0:00:07 > 0:00:10Norway. The longest coastline in Europe.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Mighty fjords carved by great ice sheets.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19It's a landscape written into the blood of the British Isles.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Because we share a common heritage -
0:00:21 > 0:00:24brought across the sea by Viking boatmen.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31Now, it's British yachtsmen who love to explore Norway's coast.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33They come year in and year out,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37but for us, this a rare chance to meet our northern neighbours.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41In Norway, I'm joined by my usual Coast companions.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44There's a slot...
0:00:44 > 0:00:49Mark Horton is in search of the craft that sped the Vikings to our shores.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53- And this is a method that can't have changed for a thousand years.- No.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Alice Roberts meets the Norwegians keeping us warm in winter.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59So this is it!
0:00:59 > 0:01:04- I can hear it.- This is actually the gas you're hearing - gas going to UK.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Nick Crane explores the British connections
0:01:07 > 0:01:10to the most beautiful fjord in Norway.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14As an amateur geographer, this is one of the most exciting days of my life!
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And I travel high into the Arctic Circle,
0:01:17 > 0:01:22where the Vikings launched themselves southwards - towards Britain.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Our story continues beyond our coast.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57This time, we're travelling a huge distance,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00along the shore of an entire country -
0:02:00 > 0:02:03one that's long, thin and mostly coastline.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Norway's coast is just so much bigger than you imagine.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20If you followed all the ins and outs of every bay and majestic fjord,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22it's a trip of over 13,000 miles -
0:02:22 > 0:02:26that's over halfway around the world.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29These magnificent fjords
0:02:29 > 0:02:33are overlooked by huge mountains with vertiginous cliffs.
0:02:35 > 0:02:40And at its narrowest, Norway is just three and a half miles wide.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46To cope with their challenging coastline,
0:02:46 > 0:02:50the Norwegians have been constantly inventive,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52building roads across the sea,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56making their homes on tiny islands,
0:02:56 > 0:03:02and harvesting their natural resources for food and energy.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04On our journey, we want to discover
0:03:04 > 0:03:09what tips we in Britain can get about living on our coast,
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and to find out how our two countries have a shared history,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18reaching out in friendship and in wartime across the North Sea.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23We're travelling up to the Lofoten Islands,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25deep into the Arctic Circle.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29On the way, we'll pop up to polar bear country - Svalbard.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33But our starting point it Lillesand, in the south.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42This quiet, southern coastline is popular with Norwegians for summer holidays.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46And it's also a desirable destination for yachting folk,
0:03:46 > 0:03:51who travel across the seas from all around Europe for the thrill of sailing on Norway's Riviera.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59One of these yachtsmen is a Brit.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Peter Walker left Liverpool to live here.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05But the coastline wasn't the only attraction.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I met a beautiful Norwegian lady
0:04:08 > 0:04:11in England, she was working as an au-pair.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Since then we've got three boys,
0:04:14 > 0:04:18and here I've been, living the most beautiful life I can ever think of.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Is there anything about the lifestyle that you'd import if you could?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Yeah, I would import a typical English pub
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and a fish and chip shop.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Peter and his family made their home in Lillesand,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40a small town of 9,000 people and neat, wooden houses.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43The lifestyle revolves around boats.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46But navigating this rocky shore isn't easy.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53There's hundreds and hundreds of underwater skerries.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56It's a small rock, sticking out from the seabed. If they're not marked,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59and you don't know about it, they can sink your boat.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Much of this curious coastline is hidden just under the sea.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It's a mysterious, treacherous landscape,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13which keeps sailors on their toes,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17poking its head up above water, creating countless tiny islands.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23The only way to appreciate the beauty of what lies beneath is to get seriously wet.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28Are you sure about jumping into the water with lead weights on?
0:05:28 > 0:05:31What will I do if I jump in and I go straight to the bottom?
0:05:31 > 0:05:36- That should be tight so it doesn't slip.- Everything about this is tight.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Put your head down now!
