Right now there is a cool TV project going on here, real reality TV.
One of the coastal express ships has been equipped with lots of TV cameras, and the entire voyage from the first port in the south to the last port in the north is broadcast live on TV. It's probably the longest continuous live broadcast. It's on webcast as well, click here here if you wanna see it.
The broadcast started yesterday and lasts for 134 hours, almost six days. I watched it for a while yesterday, fun to watch in small portions, but somewhat tedious after a while.
The coastal express is steaming along our coastline every day, all year, and has been doing so for almost 120 years. A full round trip from south to north and back to the start takes 11 days. All the 34 ports are served on a regular schedule, once a day. At any time there are 11 ships in operation.
The coastal express is hardly an express any more. However, in the old days, before commercial air lines, it was the most efficient (and only) way to travel along our long coastline. Now the coastal express is operating more like a cruise line, with lots of tourists. But you can, of course, still buy port-to-port tickets, and use it as public transport.
I have traveled with the coastal express a few times, between small towns up north, when the air lines have been on strike (they have powerful unions), and on national holidays, when Six Flags Airlines have taken a day off.
Tomorrow morning the TV-ship is coming to our town. Little boy wants to go down and watch and waive to the cameras, so we plan to bike down to the port tomorrow morning >:)
(I took the picture above in May 2008, when we lived up north. It's the coastal express steaming to port. This was the view I had through the kitchen window every morning at 7:30 am, while eating breakfast, before going to work. I must admit that I miss it.)
Oh, wow, I didn't want to leave that live broadcast--the calmness of the water and its rippling sound eased my two-day-old migraine. You may have just provided me with the cure!
ReplyDeleteI'd miss looking out that window, too.
I missed Kr.sund :( But I might as well look for you later on then, since by now it is on my other computer while I am surfing on the laptop.
ReplyDeleteAh, all sort of mishaps or even scandals could be exposed.
ReplyDeleteChemical Fusion
Jayne: It's quite relaxing, I think, to watch the broadcast, and even more relaxing to be on one of these ships. Unlike regular cruises, there are no bingo, no karaoke, no pool-side contests ... the only attraction is the nature.
ReplyDeleteSilme: I found that on the webcast, you can click on any point of the past route to watch past broadcasts. Little boy and I were down on the quay this morning, together with a big crowd when the ship steamed out the fjord >:)
Enid: You never know what may happen on the ship. It can be a cool setting to spin a story around; "closed-room" murder mysteries, and stuff like that ... in fact, I think I saw both Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot onboard the ship >:D
When you go to watch the ship and get on camera, hold up a sign so we can spot you.
ReplyDeleteHelen: We did, but the rest of the crowd waived even more >:)
ReplyDeleteI discovered the backtrack function right after my post; resulting in 6 hours spent watching it since the coast up until Trheim is "my" coast... My swedish sidekick has no sympathy what so ever and could not see the point of this broadcast ;)
ReplyDeleteSilme: I'm watching a little bit now and then. And tonight, on day 4, comes the best of the best (my fav), when the ship goes into the magic troll fjord between 11 and 12 pm (4 and 5 pm central time). Then I will be watching, for sure >:)
ReplyDeletethat's kind of neat i think.
ReplyDeleteso, if we wanted to, we could click back through all the ports and try to find you? it would be a lot of work, plus a bit difficult because we'd have to make some guesses as to what you look like...could be a good game maybe. any prizes? :)
id: Sounds like a good game, with visits to 34 ports to look through. I'll send you a pic so that you know who to look for. Special prize for you >;D
ReplyDeleteVery cool! Love those snowy mountains in the background too.
ReplyDeleteThe show got a mention in Sydney Morning Herald too. Here is a link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/boring-slow-cruise-show-a-hit-with-tv-viewers-20110623-1gg9p.html
Liz: I loved the view we had with the fjord and the mountains on the island in the background >:)
ReplyDeleteEnid: I'm checking out the link, thanks for sharing >:)