A Journey to........

"MaMa, Where we go?"

Thousands of refugees are fleeing their homelands as destruction, torture, and kidnappings  more brutal than atrocities of WW2  force inhabitants to escape the horrors as the Syrian Civil War continues into a fifth year. Their escape route is long and uncertain.

 They may  find countries that welcome them while other countries are not so friendly.

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Imagine  Christopher Columbus landing the Mayflower on our shore in 1492. As he rows to shore, he is met by the council of local Indians who ask for his papers and intentions. Hearing Chris’s request for a landing,

he is told that his papers are not recognized, he doesn’t speak “Indian”, dresses funny and doesn’t have any sponsors. Columbus is told “No!     You and your people are not welcome. Go away!”

Where would we be today?

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Ludicrous as that may sound, some countries are discouraging immigrants, herding them into camps and forcing the the travelers to find other routes- somewhere else.

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The exodus from Syria has caused hundreds of thousands of broken families to find safer homes. For doubters, one immigrant informed officials that ”In Syria, the soldiers had warned me that if my husband did not appear soon and pay his dues, the children would be kidnapped. I’m terrified abut what is happening."

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In an earlier chapter, I noted the migratory paths of our early ancestors as they moved throughout Europe. The current travel migrant routes are strangely similar today.

Migrants path from Syria

French and German leaders have reminded other European countries of their shared responsibility toward

Chancellor Merkel

refugees. "Europe as a whole must share the responsibility for refugees seeking asylum" said Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, whose country is expected to see 800,000 asylum applications this year.

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Prime Minister Orban

In Hungary, strains were beginning to show as plans were made for the construction of  border fences. Mr. Orban had asked that it be completed by the end
of August, but only a first stage, a line of razor wire along the ground had been completed by then with the bulk of the 13-foot barrier still being built. This year alone, more than 150,000 migrants have requested asylum in Hungary.

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The exodus from war-torn Syria has led to an influx of asylum seekers in distant Sweden. a country that has acquired a reputation among Syrian refugees as a welcoming haven, the biggest host country for Syrians

Swedish Foreign Minister

outside the Middle East. Sweden now routinely offers permanent residency to Syrian refugees.Up to 30,000 Syrians have come to Sweden since the unrest started.The arrivals receive bed sheets,  allocated a dorm room, meals are served at set hours and  arrivals  are given a time slot for their asylum interview. Sweden's foreign minister, Margot Wallström, recently told The Local: “What if WE lived in a war zone? We would also want to flee somewhere safe with our children, or try to secure a future elsewhere. It has to do with whether or not we are serious in the EU about our guiding principles – this will affect our credibility.”

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Minister of CESI Thorkildsen

Norway will take in 1,000 Syrian refugees for resettlement to Norway. The further quota of 1000 refugees from Syria will come in addition to Norway’s annual  resettlement quota of approximately 1200 refugees. 

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“Norway has a tradition of doing what it can in response to major international refugee crises and of providing a safe haven for refugees. This time is no exception As a country, we can be proud of this and we will do everything we can to support the municipalities in this process.” said Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion Inga Marte Thorkildsen.

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Denmark has exhibited a strong resistance to the horde of migrants seeking help and asylum.

In the words of Refugee Khaled al-Habash : "We are not come here to as tourism. We are coming from wars. And I think who don't like that, he must — they must go to Syria and see what happened in Syria. We are — our — my children now under the bombs. I am very — my — they don’t have water for one week, one week without water. In Sweden, you can get a residence permit for a long time and you can get citizenship after four years, unlike — not like Danish."

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The two Scandinavian neighbors, Sweden and Denmark, are handling the European migrant crisis in vastly different ways. While Sweden has taken in the largest number of  refugees in relation to its population of all EU nations, Denmark is implementing policies to discourage asylum seekers. Sweden, the nation which has taken in the most refugees in relation to its population size, is calling for every EU nation to take its fair share and to be more civilized. But its neighbor, Denmark, has just introduced new welfare benefit restrictions aimed at discouraging asylum-seekers from heading there

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The center-right minority government introduced a law to dissuade refugees and economic migrants from heading to Denmark.Denmark has sought to reduce the influx by issuing temporary residence permits, delaying family reunifications and slashing benefits for newly arrived immigrants. Martin Henrikson, of the Danish People’s Party has stated: "In the past, we have taken a lot of refugees in Denmark and we have come to a point where we have to say enough is enough. We can’t take any more. We can’t handle this type of immigration crisis. Simply, it’s too heavy a burden on a small country like Denmark. So let’s just step on the brakes."

