N The Inquirer | SUNDAY, JULY24, 2016 |PHILLY.COM|A|

Theport town of Ålesund is a treasuretrove of art nouveau Forging beyond architecture. the fjords MICHAEL MILNE Norway’s breathtaking scenery attracts millions, but visitors can also experience the country’s preserved heritage.

By Larissa and MichaelMilne hamlet in the midstofthe coun- FOR THE INQUIRER try’sfamed Fjordland region.Mil- here were so many baby lions of people flock to Norway an- goats surrounding farmer nually for its breathtaking scenery, Petter Melchior,hewas yet there are more subtle sights practicallysubmerged. that warrant exploration: those pre- T Having heard his call, the serving Norwegianheritage. Visi- kids had scrambled down the crag- tors who venture just abit beyond gy mountainside to be fed. Oblivi- the busiest fjords are rewarded ous to the scenery,which included with experiences that provide in- astunningwaterfall, they were sight into the traditional Norwe- rooting in every nook, cranny,and gian way of life. pocket in search of breakfast. Tw enty yearsago, Norddal, This was at the end of the road perched at the base of afjord bear- Farmer Petter Melchior feeds his kids, who areoblivious to the gorgeous scenery in in Norddal, Norway,ano-stoplight See NORWAY on N3 Norddal. LARISSA MILNE Noah’s arkattraction opens in Kentucky city

Thetheme park, whose exhibits include dinosaurs, has rankled some opponents.

By Dylan Lovan Ham saidthe massive ark, ASSOCIATED PRESS based on the tale of aman who ILLIAMSTOWN, Ky.—A got an end-of-the-world warning 510-foot-long, $100mil- from God about amassive flood, W lion Noah’sark attrac- would stand as proof the stories tion built by Christians who say of the Bible are true. the biblical story really hap- “People are going to come pened has opened in Kentucky. from all over the world,” Ham Since its announcement in has predicted. 2010, the ark project has rankled Ham’sgroup has estimated the opponents who say the attrac- ark will draw 2million visitors in tion will be detrimentaltosci- its first year,putting it on par ence education and shouldn’t with some of the big-ticket attrac- have won state tax incentives. tions in nearby Cincinnati. “I believe this is going to be The group says the ark is built one of the greatest Christian out- based on dimensions in the Bi- reaches of this era in history,” ble. Inside are museum-style ex- said Ken Ham, president of An- hibits: displays of Noah’sfamily swers in Genesis, the ministry along with rows of cages contain- that built the ark. See NOAHS ARK on 4

GADGET | N2 Blockoff those yawning gaps that Visitors roam around the replica of Noah’sark. TheChristian group behind the theme park says it will stand as proof thatthe stories of the Bible aretrue. JOHN MINCHILLO /Associated Press eatthings in thecar.

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Older fishing boats areberthed alongside newersailing craft on the peaceful Hjorundfjordinthe village of Saebo. LARISSA MILNE Seeking outNorway’sscenery, heritage