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Snorkelling here is a real eye-opener.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Above the surface it looks so black.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Down here it's awash with colour and life.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04As you explore, you start to get a sense of a truly coastal country.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07No wonder Peter and his family love it here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Norway's southern riviera is a stunning surprise.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25I'd expected fjords and ice, not a myriad of micro-islands.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30But as we head northwards,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33the landscape starts to rear up out of the sea.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38It's more mountainous, with deep fjords carving through the rock.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41This is like Scotland on steroids.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46These inlets snake far inland,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50taking the coast deep into the heart of the country.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Waterways like this were a challenge
0:06:53 > 0:06:58that spurred the early boat builders onto greatness. 1,200 years ago,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02after the Vikings had mastered their own craggy shores,
0:07:02 > 0:07:06they turned their sights south to Britain and beyond.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Deep down the Hardangerfjord,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Mark Horton is in search of their boat-building secrets.
0:07:21 > 0:07:27I can't believe I'm here in Norway, and about to find out how the Vikings
0:07:27 > 0:07:31made their most awesome weapon - the Viking longship.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42Boats are in the blood of the Norseman, both ancient and modern.
0:07:42 > 0:07:49Maritime historian Atle Thowsen knows the value the Vikings placed on their vessels.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55The boat was important to get transport,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59to get from one place to another, to get their food and so on.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03It was their way of communicating.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08This was the way to survive in, for instance, Norway.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13They got into the deep fjords, up the rivers and so on,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17to Paris or... Almost everywhere you could find the Vikings.
0:08:22 > 0:08:27These master mariners sailed west to Newfoundland in North America.
0:08:27 > 0:08:35Looking east, they navigated down the River Volga into the Caspian Sea, to trade with the Islamic world.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42And of course they came south to the British Isles,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46using our waterways to penetrate deep inland.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50So what kind of boats could cope riding raging seas,
0:08:50 > 0:08:55and powering through placid rivers?
0:08:59 > 0:09:06The Vikings have vanished into legend, but their boat design has stood the test of time.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12These waterways were tamed working with wood,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14and these skills have survived.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Tucked away down the Hardangerfjord
0:09:18 > 0:09:23there's a yard that's changed little since the days of the Viking boatmen.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Hi, are you Bjorn?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Yeah, I'm Bjorn!- Hi!
0:09:28 > 0:09:31This is the most wonderful boatyard.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Yeah, you think so? It's a nice place, very nice place.
0:09:35 > 0:09:40- There's that overpowering smell of the pine resin.- Mm.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42This is the small boat workshop.
0:09:42 > 0:09:48And you will see two boats in here now, well, parts of a boat, this was just started a week ago.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50And this is a boat we're just about to finish.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53And you can see every stage of their construction.
0:09:53 > 0:09:58Yeah, well, it's a very nice thing to build two boats at the same time.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59So, here we are...
0:09:59 > 0:10:03The most important thing in a Viking boat was its keel -
0:10:03 > 0:10:06the backbone they built upon.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12- The keel goes down quite some distance.- Yes, it does.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16- So the next stage is presumably to build up the sides?- That's right.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Most wooden boats normally start with a frame,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22then the planks are fixed on.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25But these boats are different.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29The planks are built up one at a time,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33each overlapping the last, placed at precise angles.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36This will be the lines plank that we use
0:10:36 > 0:10:38for building this boat.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Oh! Not a wonderful architect's ship drawing!
0:10:42 > 0:10:46No! It's not something you get from a computer!
0:10:48 > 0:10:51And the numbers would be the degrees the plank has,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54and would be the width of the plank.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56And how do you measure that angle?
0:10:56 > 0:10:59We use this one,
0:10:59 > 0:11:00that's just a...
0:11:00 > 0:11:03simple use of the gravity.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- So there you've got the angle of the plank...- Yep, that's right.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08..at 27 degrees, that's there.
0:11:08 > 0:11:13- Yep.- And here it is then at 27, which is there.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15So you just... There it is there.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20That's it. That looks about right.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23The Vikings built all their vessels this way.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28Their longships, their fishing boats, everything.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30This is the new one...
0:11:30 > 0:11:32'Once the planks are in place,
0:11:32 > 0:11:38'they must be secured with special nails which are a bit like rivets.'
0:11:38 > 0:11:40So, that goes like that, doesn't it?
0:11:40 > 0:11:44'This type of construction is called clinker.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49'Bjorn is trusting me to put the last nail in his new clinker boat.'
0:11:51 > 0:11:56- I hope I'm not breaking your boat! - No. Well...well...
0:11:56 > 0:11:58It's as good as it gets!