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However, immigrants have been welcomed in other countries.President François Hollande of France announced  that his country would take in 24,000 asylum seekers over two years.In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron said his country would accept 20,000 refugees from Syria. 

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 Hundreds of Germans hold up “Welcome Refugees” signs as, Alalie, a 37-year-old from Damascus said “Germany is the only country that is welcoming us.” Alalie is one of the thousands of refugees who arrived at the main train station in Munich.The reasons for the German welcome are many, but the one that stands out: is that Germany has a  rapidly aging population, and the country is becoming  aware of the need to welcome foreigners. Other countries, where  population numbers  are increasing, have fewer

incentives to welcome newcomers. Germany will be accepting 800,000 immigrants this year.

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The Syrian civil war continues as homes and families are destroyed and survivors  migrate to safety. At the present time,an estimated half-million people  have applied for asylum in Europe.

          332,000 people have reached Europe this year.

There appears to be no end in sight.

House For Sale In Norway

It may be a bit late, but to plan ahead, check this out. Students going back to school are facing higher and higher tuition costs. Where can we find a lower cost but still excellent education?  Free tuition".  It may be time to move.   How about...Norway?

Norway’s housing market is slowing sharply, after almost four years of house price rises.. In the third quarter of 2013, the average price of dwellings sold was NOK3 million (US$490,320) while the average price of holiday homes on an owned site was NOK1.4 million (US$228,820), according to Statistics Norway. Believe it or not, There are few restrictions for foreigners looking to purchase property in Norway. Of course, there are minor restrictions to purchasing properties in select coastal and mountain regions and as

such it is a good idea to engage the services of a reputable real estate agent (in Norway the agent generally represents both the buyer and the seller with the fee usually being paid by the buyer). Norwegians are friendly and down to earth; English is spoken widely . Norway has large variations in seasonal daylight. .“Land of the Midnight Sun”. Buying a private island in Norway presents no real problems for foreigners.

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Benefits of living in Norway including compensation for sick leave in Norway is often described as the most generous in the world: Employees receive 100% of salary from day one for up to a year. People on disability benefits in Norway get extra help to pay for a  

carer, make adjustments to their homes (wider doors for wheelchairs etc), pay for taxis and so on..Child benefit is granted from the month following the birth of the child or from the month after you and the child arrive in Norway.
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 If the child is born in Norway after you have been registered in the population register, Child benefit will, as a general rule, be granted automatically ..The Scandinavian countries subsidize a lot of things  such as education, child care, elder care and transportation – thereby compensating for their high taxes. Scandinavians trust their fellow citizens. They think poor people have typically been unlucky instead of lazy. They vote actively and participate in civil society. They respect the rule of law, and they donate to charity.

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Taxes provide the main benefits for the public sector in Norway. The taxes that are paid are spent on public services such as healthcare (hospitals, nursing homes) education (schools, colleges, universities) transport and communications (roads, railroads, airports). In addition to covering joint expenses, taxes are designed to contribute to greater equality between individuals. Norway is one of the wealthiest in the world per capita, and they also have one of the highest standards of living of any country in the world. There are no tuition fees for attending public higher education in Norway, as all the costs are covered by the Ministry of Education and Research. This might be the place!

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 Tuition is free, however, accomodations, food, books and study, transportation to and from the Universities is not cheap. Living close to the University  at home would be a large benefit to the student..

That said..What’s available for “our new house in Norway?”..

How about buying some property and building your new house?Stabbursdalen Salmon Resort has land for

Stabbursdalen Resort

sale and you can build your own cabin. It's located on the shore of  the amazing Stabburselva Salmonriver, the best resort for salmonfishing in the world. You would have six good salmonrivers within an hours drive and 7000 square kms of. land for hunting!   Cost? 490,000 kroner, $590,000 USD..Tourists, a resort!    A steal!!

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or....

The Vartdal House

This country home overlooking Norway's lower west coast. Nine rooms, close to the sea with a  mountain view and far enough away from the crowded urban areas. Very reasonable at 85,000 kroner. That's only $94,000 US dollars!

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Now, here's a fantastic deal for a fixer-upper!

With its own private beach and sublimely tranquil surroundings, this Norwegian house is hopefully up for sale -

The house is located on the island of Buoya on the fringes of the Arctic circle, and it has been uninhabited since the last tenant moved out in the 1970s.There is a condition for any prospective buyer - they must focus their efforts into restoring the  property to its former glory.
This is a private island with a stunning beach..great for holiday home .
The entire land has been on sale..with some houses.
Some renovations are necessary.
You won't BELIEVE the price!!

