Summer in Norway

OK, I have been a bit remiss. Absolutely no posts in June, sorry!! June was a bit busy though, with guests staying, school work (despite it being their last few weeks before summer hols, they still needed cover, which is great for me!) and moving across Bergen, piece by piece to a different apartment.  We had the new apartment from 1st June, but didn't move from our old one until 28th (yep, a month's double rent, not great we know, but it was the only way we could secure the one we have now). Now we are settled again, and guests arrive tomorrow!

We no longer have a wide open view across water to the mountains, but can still see Askøy, and the weather coming in from the Atlantic! Today we are forecast heavy rain and 14 degrees - summer indeed! Still, as every Norwegian will tell you, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, and no-one puts away the woollen underwear ever here - summer temperatures can be low!!

One thing though that suits cold (water) temperatures are the tasty fjord prawns, which are very much a part of the summer mood here in Scandinavia. Imagine, a sunny terrace, a bowl of fresh pink prawns with their shells on (beady eyes staring at you), a bowl of mayonnaise to dunk in (purists argue it must be made the old- fashioned way with no hint of garlic), sliced white bread (called loff here, wonder if that is where we Brits got the word 'loaf' from?) and a glass of Sancerre, or other good white wine, that is the taste of a Scandinavian summer.

Well, weather notwithstanding, it seems the traditional prawn peeling get together will not be taking place so often this summer in many homes. There are fewer prawns to fish, although no-one can say why (global warming maybe?). In fact it is so bad the fishermen doubt they will fill their quota this season. It has been the same now for the past five years! One creature that has increased in population though is the jellyfish. Apparently this causes a bit of a problem for the prawn fisherman, as the jellyfish get caught up in the trawl net and cause a huge soggy mess when mixed together with the sharp prawn shells - I imagine that must look, and feel pretty disgusting!

So, prices are up, supply is down and the weather is definitely reflecting a sorry scenario! So now I know why, a) most Norwegians who have an outside area to sit in opt for some kind of patio warmer to add to the bbq, etc. and b) we haven't eaten many summer prawns this year as they are averaging NOK220 a kilo (£24 or $35) and you need at least half a kilo per person! That's about the same price as an average steak here (per kilo). And don't even get me started on the price of a bottle of Sancerre!!!

Statistics for the mathematically minded|

Amount of prawns fished in metric tons|
2008: 8 078
2009: 6 540
2010: 5 236
2011: 4 961 (quota was for over 7,400 tons, but the prawns just weren't there)
2012: 2 093 (fished so far this year and they can fish up to 5855 tons)
Source: Norsk Råfisklag