NORWAY from N1 ingthe same name, was at adead IF YOUGO: end —literally and figuratively. The village, accessible by only a yPetrines Guesthouse: single road leading in and out, http://www.petrines.com/ was losing population —and busi- yTheHappyEnd: nesses —asold folks died off and (activities in Norddal): the younger generation moved to http://www.norddal.com/ the big cities. Even the retire- yÅlesund: ment home was closing. http://www.visitalesund-geir But the town refused to go qui- anger.com/en/The-art-nouve etly.When the Petrines retire- au-town-of-Alesund/ ment home —agrand old Victo- rianbuilding—wentupfor yHotels in former fishing sale, the town became a“munici- villages: pal entrepreneur,” formingaco- http://www.classicnorway.co operative to buy it and renovate m/ it into ahotel. Today,Petrines yKristiansund (& Grip Gjestgiveri (guesthouse) serves Island): as both the mascot and focal http://www.visitkristiansund. point of Norddal’ssustainable com/en/ tourism organization.Susanne Moen Ouff, manager at Pet- rines, said the the town named ca Viking ship,leaving cars be- its venture “The Happy End” as hind on the mainland. aconscious opposite of the “When you come here, your “dead end” location. The ven- Signatureearthen-roofed huts dot the valleys in Norway’s Fjordland region. LARISSA MILNE shoulders drop,” says Stein Lys- ture includes traditional busi- tad, who manages fishing-villag- nesses throughout the village ers rushed north, and much of appearance that is uniquelyNor- in Norway for centuries, and es-turned-hotels on the islands and its adjacent valley. the city was rebuilt within three wegian. Among the few build- this stretch of coast is cod terri- of Ona and Finnoy.“Your cares In addition to outdoor activities years —all with fire-resistant ings that escaped the fire was tory.Inthe days before refriger- melt away as you become part such as cycling and kayaking, visi- materials and the signature one of the city’sfish storage ation, salting was the preferred of asimpler time.” The hotels torstoNorddalcan explore avari- flourishes and ornamentation of warehouses, which today is a method of preserving fish, pro- focus on local cuisine, including ety of heritage trades, such as the art nouveau style. museum of fishing —historical- ducing klippfisk (literally,“cliff secret-recipe fish cakes made block printing and cheese mak- Today,Ålesund is avirtual ly one of the prime sources of fish”), cod that was traditionally by Mrs. Iverson Brelvik, one of ing. In the summer season, the open-air art nouveau architec- local commerce. laid out on rocky cliffs to dry. the 16 remaining permanent res- town features adifferent activity tural museum, with afairy tale Fishing has been big business The salt cod is featured in cui- idents of Ona. “Wedon’tdare each day of the week.Petter Mel- sines throughout Europe and ask her how she makes them,” chior takes visitors on a“goat sa- partsofSouthAmerica.The re- says Lystad, “we’re just happy fari,” searching for his herd in the gion surrounding the port cities that she’swilling to do it.” mountain pastures. As the chat- of Ålesund and Kristiansund, There are no hotels on the islet tering kids come rushing for some 100 miles to the north, has of Grip, aspeck of landseven breakfast,the retiredteacher, historically boasted production miles off the coast that is part of who returned to this home and of 80 percent of the world’ssalt the city of Kristiansund. The last farm of his ancestors, shakes his cod, also known as bacalao. permanent residents moved to the head with wonder: “People come Fishermen typically livedin mainland in 1974, and today,Grip and pay to see what we just do pocket-size villages dotting the is areminder of the region’srich normally every day.” Atlantic coast, but the harsh fishing heritage. Although North In the adjacent valley,dairy Nordicwintersand more mod- Atlantic storms haverepeatedly farmer Jostein Sande is working ern fishing techniques eventual- washed away much of the island’s with mama goats, converting ly resulted in the abandonment buildings,adiminutive stave their milk into delectable chees- of these areas. Fortunately, church dating from the late 1400s es. The atmosphere at his Her- these remote villagesare enjoy- miraculously remains intact. Avo- aldsetra farm could easily have ing anew life as vacation desti- tive ship suspended from the chan- been the same acentury or two nations. Many of the buildings delier near the altar gives further earlier: an alpine meadow with and old fishingstations have testimony to the importance of the afew low-slungwooden struc- been converted into hotels with sea to the community. tures capped by Norway’s signa- rustic yet comfortable accommo- In Kristiansund, the rocky ture earthen roofs with weeds dations that preserve the atmo- cliffs surrounding the harbor and colorful wildflowers sprout- sphere of days gone by.Some are still white from years of hav- ing every which way. Twoboys head out to fish on Grip Island. Theformer fishing are on islands accessible only ing cod salted on them. Today’s “Here,weare using the old communitynolonger has permanent residents. LARISSA MILNE by ferry,or, in one case, arepli- klippfisk is made in heated ware- ways,” he says,“it tastes better.” houses, but the Klippfisk Muse- He heads intoahut where brun- um recalls the hard grind of old- ost, the country’s signature brown en days, when men caught the cheese made from goat’s milk,is fish while women and children cooked in an iron cauldronover spent painstaking hours laying an open birchwood fire. them on the cliffs to dry.Inthe “The sugars in the milk cara- center of historical klippfisk melize slowly,giving the cheese country,the Suria Fiskerestau- its sweetflavor and browncol- rant stillfeatures it on the or.” The rich, tangy end product, menu. Chefs Olav and Stian ex- which tastes like amarriage of plain that the fish is dried and cream cheese and dulce de salted for 10 days before they leche, is Norwegian comfort acquire it, at which point they food, but it would be at home on reconstitute and drain it for five breakfast tables anywhere. more days. It sounds sort of like Farther west, where the steep the culinary version of quilting, mountains and narrow-walled in which fabric is cut into pieces valleys of the fjords soften into only to be sewn back together. the rounded hills and wider We tried it alongside its natural bays approaching the coast, the source, fresh cod (just off the port town of Ålesund is preserv- boat and delectable). The effect ing heritage of adifferent sort. was …well, it might be one of Thisunlikely spotmidwayup those things you have to grow the Norwegian coastisatrea- up with. Those sitting around us sure trove of art nouveau archi- in the restaurant obviously had, tecture, owing to acentury-old as they dug into their klippfisk tragedy that reformed the face with abandon. And asmall piece of the city. of Norway’sheritage is pre- In 1904, fire ravaged Ålesund, served (in thiscase,literally) destroying most of its wooden once again. structures in less than 24 hours and displacing 10,000 inhabit- Philadelphia natives Larissa and ants. The fire coincided with a Michael Milne have been global slow economy in Norway and nomads since 2011. Follow their the burgeoning art nouveau Ona Island has apopulation of 16. Theformer fishing village is nowapopular vacation destination. journey at movement. Architects and work- MICHAEL MILNE www.ChangesInLongitude.com.