Ultima Thule much browsed in New Zealand

The blog visit map, now by the end of January, shows strong incoming from New Zealand - I can't even see the islands under the blue pins!

Invercargill, Christchurch, Nelson, NewPlymouth, Napier...
A complete coverage !

I published in Ultima Thule two posts concerning New Zealand: Dunedin and Invercargill, two precious historic towns, at the southernmost latitudes of South Island.

Thanks for visiting !

Lyngseidet,a tiny beauty on the Lyngenfjord

I 'discovered' Lyngseidet because a high number of visitors from the village were registered here at the blog meter.
I wondered why so many people browsed Ultima Thule from that hidden small village of less than 1000. But it is, indeed, a lovely little village.

Lyngseidet is located on the Norwegian coast, deep into the Lyngenfjord and far above the Arctic Circle.

The settlement sits on an isthmus that is about 3 km wide between an arm of the Ullsfjord and the Lyngenfjord.

View from the fjord.

The small center around the ferry pier includes the church (down, left), the old bakery (center), the library, the post and grocery (red building, right), and the Strandveien coastal street bordering the fjord down to the Sorheim Brygge lodges. Small but friendly.

Lyngseidet is 500 km north of the arctic circle.

Coordinates: 69° 34′ N, 20° 13′ W
Population:  ~ 1000

On the old quay, some rorbuer (red cabins) still face the fjord - they are now tourist lodgings.

The village is still home to a bank, the ferry company, municipal offices, primary school and kindergarten

Arriving.

This wooden house presently offers tourist accomodation.

The 'old centre' is composed of just two wooden buildings, the Rossgården estate and the old bakery.

The bakery (right) dates back to the 19th century; it was usually the first shop to open in a new settlement. The ochre house is probably the oldest structure in Lyngseidet, with wood-panelled walls typical of the era.

The bakery was declared a listed building in 1982.

Rossgården, one of the best houses in town, a residence built also in the 19th century.

Lyngseidet has some importance as administrative centre of the municipality of Lyngen, in the Tromsø region of Norway. The municipality was established in 1838.

Sørheim Brygge (quay, pier), rorbuer lodging at Strandveien

Lyngen Church

The building of the current Lynge Church started in the 1100s. The choir and the vestry were added in the period 1375-1450, and later the porch, by 1500. The original church site was the neighbouring fishing hamlet of Oldervik.

The church tower was originally built in half-timbering, which gradually fell into disrepair, and the current tower was built in 1723.

Lingseidet has two high seasons - fishing season, in summer, and the snow season in early spring.

Sørheim Brygge in early spring.

The municipality has its own shipping company, operating the car ferries mainly to Tromsø and connecting with other fjord harbors around.

The Lyngen peninsula is a very scenic and mountainous area, known as the Lyngen Alps. The highest peak is the Jiehkkevárri, reaching 1 833 metres.

Taking a road to (from) Lyngseidet surely grants you the most magnificent views.

The alpine region around Lyngseidet is excellent for winter sports.

Fastdalstinden, the mountain nearby Lyngseidet.

White Heaven at high speed.

The Lewis Chessmen - the oldest northern chess game

The Lewis Chessmen are a group of 12th-century (1150-1200) chess pieces, most of which are carved in walrus ivory, from 3.5 to 10 cm high.

Discovered in 1831 on a sand bank at Uig Bay, on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, they are a rare complete medieval chess set.

Uig Bay, on the west coast of Lewis.

Most of  the set is owned and usually exhibited by the British Museum in London; 11 pieces belong to the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, and other 6 will be displayed at the new Museum installed at Lewes Castle in Stornoway.

Lewes Castle, Stornoway.

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, 58º N

The chessmen were probably made in the 12th century in Trondheim, Norway, at 63º N, not far from the Arctic Circle ! By the time, the Outer Hebrides were ruled by the Viking christian kingdom of Norway.

Some similar pieces carved in walrus ivory can be seen at the fabulous Nidaros cathedral in Trondheim, which was started at the 11th century. By the time, wealthy trader families living in the town were able to pay craftsmen for high-quality chess pieces.

The chess game had been introduced in Europe by 900-1000 AD, brought from India (Persia ?) by Arab merchants.

These Viking Chess figures recall the berserkr warriors of the Norse sagas.

The fierce Norse knight.

It's commonly believed that the Lewis Chessmen were hidden (or lost) after some accident occurred during their transport from Norway to some wealthy Norse town. They were enclosed in a stone cist on a dune, so it seems likely they were buried for safe keeping. The large number of pieces and their lack of wear may suggest that they were the stock of a trader.

The pieces are elaborately worked in the forms of seated kings (8) and queens (8), bishops, knights on their mounts, standing warders, and pawns shaped like obelisks.

The Queen.

Queen's back.

The 'bishop' was a christian version of the original indian 'elephant'. Later the Arabs changed it to "camel" (alfil), but their pieces had to be non-figurative, so the alfil was a cone with beak-shaped sideways like two bosses.

In Europe, the alfil word was transformed to foul ('fou', in France), and the camel became bishop in anglo-saxon languages because of its mitre-like shape.

More:
http://www.messagetoeagle.com/mystery-beautiful-viking-uig-chessmen-found-isle-lewis-scotland/

400 000 - this solstice deserves a feast !

This Winter Solstice, I am reaching - or have reached by now - 400 000 visits to Ultima Thule ! That is a medium-size city already, and though it took over 5 years to come to this, I am celebrating the pretty round number. So many voyages done here to remote ice-covered territories !

Some maps tell the story behind the numbers. This one, from February 2013, shows readers from the Arctic and the Far North:

From Inuvik to Khabarovsk, through Pond Inlet, Tasiilaq, Mo-I-Rana... all of them places I wrote about here. Hello there !

Have a nice Christmas, thanks for being part of my

Red-orange Christmas stars decorate the Greenlandic windows

Greenland celebrates the Holidays with a particular joy: as the polar night reaches its almost 24h long duration, a feast of lights, community singing and gourmet eating is a welcome break. The trees are lightened up, and at the windows shines a star, generally of orange or reddish color, cheering up in the darkness.

The Christmas tree was enlightened at Nuuk in the presence of a small croud. It's a very special happening in the December arctic nights.

At Sisimiut, above the Arctic Circle (66ºN), the whole town was present, some 6000.

There is some degree of competition - who has the most beautifully shinning star ? - even though a unique model is the most commonly found.

Kamgan Ukudigaa                             Happy Holidays
Quyanaghhalek Kuusmemi               Merry Christmas