0:11:58 > 0:12:00So what you're doing now is clinking.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03In Norwegian we would say clinking.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- So that's the origin of the word "clinker boat"?- Yeah, I guess it is.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18That's good. With the sound, you'll hear that the hammer will answer.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21An experienced boat builder will say that that's a good sound.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30The construction of these boats shows why they were so successful for the Vikings.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35Because the overlapping boards aren't tied to an internal frame,
0:12:35 > 0:12:41the boats are flexible, able to bend enough to ride rough seas.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45And their flattish bottoms can cope with shallow rivers.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Ultimately though, they were replaced by a different style of vessel,
0:12:56 > 0:13:00with the planks fixed separately onto the ship's skeleton.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04That way, you could build bigger boats.
0:13:04 > 0:13:12But for me, these hills will always be alive with the sound of clinking.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32In open water, very big boats hold sway now.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36As the age of the Viking faded into the sea mist, their renegade trade
0:13:36 > 0:13:40was gradually replaced by more everyday commerce.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46On our journey north, there's a city
0:13:46 > 0:13:50which prospered as part of an exclusive trading club - Bergen.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56700 years ago, this was the commercial capital of Norway,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58with links to Britain and beyond.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Bergen was the northern outpost of the Hanseatic League,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08a sort of early common market.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11At its height, this league of gentlemen traders
0:14:11 > 0:14:14operated out of ports around Europe,
0:14:14 > 0:14:19including Hull, Norwich, Bristol and King's Lynn, as well as Bergen.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24As long ago as the 14th century,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27it was one of the key cities in Western Europe.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31That harbour over there would have been teeming with sailing ships,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34ready to make their way back and forth across the North Sea.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Today, trade is still key to our relationship with Norway.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49And in Britain, we benefit from one of their largest exports - fish.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Look at that! Now that's fresh cod!
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- Is that whale?- That's whale, yes. - What sort?- Minke whale.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02Minke whale. How big is that when it's full grown?
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- 10 tonnes, maybe.- 10 tonnes.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09What a monster. It's the back legs of a king crab.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Now, that would give you a fright if you saw it in a rock pool.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17I'd dread to think how you'd go about catching one of these.
0:15:19 > 0:15:26These crabs have come from the very top of Norway, right on the Russian border, near the town of Kirkines.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The king crabs are newcomers to Kirkines.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33They've made their way there from Russia,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36and they're moving gradually southwards.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40They've already been spotted halfway down Norway's coast.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Eventually, they might even reach British shores.
0:15:47 > 0:15:53One man who grapples daily with king crabs is diver Lars Petter Oie.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04The king crab were introduced to the Bering Sea by the Russians in 1961.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08The first crab we found here was in 1976.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12And ever since that, it has been increasing.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Maybe one day you'll have the crabs even in Britain.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23It's always a challenge to be 100% sure where to find the crabs.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26But we have so much experience,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30so we know approximately where to find crabs.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35The biggest we caught here was 1 metre and 70,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38it's exactly my own height actually!
0:16:38 > 0:16:39And it was about eight kilos.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44But commercially it has been caught crabs up to 15 or 16 kilos.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50A crab like this, this is like four, four-and-a-half kilo.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53You wouldn't afford to eat it in London!
0:16:53 > 0:16:58This is, er, this is a lot of money actually!
0:17:08 > 0:17:13So, here's meat all the way from here and all the way here.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17As you see, it's very tender.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21And it's even sweeter than normal lobster.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26This is the way you should eat it, it's straight from the sea.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- Skol!- Skol!
0:17:38 > 0:17:42On my own journey up to the north of Norway, I'm coming to a spot
0:17:42 > 0:17:45that's a real emotional draw for me - a little town called Televag.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51It's a picture-perfect postcard type of place now.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53But in the Second World War,
0:17:53 > 0:17:59Televag was transformed to become a terrible example of Nazi oppression.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07I've got this photograph that was taken in 1945.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09I'm trying to position myself
0:18:09 > 0:18:13so that I'm where the photographer stood when he took the snap.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15It's important to remind yourself
0:18:15 > 0:18:18what this place looked like at the end of the war,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21because the town was completely erased.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28The story of Televag's destruction
0:18:28 > 0:18:31begins with the German occupation of Norway in 1940.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Before long, Norway's resistance fighters
0:18:33 > 0:18:38looked across the sea to their British neighbours for help.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45Fishing boats started to ferry refugees and resistance agents
0:18:45 > 0:18:48to and fro between Norway and Shetland.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53This secret boat service became known as the Shetland bus.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56I've seen one side of the story already on Coast,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59when I visited Scalloway on Shetland.
