Trips with ESN

As described earlier, in Alta at the university, there is a student organization called ESN (Erasmus Student Network). This organization has organized different trips and activities for us throughout the semester. Below I will describe each trip. 

Alta Museum

Alta Museum, a very popular museum, it features all kinds of rock paintings. Those rock paintings are over thousand years old. Very impressive! We got a guided tour about the history and about how to read them, what do the different drawings and symbols mean? They have created all kinds of pathways along the trail of drawings, and you can get a booklet with a description of each wall full of drawings that they have numbered. In the museum are different exhibitions, and even small movies, and a restaurant is present. 

North Cape Adventure

We went in a big bus with a lot of internationals to the North Cape. On the way we spotted a lot of reindeers. It was very beautiful, but you are kind of looking out over the sea, fading into nothingness almost. Everything in the group picture went wrong: I was falling during the handstand, a girl falling over me, the guy in the back tripping over me, another one almost falling when catching me, someone climbing the globe and another person helping the person to climb the globe. It was much fun. Inside, there is a restaurant with great cakes and coffee, and downstairs there is a exhibition with a great movie about the North Cape all year round, in all seaons. On the way back, we stopped at Honnigsvag, a cute, small, harbour town. They have a lot of small boutiques, even a Sami shop, with all kinds of traditional and handmade Sami products. Loved this day!

Alta Canyon

We went by bus to a spot near a parking lot, which has a hiking trail towards the canyon. We went there with a group of approximately 40 people from school. It was a 20km hike in total, so to go to the canyon and back. It was so worth it, what a spectacular place and the views! It was very steep down the canyon, but you could see the Alta River flowing beneath the beautiful rocks. A truly amazing place. I am grateful that school made this happen!

Whale BBQ?!

Whale bbq, when I heard this is was amazed. I know whale is a traditional kind of meat in Norway, but to organize a whole bbq with it, did not expect that! It was very tasty actually. My whale steak was medium rare, and we even had some raw shashimi whale as welll. An experience on itself. 

Traditional Julebord 

The last activity organized by ESN. A traditional Julebord. Which is a traditional Norwegian Christmas table. All kinds of traditional food is served. From roasted potatoes, to lamb racks, to beef, and much more. Really interesting to experience the culture in this way, and that they took the time to organize this for us. Afterwards, we partied with all of us in the house and enjoyed the night. 

Photo gallery