The Island of Buoya near the Arctic Circle
This Norwegian Home ..and Island..if still available can be purchased for...
10 cents

No typo..full American price of  10 cents for a very interesting reason.
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The Norwegian owner, Kent Karlsen, said:

"I had hoped to patch it up but it just never happened, and it seems a real shame that such a beautiful property is now falling apart and nobody is getting any benefit from it.
I didn’t want it to simply be sold to someone else who also neglected it, and as a result put it up for sale for a bargain price, provided the new owner convinces me they really intend to put it back in order".

House and Island for sale 10 cents

It will really need somebody with passion, and of course the resources, because pretty much everything needs doing.

Your island..See your house? (red circle)

But the "front yard" might be worth a great investment! You can't beat the price!

Bring hammer and saw.

 

 

 

Velkommen til Norge!

Norway Attacked

 

30,000 Russian troops invaded Scandinavian Soil March, 2015. A unit of Soviet troops landed on the Swedish Island of Gorland. 

Russian soldiers advance

Hovercraft bringing Russian troops ashore.

Other Russian invaders  came ashore on the Aland Island of Finland, others  at the Danish Island of Borholm while the main force attacked the northern area of Norway. The invasion was to prevent the Baltic area from becoming controlled by NATO forces whose aim is to re-enforce forces who depend on Allied aid in time of conflict. 

And it never even made the news!

Russia has been unhappy with the sanctions imposed upon the Soviet country due to their actions in The Ukraine.Russia always has had interest in the Baltic Sea area. It provides a link between St. Petersburg and Kalinigarad among other issues of interest. One of which this the fact that the Russian navy frequently uses the Baltic Sea for sea trials of new submarines and other military vessels.

The Baltic Sea is important to Russia.

Or it may have been to send a message to Scandinavian countries that Russia is a formidable foe in any conflict. Sweden has always maintained neutrality in times of war and Russian officials have warned Denmark that Danish ships will become Russian targets if Denmark joins the  NATO missile defense system.

Whatever..The reason the event never made the news was that: 

" THIS  IS A  REHEARSAL"

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Russian soldiers in Maneuvers.

While Russian troops DID  leave their invasion ships with combat gear, there was no "real Invasion"..Only a dress-rehearsal to be ready for "The Real Thing" and to send a soviet message to everyone.

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Or, the Russian military action may have been in response to:

Armed forces of  Seventeen NATO Force countries steaming into the Baltic Sea area.

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An Allied landing at Ustka, Poland was taking place as a part of a two-week NATO exercise called "BALTOPS", short for

NATO ships steam to The Baltic Sea.

"Baltic Operations". Forty-nine naval vessels from 17 countries and 5,900 personnel were involved in this major show of  strength.. Allied countries are aware that it would be difficult to quickly respond to a swift Soviet attack in the Baltic area. The response: BALTOPS , an annually  reoccurring exercise, currently in its 43rd year.

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Swedish aircraft patrol overhead.

Swedish Air Force  fighters flew over the amphibious assault  maneuver.

Marines  from Finland and Sweden  conducted landings in Sweden and Poland.

With personnel and equipment of 17 countries, this year's exercise  was one of several demonstrations of Allied Force strength that are available and ready to answer any opposing military action. Rehearsals and preparations  for war are not unusual.

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The Russian president has recently announced plans to buy 40 intercontinental ballistic missiles this year. The US, two years after pulling all its armour out of Europe, is preparing to send 250 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery to bases in Eastern European international waters. Norway and Russia are heatedly 'discussing' ownership of Northern Territory and tensions have not eased.

 But a rehearsal for war?

US amphibian vehicles readying to board ships for the return home.

I Have A Question

I Have A Question

One of the most important holidays in American history is celebrated on July 4th, every year. An influential group of men agreed to draft a document that would cause concern with their overseas sponsors.

 This decision led to war with England, severing all future supplies and aid from ‘The Mother Country". Truly, a revolutionary act! The ‘colonists’ landed in the 1600’s and struggled until they finally decided to split from England over a hundred years later. Why the delay and why did they come in the first place?

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For some, they had no choice. Other than the religion issue, several were indentured servants sent by English businessmen to "pay back a  debt", find the gold that earlier Spaniards claimed was available, and simply to help the English economy. European farmers had realized that England’s crop and dairy farms were not as profitable as raising sheep to sell the desired wool. Agriculture and food supplies dwindled. Besides, the English church system was being troublesome for English worshipers. Some left for Holland for religious freedom, but found that unfavorable and news of the ‘new world’ possibilities became a chance for a better future. English noblemen offered passage to America as a loan and the travelers were expected to repay the loan. The passenger manifest of military veterans, Scandinavians, Hollanders, Germans as well as citizens being excommunicated found most travelers unprepared for the tasks ahead.

