Online and Offline Trolls

 

Facebook have managed to put an end to my in the moment sharing by deciding my blog is somehow spam, clearly I have unintentionally breached some sort of guideline. No idea what, I'm a lot more sanitised in what I say online these days ... or they are just trolling me.

Not sure if bear with a sore head is he same as a troll with toothache but either way the next few days may see a bit of both take their toll or take their troll.  Lovely start to the day though with a full norwegian breakfast buffet to avail ourselves of, and no major rush on this western festival day.

Having given up a whole load of rubbish over the last few months I have given myself a week off starting today to enjoy some of the rubbish in my diet, and got most of it in over breakfast. Cheese, biscuits around the usual fare of omelettes and granola. Norway have some particular breakfast staples that I have quickly adopted, donuts, caramel short bread been all parr for the course. Mackerel less so but with the fishing trawlers outside, I had to get into the spirit.

We took a post breakfast constitutional to get our bearings, firstly unable to access the gym, and then taking a look at the nearby marina and seeing a museum or two that we may return to, and some random restaurants that may be worth a look in the spirit of eating nothing Norwegian when in Norway! Ethiopian anyone?

With the gym inaccessible it was a Tromso run to follow. As it was Easter we got into the spirit of it by making the goal of our run the Arctic Church on the other side of the harbour.  A very interesting bridge linking the 2 sides, bit of a big dipper, so some impromptu hill training. Chrissi needed the toilet so we paid to take a look at the church and had a moment or two of quiet contemplation. It was very modern, that's about all I have to offer on the subject.

Jogged on back to the hotel and decided to visit the nearby Troll museum. Now this was much more up my street with Nordic pantheons, legends and a smattering of virtual reality all making it a fusion of contemporary, tradition and absolute nonsense. I'll leave my reflections there, but was also reminded of some of the big names who have influences in trolls, faeiries, and the old gods of scandinavia; the playwright Ibsen and the composer Grieg, coming together nicely in Peer Gynt.  Got the music now well and truly rocking and rolling around in my head.

Feeling pretty tired, not sure why, but maybe a little run down, so took a breather before an evening out on the town.  Found a bar and watched a bit of Premier League football, a pharmacist to stock up on painkillers, and a pizzeria to down a couple of IPAs and devour a pizza, something else that is having a week off the banned list.

Back on myths and legends, there is talk it is a good night for Northern Lights so we are now staring out of the hotel window and hoping for the best. Think someone is trolling us, a bit like Facebook, which means the blogs are going to be a bit shorter, a little troll if you will, the Huldrefolk.  Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons all found this line of story telling a great influence, and elements have really resonated with the storyteller in me today.

So, for a number of reasons, not least Facebooks interruption, this will be a short story!