0:19:01 > 0:19:0523, 28, 21, 21... Just wee boys.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08Just boys.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12Many brave young men died running the Shetland bus,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16and here in Norway, an entire town paid a terrible price
0:19:16 > 0:19:19for their part in resisting the Nazis.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Barbara, can you show me a photograph of Arna,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23- show me what he looked like?- Yes.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28Shetland lass Barbara Melkevik married a Norwegian member of the Shetland bus.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32He was called Arna, and was from Televag.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I met him when he first came to Scalloway,
0:19:36 > 0:19:40he was going to work on the fishing boats,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43which they were to use on these secret missions to Norway.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48And I was not to ask any questions.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52- If I did, I couldn't get any answers. - Right!
0:19:56 > 0:19:59On one fateful night, Barbara's husband, Arna,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03set sail from Shetland with a secret cargo on board.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11These were dangerous waters - as well as rough seas and strong winds,
0:20:11 > 0:20:17the fishermen had to avoid the constant threat of patrolling German aircraft and U-boats.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19But eventually,
0:20:19 > 0:20:24Arna's boat managed to reach a small creek just outside Televag.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30It was right here, in the dead of night on April 21 1942,
0:20:30 > 0:20:36that Barbara's husband, Arna, arrived to deliver two agents of the Norwegian resistance.
0:20:36 > 0:20:42Their names were Emil Gustaf Hvaal and Arne Vaerum.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52The two agents were taken to a house in the village of Televag.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54They managed to hide for a week,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58until their cover was blown and the secret was out.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01The Nazis stormed the house, and in the ensuing shoot-out,
0:21:01 > 0:21:06two SS officers and one of the Norwegian agents were killed.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11In a furious display of vengeance,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14the Nazis systematically destroyed Televag.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Families were split up. Some were sent to concentration camps.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24It was the worst act of reprisal in Norway.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29Long after the war, Barbara's husband, Arna,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31struggled to come to terms with the devastation
0:21:31 > 0:21:35he'd unwittingly brought upon his home town.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Just came bit by bit, now and again.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45He was so pleased that it was all over,
0:21:45 > 0:21:51and could get back to a normal life. But he didn't like talking about it.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Televag wasn't wiped out by the Nazis,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04because those who survived returned to rebuild it.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Their new town now stands as a testament
0:22:07 > 0:22:10to the resilience of Norwegian and British resistance
0:22:10 > 0:22:13to the tyranny that stalked these shores.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Our links across the sea aren't just woven into stories of war.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30They're also etched in the landscape itself.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35Further north along the coastline, we're in the heart of fjord country.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Wide openings reveal the start of giant inlets,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42some of which snake over 100 miles inland.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Nick Crane has come to one of Norway's most famous fjords
0:22:51 > 0:22:54to explore a distant connection to our shore.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Would you look at this?
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Geirangerfjord.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09What a view!
0:23:09 > 0:23:11And what a scale!
0:23:14 > 0:23:20This spectacular fjord is nearly nine miles long, and over 700ft deep.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26It looks extraordinary, very different to our terrain at home.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29But there are more similarities than you might think.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33It's almost impossible to imagine
0:23:33 > 0:23:38that the mighty forces of nature that gouged out this landscape
0:23:38 > 0:23:41are the ones that also shaped Scotland.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Our connection to these rocks goes back millions of years.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Here in Norway, we can still see how Britain was built.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55But to do that, I need to go high above the landscape.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06It's an epic story, with action that really is ground-breaking.
0:24:09 > 0:24:15We're heading inland to the uplands, to find out how fjords were made,
0:24:15 > 0:24:20see how the forces that shaped Norway and Scotland are still at work.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30As an amateur geographer this is one of the most exciting days of my life.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36'Ice - the irresistible force that can cut through rock.'
