small island). I walked up to the Petter Dass chapel, built in 1997. It was designed to look like an upside-down boat. The building is very small, maybe 50 or 60 can sit comfortably. The acoustics are great. The atmosphere is intimate. The artwork is beautiful. It’s a perfect place for contemplation and meditation. From the chapel I walked the short distance to the water tower, one of the highest points on Husøy. On a clear day you can see Sweden. (I couldn’t and probably wouldn’t know what to look for). On the island of Sanna there are spectacular caves and evidence of people living there 9000 years ago. I didn’t get there this time, but that’s on the agenda for the next trip. The weather held off until the boat trip back. About 8 pm it began to rain, but not steadily. I arrived back in Sandnessjøen about 10 pm.
On Saturday history was made at Tjøtta. The sogneprest (pastor of Tjøtta and Alstahaug parishes) married her partner. The civil ceremony took place at the Tjøtta parsonage. This is the first same-sex marriage at a parsonage in Norway. After the marriage ceremony everyone got on a boat and went to the island of Skålvær where the union was blessed in Skålvær Church. What I found moving was the welcome and support from the community. After the actual marriage ceremony a few cars passed celebrating the event by bearing Norwegian flags. When we arrived in Skålvær there were two welcoming boats with flags waving. The bishop in Bodø supports the sogneprest and the union, as do almost all of her colleagues. Norway is a very modern country, no longer a romanticized version of the land of our ancestors. It is gratifying to be in a civilized country, and to see history in the making.
On Sunday there were 4 baptisms at church so it was quite noisy. About 80 people attended. After church I went on a bike ride to Søvik, then by ferry over to Herøy, cycled to Dønna, and took the ferry back. In all about a 40 km trip.
As of 8 August the sun rose at 4:20 and set at 10 pm. It’s almost completely dark at 1 am.
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