DayTen 21st

Today the war (or Exercise Cold Response anyway) ended and we were leaving the ship.  After a short spot of action stations we gathered in the assembly area before making our way down to the vehicle deck to board one of the larger landing craft.  The plan was that we would take a 30-minute boat ride to a wharf where we would disembark and be met by busses to take as to the Aisgarden Army Camp on the outskirts of Harstad.  Unfortunately, there had been some miscommunication and the busses were actually at the area where the marines had been conducting their amphibious assaults and were about 50 minutes away.  Luckily for us the weather was good and the views stunning.  The area had quite a bit of snow around that was so light and fluffy that it would just blow away from your hand.  It turned out that 50 minutes in northern Norway is a little like 50 minutes in North Queensland so the waiting went well past the 50 minutes.  We were all starting to get a bit cold and the guy in charge of the evolution was starting to get a little concerned as the sun started to drop below a nearby peak.  I decided to warm up my toes by going for a walk along the road that ran around the fjord and was rewarded with some magnificent views. 

 The Dutch Ship ROTTERDAM

Finally a bus turned up but it turned out to be just the local bus. Luckily the real busses were only a minute or so behind and we were soon on our way to Harstad.

Harstad is a municipality in Troms, most of which is located on the island of Hinnøya.  The town was established as a municipality on 1 January 1904 with an initial population of only 1,246.  It now boasts some 23000 residents making it the third largest municipal centre in Northern Norway.  In recent years, a 3000-year-old bronze axe and a 2600-year-old bronze collar have been found on the Trondenes peninsula, just north of the city center.  These, together with the burial cairns built close to the sea, are indications of a well-developed Bronze Age culture in the Harstad area.  There is also substantial archeological evidence of a well-developed Iron Age culture in the area, around 200 AD.  Trondenes is mentioned in the Heimskringla as a power centre in the Viking Age and a place to meet and discuss important issues (Trondarting).

After sorting out rooms and having a quick sauna with three other naked blokes it was time to hop back on the bus and head into down town Harstad.  As soon as we got off the SO1s (Commander and LTCOLs) decided to make a surgical strike on the pizza place figuring that the staff wouldn’t be able to cope well with an influx of people on a Wednesday night.  This turned out to be a good call and we were feed and watered well before some of the others had even had a chance to order.  After a few beers in the bar next door it was back on the bus for the trip back to base.