0:24:38 > 0:24:41What an amazing sight, this is like a frozen waterfall.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48This would have been a common sight in Scotland back in the Ice Age.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52What we're looking at is an almost vertical glacier.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58It's carving a U-shaped rocky trench out of the sides of the valley
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and carrying with it lots of rock debris,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04which it will dump further down the valley.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07It's an incredible sight, this is glaciation
0:25:07 > 0:25:10right in front of your eyes. It's happening right now.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23The Norwegian and British coasts are connected by water now.
0:25:23 > 0:25:29But go back 20,000 years, and the link was ice - a giant sheet of ice
0:25:29 > 0:25:33that stretched from Norway to Britain as far south as Norfolk.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41Our landscape still bears the scars of that moving crust of ice.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45It's eroded all but our toughest rock,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47sculpting the peaks of Scotland,
0:25:47 > 0:25:52and gouging the deeply-carved valleys of the Lake District.
0:25:54 > 0:25:58And what's so great about coming to Norway is you can see
0:25:58 > 0:26:03what glaciers in Britain might have looked like 20,000 years ago,
0:26:03 > 0:26:05before our ice melted completely.
0:26:13 > 0:26:19Today, this monumental landscape seems to be at complete peace.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22There's a timeless stillness about it.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26But bits of it are far from still.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34As the glaciers retreat inland, the steep cliffs either side
0:26:34 > 0:26:38of the fjords no longer have anything to prop them up,
0:26:38 > 0:26:43and every so often great hunks of land just fall away,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46down into the fjords.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49The rich vegetation covering the cliff sides
0:26:49 > 0:26:53masks long, potentially lethal fractures in the rock.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Just look at this.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04This chasm has been formed because the mountainside is splitting -
0:27:04 > 0:27:08parts of it are moving at 20cm a year.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10At some point in the next 300 years,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14all this is going to thunder down into the fjord.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Up here on the mountainside, I'm meeting Kjell Jogerud,
0:27:24 > 0:27:28whose job it is to monitor the impending landslide.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- Hello, Kjell.- Hello. - Very good to meet you.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34Yeah. Nice to meet you too.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Can you tell me what is happening to this mountain.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Yes. Er, as you see beneath us here,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45more or less everything you see is moving.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47And when these masses hit the fjord,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50they will transport down to the bottom,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53cross the fjord, and move up on the shoreline up on the other side.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56This mountain will reach the far side of the fjord?
0:27:56 > 0:28:01Yes, yes. And they will set off deposits across all the fjord,
0:28:01 > 0:28:05and create quite a large tsunami.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07- A tidal wave.- Yes, yes.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11As the land slides into the fjord,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14the tsunami will funnel down the narrow channels.
0:28:14 > 0:28:184,000 people live in its devastating path.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22It's not a question of if the tsunami will happen, but when.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26So the Norwegians have rigged this hillside with 300 sensors.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28When the land starts to move,
0:28:28 > 0:28:33they hope to have up to 48 hours' notice to warn everyone in the area -
0:28:33 > 0:28:39by text message, automatic phone calls and sirens.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45The tidal wave will come careering down this fjord, straight ahead here,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48over the top of this ferry and hit Hellesylt behind us.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51The wave is always going to search for open water,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54so some of it will shoot up this side fjord, Geirangerfjord.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57And at the end there, there's nowhere else for it to go.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04At the very end of this fjord,
0:29:04 > 0:29:07there's a little town called Geiranger - home to over 300 people.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10I want to find out why they stay
0:29:10 > 0:29:14when they know that a tsunami is inevitable.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22This is Geiranger, and the head of the fjord.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26When the tidal wave reaches here, it has nowhere else to go.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30A catastrophic wall of water 40 metres high will smash into Geiranger
0:29:30 > 0:29:34and reach the spot where I'm standing now.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38All of these buildings will disappear in an instant.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57One family has lived here for 500 years - almost 20 generations.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02Thomas Grande has his home and camping business right at the water's edge.
0:30:02 > 0:30:07He knows that one day in his lifetime, or his children's,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09or their descendants', the tsunami will come.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Why do you not move to higher ground where it will be safer?
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Er, because we have our roots here.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21We like it very much here.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25It's a good place to grow up, for Noah.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29But when the wave comes, it will destroy your house,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33it will destroy this beautiful bit of foreshore with the grass
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and the ancient barns, the boatsheds, everything will go.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40Yeah. Everything will go, because just materials.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43The most important is that we can get away safely, and that we trust.
