Downtown Rødøy
A friend of ours in New York City wanted to come and visit us next summer. Because she needed to use airline miles that were expiring, I spent some time a few days ago talking her through travel, logistics, and the environment here. I don’t remember in what context, but she at one point used the phrase “downtown Rødøy”, which was a good laugh.
Downtown New York City
There is the conventional definition of downtown, which is the center of a city, town, village, etc. In New York City, which is so big, downtown means something totally different: it means the part of the city in the south. Uptown and midtown refer to areas further north, but no less central. Central Park is in fact in midtown.
So I explained to my friend that in Rødøy, downtown probably means a single building that houses the general store, doctor’s office, post office, and Saturday cafe. (Saturday cafe is not some fancy name – it really is a cafe that opens for a few hours every Saturday, and half of people on the island stop by.)
Today, I hiked up to a peak not as high as Rødøyløva but closer to civilization. When I looked down, there it was. Downtown Rødøy! If I don’t go hiking or fishing, or buy fish from Steinar, I probably don’t need to leave this picture. Yet another definition of downtown: an area where you can get to all the necessities. The graveyard is conveniently located next to the nursing home.
On a different note, October is now done and spoken for. I uploaded a few more photos to polish up the month photographically. You can see them in the photo gallery here.
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You really are right in the heart of it. That’s an awesome little hamlet. You’ve got a pub, a swimming pool, a cafe, and a place to buy fish. What more do you need, really? If there’s a sauna there to warm up in after swimming in the freezing water, you can sign me up right now…
We have a sauna in our house…
PS: I forgot to mention, I’m posting your photo on the wall of my office, so I can publicize your exploits to my co-workers. Every so often, there’s a descendant of a member of the Nansen expeditions who comes around here (actually a descendant of the captain of the Fram), so I like to update him with tales from the Chinese-American-Norwegian adventurers.
I’ve been to the Fram museum in Oslo. Good stuff.
This island is barely in the arctic circle — which ostensibly qualifies it as arctic, and it’s right in the middle of the gulf stream. It’s been warmer here than Boston the last few weeks! It’s not quite the polar regions that Nansen explored, despite how much I want to be called an arctic explorer.
This is hilarious. Great post Winston.
You have a swimming pool on the island? Are you hiding tennis courts too?
No tennis court, but the bright green patch you see next to the school? That’s an astro-turf soccer field.
A cemetery close to the nursery home… very practical indeed. Elderly Spaniards would kick out of the country anyone suggesting it.
There have been two funerals since we came to the island. I also like fact that the kindergarten is so close to the nursing home. A hundred meters from cradle to grave.
And not too far from the pub I see 😉
Unfortunately, the pub is open on Saturdays and Sundays only…