Part I: Seals teeth and whales ears - Scott Polar Research Institute ...

the north. Lots of gaily-coloured little summer houses perched in the most
impossible places and each with a stone or wooden jetty and one or two boats. It
was dead calm and our wash disturbed the reflections. We got into Oslo at 6 am.,
and I left the ship at 8.0 am., and took a taxi to the hotel expecting it to be in the
city but it was right up in the woods near Holmenkollen - a lovely situation.
On Monday I called on Professor Ruud, who I had met at the IWC Scientific
Committee meeting in London, and we talked most of the morning and then Age
Jonsgard a very nice chap, who I later got to know quite well, took over as Ruud
had other business. We visited Framhuset and Kon Tiki and saw the
Folkemuseum, where we lunched. Mr Moe, whom I had also met at the Scientific
Committee, came with us, and we enjoyed ourselves. Afterwards I went out to
Jonsgard's home in the suburbs and spent a very pleasant evening sitting out in
the garden. I got back to Vettakollen at 11.30 pm. On Tuesday I was up at 6.30 am.
to go to Sandefjord with Jonsgard first by train to Tonsberg (in Vestfold). We had
breakfast on the train and at Tonsberg met the curator of the whaling museum,
Mr. Bakken and had coffee at a saeter in the hills behind. Vestfold is a very lovely
district - rolling hills, fields and trees and many very well kept farms.
In bright sunshine we drove to the Sandefjord whaling museum (which
included an elephant seal 20 ft. long!) where I met Vangstein; he was a very
important man because he was Director of the Association of Whaling Companies.
He took us to lunch at the private club of the whaling directors - a remarkably
luxurious place - and gave us a gourmet dinner which lasted from 3.30 pm. to 7.0
pm! We were to have taken the 7.0 pm. train back to Oslo but Vangstein sent us by
taxi - about 80 miles! It meant that we saw more of the country and also were able
to spend more time in Sandefjord. Vangstein took us to see everything: one of the
biggest whaling factories; some of the newest catchers and lastly to the top of a
mountain from which we had a wonderful view of the harbour. We got back to
my hotel at 11.30 pm. and I had to get up early to take the train north to
Andalsnes. It had been a very full and wonderful trip so far - every minute full of
new experiences.
The journey to Andalsnes was very interesting - 11 hours from Oslo through
the most beautiful country - especially the last part with the Trolltinden and
Romsdalhorn mountain ranges. I had a fine dinner - of three large boiled salmon
cutlets with boiled potatoes and peas on a silver platter. The following morning, I
was up at 05.30 am for breakfast before taking the 6.30 am. boat to Molde. It was a
fine morning with the sun lighting up the peaks as we chugged down the fjord,
leaving a V-shaped ripple on the calm water. As we rounded each headland a new
hamlet or village would appear.
Arriving at Molde at about 8 am. on 23 June I went along to the Alexander
Hotel where I expected to find a message from Steinshamn. But there was nothing
for me and the clerk told me that the next boat to Steinshavn was at 4.0 pm. So I
wandered round the town and had coffee and cakes at a konditori; back at the
hotel at 11.0 am. there was still no message and I discovered that there was no
boat until 11.30 am. next day. The hotel was full so I phoned Steinshamn and they
said they'd send a boat over to Hollingsholm - the nearest point on the mainland. I
was to take a taxi there and would be picked up at 3.30pm. I wandered around
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