0:30:43 > 0:30:49I think we will settle down again and move back and build it up again.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54What does this piece of land mean to you personally?
0:30:54 > 0:30:58I've been walking here since my first steps,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01so it's very important for me.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10I'm really moved by this place,
0:31:10 > 0:31:14by the immense forces of ice and water which shape the fjords
0:31:14 > 0:31:17and which tell us so much about Scotland's early days.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21But I also wonder whether we Britons, who are facing rising sea levels
0:31:21 > 0:31:25and a change in coastline, can't pick up a tip or two from the people there
0:31:25 > 0:31:30who've learnt to adapt to nature's more ferocious moods.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Travel along Geirangerfjord and out to the open sea
0:31:50 > 0:31:54and there's another symbol of Norwegian resilience in the face of adversity.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01Here at Alesund in January 1904, a small blaze started in the town.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05It spread rapidly through the tightly-packed wooden houses.
0:32:05 > 0:32:1110,000 people lost their homes as the entire town burnt to the ground.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13The tragedy shocked the nation,
0:32:13 > 0:32:18spurring them on to rebuild Alesund completely in just three years.
0:32:23 > 0:32:31Nearby, it took six years to build this extraordinary five mile-long expressway, the Atlantic Road.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Eight bridges skim across the sea,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36buttressed by island stepping stones.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41Since it opened in 1989, the Atlantic Road has laid claim
0:32:41 > 0:32:45to being one of the world's greatest driving experiences.
0:32:50 > 0:32:55You don't have to go far off the road to find another curious coastal construction.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Alice Roberts is on her way to Nyhamna,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04to explore a powerful link to Britain.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Just beyond those islands is the North Sea,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17which means that between here and home,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20there's an awful lot of oil and gas.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28Our North Sea gas may be running out,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31but the Norwegians still have big reserves.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36So, like asking the neighbours for a cup of sugar, we've had to come here.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40This massive gas plant could be keeping you warm this winter,
0:33:40 > 0:33:44because it'll be supplying up to a fifth of Britain's gas requirements.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49A fifth of the UK's gas -
0:33:49 > 0:33:54that's the equivalent of supplying the needs of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02The gas lies 74 miles out to sea,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05nearly two miles below the waves.
0:34:07 > 0:34:12It's gathered by platforms sitting on the sea bed, then drawn through pipes
0:34:12 > 0:34:15all the way to the processing plant here in Nyhamna.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21I'm meeting the plant director, Bernt Granas,
0:34:21 > 0:34:26to find out what happens before the gas is piped to us in Britain.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30First of all, we have to get rid of liquids.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And it's a process that starts in these huge pipes here.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37So when the gas comes ashore it's not just pure gas.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41It's sand, it's gas, it's water and it's antifreeze.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And how long does this whole process take?
0:34:44 > 0:34:49From the gas when it arrive here on the beach, until it's on its way to the UK, it's 10 minutes.
0:34:49 > 0:34:5410 minutes? And what about Norway, how much gas is used here?
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- We hardly use any gas at all. - So where do you get your energy?
0:34:57 > 0:35:00We have hydro-electric power and for almost anything here,
0:35:00 > 0:35:05and of course even this plant is running on hydro-electric power.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08So you've got a plant here that's just cleaning up gas
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- for export to Britain, but itself is powered by hydro-electric.- Yes.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16The Norwegians are fortunate.
0:35:16 > 0:35:20They can fulfil many of their energy needs with hydro-electricity,
0:35:20 > 0:35:23so they've hardly touched their gas.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26But in Britain we've become addicted to the stuff,
0:35:26 > 0:35:30so now we're forced to go to extraordinary lengths to get it.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36The gas leaves the plant here and begins its mammoth journey
0:35:36 > 0:35:41all the way to Easington in Yorkshire. 746 miles in length,
0:35:41 > 0:35:46this is the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56So this is it. I can hear it.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01This is the gas you're hearing, gas going to UK,
0:36:01 > 0:36:0470 million standard cubic metres every day,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08making up one fifth of the gas need.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13How on earth do you lay a pipeline of that length across the seabed?
