Friday, December 31, 2010

December

The Christmas tree in the main library gives a warm and cosy feeling.

as well as in the windows of the houses of the local population. In Norway, David's star is much more popular than lightbows, which are widespread in Germany.

And now Christmas time approaches - one can see and feel it in the student villages

The city looks calm when covered by snow and the darkness of the night.

as well as the post box.

And even if it is dark, everything still looks beautiful. The simple house

And even the dogs wear high-visibility clothing or flashing lights.

People with high-visibility clothing and sticks.

But Norwegians know how to adapt to the winter conditions. One meets grandmothers with sledges in the street.


And sunset is in the early afternoon. Here, the way to university.


The days are becoming shorter and shorter. These sunrise pictures were taken on the 13th of December at 9:45.

And the accumulated snow then serves as basis for children to built great snow caves. A small boy disappeared in the hole in the middle of the hill just when I took the picture.


Norwegians are well-equipped for the snow-rich part of the year.

I always take pictures from this view throughout the year, so you can see how nature changes with the seasons...


And when it is dark, the ski slopes - here the ones behind Dragvoll campus - are illuminated.




Does cross-country skiing exist in Norway or is all up- and downhill? Anyway, it's great!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Winter in Norway - somehow special

Appropriate protection against cold wind during biking in winter

Trondheim city center - coated by snow



And in the evenings it is sometimes possible to see some astonishing plays of light in the sky - just like on the 21st of November.
Like a large ocean with countless ice floes in it and one circular light in the middle...



If time is available, you should go out with a friend to enjoy daylight, the beautiful flaky snow and some movement - like we did, the 20th of November (my second time crosscountry skiing, which is not really crosscountry here, since there are so many mountains)

Sun set is earlier and earlier

However, the ways that are for bikes and pedestrians only look fairly good right now. But this can also change to an ice cover.


Since the steet conditions are really bad in winter. Some streets are not maintained at all. At some places they spread sand or gravel (now I am not so sure any more what is worse: sand or salt...), the largest streets are salted. But nearly everywhere, there are thick ice covers. So, you should be prepared and well-equipped; or at least careful.


Something that is really helpful in winter here, are spikes for your bike or for your shoes.

Winter seems to have won

A hill behind the student village. You should see the children's slides! Amazing!

Going for a walk in the evening makes it possible to catch some nice impressions



One possible way to university by foot

Warm light in the white beauty
Some skulptures some 100 meters away from the student village


7.11.2010, and it seems to be getting more...

View from the kitchen window



6.11.2010, view from my window

Transition from autumn to winter


And nearby, some nice and typical Norwegian houses. I know at least one, who is interested in such pictures. ;-)


The first time that I saw salmon in nature! And so many of them. They seemed not to be scared by us humans.

GPS measurements



The river at low water level

Divers connected to the laptop to download data.

Pipes were installed to determine the fluctuation of water level. The rising and falling of the water level is caused by a water power plant in the catchment of the river. This power plant is shut down during day times of low consumption.
The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of the regularly changing water level on invertebrates, small fish and other animal living in the river bed.



Using liquid nitrogen that freezes during expansion, one small cylindric section of the ground was frozen to determine the grain size distribution.

And how do some students spend these last pre-winter days in November?
They go out to freeze the ground at the sides of a river bed...
And say that it is for scientific purposes. ;-)
No joke, it really was.

More and more trees become leafless...
But still, some sunny days remain

Days are becoming shorter...

The snow-covered mountains indicate that winter is not far.
This picture was taken the 28th of October.