The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-08-28
NORWAY A QUAINT LAND
WITH STRIKING SCENERY
BY PAUL PRY.

Cbristiania, August 1--WE finished our
cruise to the North cape at Trondhjem,
one of the Oldest cities in Norway. 1t was
formerly the capital of the Kingdom, and
since the days /of Olaf Trygeresson, the
kings of Norway have been crowned in
the cathedral, which is one of the finest
In the north. King Olaf in the tenth CEN
fury first introduced Christianity into
Norway, and for many years during the
middle ages, pilgrims from all over Eu-
rope laid their gold and jewels before the
shrine which contained In reliquary the
body of Saint Olaf.
Recent writer's have done much to
arouse interest In Norway, and possibly
no one has written with truer concep-
ton than Marie Corelli in Thelma. Here
she gives the very spirit Of the old
Norsemen, and writes in a tenderly beau
tiful way of their warrior gods, Thor
and Odin, OF the Valkyries and Valhalla,
and the many myths and legends which
add so much Of the picturesque.
The cathedral is being fully restored In
the original style and is a magnificent
structure. We happened to be fortunate
enough to witness a marrage-not in high
life, but of the peasant class, which
made 1t all the more interesting. The
bride was evidently as concerned about
the proper appearance of her peculiar lit-
tie artificial wreath of leaves and berries
which adorned her brow as one OF our
own brides could ever be of her veil and
orange blossoms. A touch of nature, you
know as the poet says, makes all the
world akin; and how alike we all are.
Very slight differences in the mere con-
xentiOnalitieS of a life Is all.
Norway is called the "Fatherland of
Drizzle," and 1t is said If man did not
carry an umbrella the horses would shy
at him. So we had the conventional
shower and drove out to the beautiful
Lerfos waterfall in a misty rain 1t Is
not as large as Niagara, but very beanti-
full. We have laughed many times since
over the trouble we took to see Lerfos in
view Of the fact that we saw hundreds of
waterfalls afterwards as beautiful. But
tourists abroad have such provoking
way of asking you when you meet, Tor
instance: Ibid you drive out to the Ler-
fos WATERFALL" and If you are indiscreet
enough to say no. you may depend up
on them saying next, "Oh, that Is too
bad for Lerfos is the finest waterfall In
Norway" l guess 1t Is only human ma
ture but it's very aggravating.
After few days coaching we saw so
many waterfalls that any one who men
toned waterfall was fined "ten ore"
Our next stop was at Bergen, and this
Is the most interesting city in Norway on
account of its position In the Hansa
league. The quaintest part of the town
Is the "Tyskebryggen," or German quay.
with It's long row of old warehouses, rel
les of the Hanseatic period. Bergen was
one of the strongest cities of the Hansa,
and there were about four thousand Ger
mans stationed in Bergen. One of the
original old buildings is now a museum,
and is most interesting. The little Of
flee is Just the same as when the Hansa
merchants held dominant sway there. The
curious little hunks, one above the other,
arranged like steamer berths snug and
cozy; the many implements of daily use
during the fifteenth century and the
weights for buying, and those nearby
quiet districts for selling" notwith-
standing the fact that at the head of
the page in their big business ledger we
read. In the name Of Jesus, Amen"