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Well, it's quite impressive technology in a sense that
0:36:16 > 0:36:19it's laid in 12 metre lengths, welded together, one by one,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22and you put it on the sea bed as you go,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25and in the duration of two summers you can do it.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28I can hear this gas rushing through here at the moment,
0:36:28 > 0:36:33- how many more years do we have?- Well, you have at least 40 more years.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36- And are you still looking for more fields?- Always.
0:36:40 > 0:36:4440 years, that's not long.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49The world is facing up to the fact that we need alternative ways to harness energy.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55But perhaps we can find some solutions to our future energy needs
0:36:55 > 0:36:59using something else that we have in common with Norway -
0:36:59 > 0:37:01our very long coastlines.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Wherever a river meets the sea,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09you get a mixture of saltwater and fresh water.
0:37:09 > 0:37:14The Norwegians' novel plan is to generate electricity
0:37:14 > 0:37:19using salt and fresh water via a process called osmosis.
0:37:22 > 0:37:28A good way to observe osmosis in action is to see how an egg
0:37:28 > 0:37:33can be pumped up in size when it is immersed in fresh water.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Here are two ordinary hens' eggs.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41First of all I've placed them both in vinegar
0:37:41 > 0:37:43to dissolve the shells away.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47What is left is a bag of eggy fluid in a membrane.
0:37:47 > 0:37:52All the shell has gone. Now, this one I've left like that as a control
0:37:52 > 0:37:55so we can see how big it was to start with.
0:37:55 > 0:38:03The other egg I put in this glass of pure fresh water for 24 hours,
0:38:03 > 0:38:08and you can just see the difference in size.
0:38:08 > 0:38:09Just look at that.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13So the membrane outside the egg is a semi-permeable membrane,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15it allows water in,
0:38:15 > 0:38:19but it doesn't allow the other substances inside the egg out.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22So this is a good demonstration of osmosis.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26The pressure in this egg is now quite enormous.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40Water went in through my egg membrane making it swell up.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Now exactly the same thing would happen
0:38:43 > 0:38:46if the fluid inside my egg was saltwater.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51It would still swell up because the fresh water is drawn inside
0:38:51 > 0:38:55to dilute the most concentrated salty water.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59The pressure increases inside the egg and harnessing osmotic pressure
0:38:59 > 0:39:05is the novel idea behind the Norwegians' power plant.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09- Hello.- Hi.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12'I'm meeting Stein Erik Skilhagen.
0:39:12 > 0:39:17'He's created a model to show osmotic power in action.'
0:39:17 > 0:39:21We have three chambers with salt water,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24and we have four chambers with fresh water.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28So we've got alternating chambers of fresh and saltwater,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31- and each one is separated by a membrane.- Yes.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35The pressure will increase and then when it gets high enough it has to evacuate somewhere.
0:39:35 > 0:39:41- That's going to come out through these pipes here, is it, and then turn our turbine?- Ja.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50'Inside Stein Erik's clever contraption
0:39:50 > 0:39:55'are four chambers of fresh water and three chambers of salt water,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58'each separated by a special artificial membrane
0:39:58 > 0:40:01'similar to the one around an egg.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07'Between the chambers, osmosis takes place - water forces its way
0:40:07 > 0:40:12'through the membranes from the fresh water into the salt water chambers,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14'and that creates a pressure,
0:40:14 > 0:40:19'eventually forcing the excess water out through these pipes
0:40:19 > 0:40:22'and hopefully turning our model turbine.'
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Starting to get some drips coming through.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35Oh, look at that, off it goes, that's really impressive.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39And the water that comes out here, that is brackish water - mixture of sea water and fresh water.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43So that's spinning around nicely now,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46so if you were to attach a generator to this, you could make electricity.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51We think this is going to be a very good way to produce new renewable energy.
0:40:54 > 0:40:58The pressure osmosis can produce is enormous.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04An osmotic power plant could harness energy equivalent to nearly a 400-foot waterfall.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07By exploiting this completely natural process,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10far more electricity could be generated
0:41:10 > 0:41:15than from a conventional water wheel driven by the same river.
