BTW the “g” in Stavanger is hard.

Oh my temperature is going to be between 23-25C. Actually by the time we left to get back on the ship, I was perspiring.

What I gleaned from a talk on board… 5.5M population. Only country in Europe on the Arctic Ocean. It is also on the Norwegian and Barents Seas. Ranks 9th in the world for aquaculture. One of only 3 countries that still are into hunting whales (Minke). 13th largest in production of oil. …..but are managing the supply so that it lasts longer. Almost 1200 fjords in Norway. One is 5000 deep. Fjords are only found in the extreme latitudes of the world both north and south because they are glacier formed. Strange but here are cold water corals in the waters. Lumpfish are used in fish farms to eat the fish lice. The Arctic Ocean is only Ice covered ocean surrounded by land…the reverse of the rest of other oceans. Because of the decrease of ice cover, fish are moving north and so is fishing fleets.

Our tour today is “Panoramic Stavanger”.

Oil capital of Europe. 150,000 people in Stavanger so it quite large, larger than any other place we’ve been. Oil profits/taxes are used for education and health care. It is free except for cosmetic surgery and education except kindergarten, not for building monumental buildings. 5-7% of cars are electric. On toll roads there is no charge for electric vehicles. No charge for camping on the lake in summer or for ice skating in winter.

Hapsfjord where we stopped, people swimming. That’s where the 3 erect pillars were. When asked if the e-scooters that you see along on the sidewalks were free, our guide said nothing in Norway is free.

After 1969…American Phillips company found oil. Share seabed continental shelf with Great Britain. Taxation is quite high. Biggest oil fund in world with a value of $250,000 per person. People go home for lunch to be with family. 35 hour work week. The pandemic made Norway aware that they are short of hospitals so are building…. Something we should be doing. Roads and bridges are quite narrow to try to protect nature by not encroaching too much. To get a driver’s licence along with lessons for young beginner drivers, it coast $7500. BTW all figures quoted are US$ equivalents.

100% of electricity is from hydro power. After beginning American interest in the oil industry, the rights and freedoms were made into law. Only 6% of land is useable for agriculture. Except potatoes and corn along with berries are all imported. Dairy and meats aren’t imported.

Next stop @ 130 meters high is the highest point in Stavanger…. Is where all the communications towers are.

All roofs seem to be corrugated metal or clay tile.

There is a 32% tax on income plus alcohol is also taxed. Alcohol is not to be sold on weekends or after 7pm during week.

Beautiful artificial lake in the middle of the city was built 120 years ago but is now just kept filled by the 220 days of rain/year.

The population of Norway is 5.5 million but there are 7 million Norwegians in US. Everyone gets the same salary with wages being approx. $16 /hour. I don’t how they can live on that when a burger and fries at one of the seaside eateries cost 325 kroners or $48 CAD. Ouch!