FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 (Telemark to Oslo)
We were up early and headed to Rjukan, a town in a very steep and beautiful mountain gorge, for a tour of the Vemork power plant which was the world's largest when completed in 1911 with a capacity of 145,000 hp. The power plant is cast in concrete and clad with chiseled granite; it now serves as a museum. The hall where the turbines are situated is about 50’ high, very long (maybe 500’), and narrow. A hydrogen (fertilizer) factory was built in front of the station and the factory was taken over by the Germans in WWII to produce "heavy water". Heavy water had been discovered in 1933 in the U.S.A. and it is so named because .02% of water molecules are actually deuterium, an isotope that contains an extra neutron. Heavy water weighs 10% more than normal water, boils at 1.4° C higher and freezes at 4° C higher than normal water. These properties make heavy water able to stabilize nuclear fission reactions, thus making it invaluable in the production of the atomic bomb. All available stock of heavy water in the world (including that used by the U.S.) was produced at Rjukan.
We were up early and headed to Rjukan, a town in a very steep and beautiful mountain gorge, for a tour of the Vemork power plant which was the world's largest when completed in 1911 with a capacity of 145,000 hp. The power plant is cast in concrete and clad with chiseled granite; it now serves as a museum. The hall where the turbines are situated is about 50’ high, very long (maybe 500’), and narrow. A hydrogen (fertilizer) factory was built in front of the station and the factory was taken over by the Germans in WWII to produce "heavy water". Heavy water had been discovered in 1933 in the U.S.A. and it is so named because .02% of water molecules are actually deuterium, an isotope that contains an extra neutron. Heavy water weighs 10% more than normal water, boils at 1.4° C higher and freezes at 4° C higher than normal water. These properties make heavy water able to stabilize nuclear fission reactions, thus making it invaluable in the production of the atomic bomb. All available stock of heavy water in the world (including that used by the U.S.) was produced at Rjukan.
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| Vemork Power Plant |
During the War, the Norwegian Resistance in concert with the Allies mounted a sabotage effort against the plant. Specially trained British saboteurs sent to assist the four Norwegian advance team members were killed when one glider and its tow plane crashed into a mountainside, while the other glider crashed on landing and survivors were shot by Germans. The four Norwegians waited during a cold winter on the Hardanger Plateau for more assistance. Another group of British saboteurs was sent but they parachuted into a blizzard on Hardanger Plateau and had a long march to their intended landing site. Eventually, all met up and made the trek to the plant after descending the very steep mountainside and crossing a steep narrow gorge in front of the plant. The team was successful in largely destroying the plant the night of February 27-28, 1943. They skied back to Hardangervidda after which some went to neutral Sweden, with the rest staying and evading capture on the Plateau. The plant was quickly rebuilt by the Germans; however, after a bombing raid by 140 U.S. planes on November 16, 1943, during which 20 Norwegians were killed, the Germans decided they could not continue producing heavy water in Norway. A decision was made to move the heavy water by rail cars on a ferry to Germany. However, the Norwegian saboteurs got wind of the plan and planted a time bomb on the ferry, which blew up in the middle of Lake Tinnsjø, sinking in 1420’ of water. This effectively ended Germany's ability to produce the atom bomb before the U.S. did. After leaving Vemork, we drove through the village of Rjukan and along Lake Tinnsjø where we saw a “sister” ferry to the one that was blown up and the area of the lake where the ferry sank in 1944.
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| Rjukan Valley |
We continued our drive towards Oslo, stopping to see the Heddal Stave Church (Heddal Stavkyrkje), the largest of Norway's remaining medieval wooden churches. It is believed the church dates from 1242, but parts of the chancel date from 1147. The church was heavily restored in the 1950’s and is truly a beautiful structure. The walls had “rose” paintings dating from 1668 and a “Bishop’s Chair” dating from the 17th century was placed near the alter which dates from 1667. Those of you who have seen the stave church replica near Rapid City, SD and believe it is large, think much bigger to get the perspective of the Heddal church.
NOTE: After the trip, I learned that my great, great grandparents on my Grandmother Rayburn's side were married in the Heddal church in the early 1800's.
NOTE: After the trip, I learned that my great, great grandparents on my Grandmother Rayburn's side were married in the Heddal church in the early 1800's.
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| Heddal Stavkyrkje |
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| Heddal Stavkyrkje |
The countryside changed quite a lot the past two days as we left the rugged mountains with their gushing waterfalls and high meadows to lower hills that are more rolling and many lakes. We began seeing more tillable farmland, large barns, and, as we drew closer to the coast once again, more people.
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| Telemark to Oslo |
The day ended in Oslo with a drive up mount Holmenkollen to see the large modern ski jump and for dinner at a restaurant with a panoramic view of Oslo and Oslofjord. The restaurant has dedicated itself to remembering the assistance given by Sweden to the Norwegians during WWII—a nice gesture, I thought.
During the ride to the restaurant, our guide shared a bit of her favorite Norwegian drink called “Linne Aquavit” with us at a pull-off with a beautiful view of Oslo. It was “okay” but certainly not my “drink” of choice. The tour is definitely beginning to come to a close.
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| Our Guide--Adelheid Smitt |
FAST FACTS: You can camp wherever you want in Scandinavian countries because they have the “law of public accessibility”. You can hike on a farmer’s land but not through, for instance, the middle of a wheat field or other areas where a farmer’s crop would be damaged or destroyed. It is legal to camp on a farm without “permission”, but you cannot be in sight of the home. Because of these laws, they do not have “No Trespassing” signs in Scandinavia.
Municipalities have to provide homeschooling to children age six and under in Norway. School is free through university level and stipends are provided for transportation and books. Students have the same teacher in grades one through seven and English classes begin when children are age 10. (In Sweden, children have the same teacher in grades one through three and they change to another teacher for grades four through six.) They must go to school to age 16 and homeschooling is quite common in smaller communities.