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Workers seemed to lack farm and building skills while arrivals convinced others to search for the

fabled gold. Crops were planted too late and the long winters were unexpectedly fierce. Without the help of the native Americans who watched and aided the newcomers, the outcome was in jeopardy. Why were these people so unprepared? Where did they come from? Everyone knows Germans come from Germany, Swedes from Sweden, etc, but what was their background?

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American became known as a "Cultural Melting Pot". Europe is also a melting pot of genetic lineages from different prehistoric cultures that lived there at various periods of time. Europeans today are a genetic mixture of ancestral populations: hunter-gatherers, and farmers.Genetic science has come a long way! DNA and genomes are revealing much!.

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 Bones and relics have been carbon-analyzed and compared with those of other areas. Early specimens show signs of meat-eaters. These were the early ‘hunters for food’.
"The hunter-gatherers show the greatest similarity to modern-day Finns", says Geneticist Skoglund. "It was a surprise that the farmer and hunter-gatherers were so different. Scandinavia was clearly home to people of very different genetic backgrounds even 5,000 years ago," he says.

Early migratory movements in Europe.

 

 

 

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These ‘hunter-gatherer’ were joined by a group coming from the steppes of Russia!

Modern Europe was formed when a mass migration from southern Russia brought new languages, technology and dairy farming to the continent, according to a recent a study .  

 The hunter-gathering society had no tolerance for milk and ‘Lactose Intolerance’ was born! However, 'Time' created a mutation for the blended new group. With this in mind, modern day people may have Russia to blame for any problem with milk consumption. These migrating farmer-types with cows came from the Russian Causasus region and were called the Yamnaya People. The ‘white man’ became known as a Caucasian. Sounds familiar! But milk-drinking Russians?!
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They brought with them new skills and a language that became the basis of almost every other European language, including Greek and Latin, English and German, as well as spreading their DNA. The Hunters-gatherers remained in Norway, while the southern sections of Sweden became centers of the Yamnaya culture.So, when one claims " I’m all Norwegian, or Swede, or German", they may be omitting genes of Russia, Africa and even Asia in their DNA.

 Geneticists analyzing DNA from Neolithic burial sites in Sweden have made a surprising discovery. The genetic make-up of one individual exhibits a startling similarity to that of modern-day Mediterranean. Modern humans may have picked up key genes from extinct relatives.

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Every European region or country had it’s culture as opposed to that of their neighbor and each had their own customs. As an Army G.I. in Germany, it was common for us to start a car journey in Germany and be able to travel through 6 countries in one day. We would struggle through 6 languages while stopping in each country for gas or food. Here, in the US, we also can travel southerly from New York through a number of states. However, one language will be needed, albeit, with a number of different accents!.

Boston Tea Party

There were differences and arguments among the colonies. Rhode Island settlers had difference of opinions for 40 years. English taxation caused major problems. After months of colonist protests, plans to break from English rule found six colonies refusing to join the drive to independence. Finally. after months of debate, 12 voted to break away while New York voted to abstain.

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       The American Declaration of Independence was not issued until 15 months after the War of Independence had begun. In it, after 1,200 words of self-justification, at the very end of the document the colonists finally declared that these 'united colonies' were to be free and independent states; Even so, The thirteen colonies were not united until after the war was over . Many colonists had no desire to break away from Britain.

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The cultural melting-pot of Europe came to America with their many historical differences. These  differences in each colony were reflected in each colony’s cultural belief. Our Northern colonies and Southern colonies have continued their individual beliefs.Perhaps,even today, some of us would like to be hunter-gatherers while others tend the farms and  business lives.

July 4th, we celebrate, in unity, our Independence.

June 6,1944

Every generation knows the horrors of warring enemies. The first territorial conflict in “The Timetable of Wars” records The Battle of Kadesh around 1274 BC. This battle involved Egyptian forces under Rammes II and the Hittite Empire  in battle over the land now known as Syria.

 Time has marched on, but that territory is still a battleground to this very day! Rare are days between Kadesh  and our current days that would be called ‘peaceful’ while  battles  continue and actually overlap somewhere on our planet.

