Post 107 26th January 2017, 1,000 Mile Challenge
We were due in at Alta for 10.00am. As a completely new location for me to visit and explore, with a lot of sightseeing to do, I did wonder how I would fit some ‘boot’ walking in.
However, I was on deck just after 7.00am as arrival in Alta seemed fairly imminent, even though it was not due until 10.00am. Despite sunrise being at 9.46am, there was some light with a strange redness. The ship was ahead of schedule.
Sunset was due at 1.34pm!
After 10.00am it was possible to get a shuttle bus from the ship into Alta, so I decided to have a walk around the town and seek out the The Northern Lights Cathedral Alta Church. A walk along the main street led to the Cathedral.
What a sight!
The concrete exterior with its titanium cladding was totally unique and unlike any other church or building I had ever seen before.
The interior altar wall is treated with a blue glaze to accentuate the figure of Christ. The entire room is made from concrete with massive oak floors, chairs and moulding; the walls have vertical moulding strips with LED lighting behind them. This provides a warm and healthy atmosphere and light with good acoustics.The figure of Christ is cast in bronze and placed on a bronze plinth.
The organ has 29 stops and approximately 1800 pipes.
Inside the “tower-room” is a 7.5 metre high gilded Jacob’s Ladder.
The outside of the tower has 12 gold plated refiefs, one for each of the 12 disciples. The symbols have been deliberately simplified into nearly iconographic signs.
This breathtaking church was consecrated on the 10th February 2013.
Leaving the church I had time to to do a snow star in about four feet of snow. Two problems – it was quite hard and crusty on the top and at my age it was somewhat difficult standing up again! See slideshow:
I was also able to say hello to Kristian Birkeland whose theories of atmospheric electric currents elucidated the nature of the aurora borealis, The Northern Lights.
It was then a quick dash back to the bus and ship along snow covered paths and roads for lunch.
Miles Walked (with boots and microspikes) 1
secretwalkscom 