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June 6th marks one of our most recent national conflicts involving American armed service people. Following “The War To End All Wars”, one defeated nation felt humiliated. One surviving soldier believed the politicians lost the war that the soldiers were capable of winning. This ‘one person’ convinced his downtrodden brethren to rise up, recover their pride and lost territory. World War II began. Hitler blasted across western Europe and threatened to conquer Britain.

Nazi German troops were stationed in France and watched for British and American allies to come to the attack. French western beaches looked peaceful in 1944, although under German occupation. Things were about to change.

Normandy Beach, France

 American military plans as well as French, British and representatives from other countries were busily

Ike and  Allied planners

planning an ‘over the channel’ military action to battle the Nazi advances. The weather had been unusually stormy for this spring and finding a time to ferry all needed personnel and supplies was a difficult task. After several meetings, a  Royal Air Force Captain  met with the American general Eisenhower on the evening of 4 June. He and his meteorological team predicted that the weather would improve sufficiently so that the invasion could go ahead on 6 June, 1944. Naval operations for the invasion were described by historian Correlli Barnett as a "never surpassed masterpiece of planning".

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  The intricate planning involved aerial and naval bombardment, an airborne assault, plus the landing of 24,000 British, US, and Canadian airborne troops to be landed shortly after midnight on the coast of France. Due to the very unsettled weather and stormy seas, the Germans, who expected the attack somewhere were convinced that this would not be the time and relaxed their vigilance.

                                                         

But June 6th, 1944 was the time. The code name for the operation was “D-Day”. There apparently is no significance for the term ‘D-Day’ other than the need for secrecy.It was simply code for ’The Day”. The weather cleared for a short time and Operation Overlord was underway. Armored divisions began landing  on the coast of France at 06:30 ( 6:30AM). The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the French beaches that were mined and covered withstakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of  beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at “Omaha Beach” with its high cliffs. Several fortified towns had to be cleared in house-to-house fighting, and major gun emplacements  were disabled using specialized tanks as soldiers  attacked their enemy on beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. Allied infantry were unable to achieve all of their goals on the first day and several villages were heavily defended by German occupiers, causing heavy casualties among allied troops who fought and died in the battle. The beachhead was not cleared from the enemy until  July 21st and the cost of this invasion was high. About 9,000 were reported killed or wounded in this battle that began June 6th, 1944.

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An underground newspaper team in Norway

Europe, as a whole had been  occupied since the Nazi war-machine had overrun country after country, but as the news of D-Day spread around the world, resistance to the Nazi occupiers began to intensify. Armed resistance, in the form of sabotage, commando raids, and other special operations during the occupation continued while being occupied' Armed resistance, in the form of sabotage, commando raids, assassinations and other special operations during the occupation, being discovered often meant death or concentration camp, but civil disobedience and unarmed resistance continued. Norway citizens devised many ways to practice their national pride while aiding downed allied pilots and maintaining  contact with England.

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Milorg fighters parade in public

.The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany had begun in 1940 , sending information to help the D-Day allied forces before finally  ending in 1945. Norway’s Milorg, or underground fighters maintained approximately eighty concealed radio stations to aid the invasion in June.These forbidden radio stations contributed a key role in the invasion, due to the fact that the majority of Allied forces information came through Norway’s Milorg's radio network.

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A cricket

Countless details were devised to aid the scattered D-Day invaders. Communications among the parachutists had to be established in silence. This was done using a child’s toy that made the sound of a cricket. When pressed twice, the sender waited for an answering sound. Joining together, the soldiers finally were able to reform their units and get underway in the darkness and early morning light. 

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 By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring, the Allies had defeated the Germans.      General Dwight Eisenhower once said “Andrew Higgins  is the man who won the war for us”. 

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Higgins is the man who designed and built LCVPs ( military for landing craft, vehicles, personnel), the

The  LCVP

amphibious vehicles that enabled the Allied forces to cross the channel. Eisenhower is reported to have said, “If Higgins had not designed and built those LCVPs, we never could have landed over an open beach. The whole strategy of the war would have been different.” These motorized wooden boats could carry approximately 39 soldiers and were able to transport them from ship to shore.

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Since this epic battle, the scenes of war have changed. Large concentrations of troops have been discontinued and changed to  that of  smaller attacking stealth groups, resulting in fewer casualties. D-Day resulted in approximately 9,000 men killed or wounded in one day.

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This year is the 71st year in remembrance of D-Day in Europe.

At least six memorial events will be observed in the area of France’s Normandy beach to honor those who gave their lives, recognizing the few still alive veterans, and  to commemorate the event known as            “The beginning of the end” of WWII, June 6, 1944.