0:41:19 > 0:41:27The model may work, but scaling it up into a renewable resource to rival wind power is a big challenge.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32Full scale power stations are still a long way off,
0:41:32 > 0:41:37but for me, this is surprising and really promising science.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41If the Norwegian prototype works,
0:41:41 > 0:41:44then just imagine what that could mean for the UK.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46We could look forward to a time
0:41:46 > 0:41:49when we could produce clean, renewable energy
0:41:49 > 0:41:52from the fresh water and salt water
0:41:52 > 0:41:55that's so abundant along our coastline.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06To travel along this coast by land,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10you need time to spare and then some.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15To speed up my journey I'm heading for Trondheim.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26I'm not stopping in the port for long,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30this is my springing off point to the far north.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Because Norway is so long and thin
0:42:35 > 0:42:39and has that fiddly coastline with all those fjords,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42it makes more sense to travel by sea than by road,
0:42:42 > 0:42:45so they've got a ferry that travels practically the entire coastline,
0:42:45 > 0:42:49so that's me all the way to the Arctic Circle and beyond.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59This is nice, a bit posher than your average ferry, I must say.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08This is one of 12 ferries that make up a scheduled service
0:43:08 > 0:43:12that the locals call the Hurtigruten, or coastal express,
0:43:12 > 0:43:17and it's a transport system with a special place in Norwegian hearts.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Since 1893, the Hurtigruten fleet of ships has been a reliable way
0:43:21 > 0:43:24to reach some of the most northerly towns and villages.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29In the early years, it was a lifeline
0:43:29 > 0:43:32for the people living in these remote areas.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39Day and night, the ships faithfully ply their way up and down
0:43:39 > 0:43:42the length of the Norwegian coast.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44The Hurtigruten service seems unstoppable,
0:43:44 > 0:43:46even when the weather whips up.
0:43:50 > 0:43:55The oldest ship of the fleet still steams by at an incredible pace.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00That globe on that little island
0:44:00 > 0:44:03marks the start or the boundary of the Arctic Circle,
0:44:03 > 0:44:05so I'm just about to cross it
0:44:05 > 0:44:08and I'm waiting nervously for a siren to blow, actually.
0:44:08 > 0:44:11SHIP'S HORN BLOWS
0:44:11 > 0:44:14That'll be the Arctic Circle, then.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18It's exactly the weather I was expecting, it's the wild north.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26What I wasn't expecting was the arrival of a mythical sea god -
0:44:26 > 0:44:27King Neptune.
0:44:27 > 0:44:33Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Arctic Circle ceremony, King Neptune is here to say hello to you.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37This I don't need.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Right, do your worst, Neptune.
0:44:53 > 0:44:54Evil despot, that's what he is.
0:44:56 > 0:45:03But Neptune's ice-breaker is nothing compared to Norway's most northerly land.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10Beyond even the Hurtigruten's reach is Svalbard.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16Svalbard is a group of Norwegian Irelands
0:45:16 > 0:45:17on the way to the North Pole.
0:45:17 > 0:45:22It's a tough place to live, but polar bears like it
0:45:22 > 0:45:26and so does one Aussie photographer on the hunt for a good bear shot.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40My name is Jason Roberts, I was born in Australia,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43which from where we're sitting at the moment
0:45:43 > 0:45:46is completely the opposite side of the globe.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49I currently live on Svalbard
0:45:49 > 0:45:52which is one of the most amazing places on the planet.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57Adventure and outdoors is the reason why I come to Svalbard.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00No beautiful girl involved.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Unfortunately we're too late for any good shots of the bear
0:46:06 > 0:46:08taking a kill here.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12We're too late for dinner.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21I move from height to height, so the next stop will be up on the coastline.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25We're following the ice edge, we have new ice out from the older ice here,
0:46:25 > 0:46:30and more than movement, we're looking for the wrong colour.
0:46:30 > 0:46:35Bears are more creamy yellow colour than the ice.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47He's just walking, licking the air,
0:46:47 > 0:46:50trying to smell for ringed seal lairs.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54Not fussed about us at all - he knows he's a king.
0:47:00 > 0:47:04Polar bears are generally quite good animals, we spend so much time
0:47:04 > 0:47:07with some bears, you really feel you get to know their personality.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11After many days, after weeks with the same polar bear,
0:47:11 > 0:47:15you feel that you can come and find them two weeks later and say,
0:47:15 > 0:47:18"Hi, good to see you again after last time."
0:47:21 > 0:47:26Svalbard is a place that, like a lot of extreme things, eats into you
0:47:26 > 0:47:30like a virus and it's harder and harder to get away from it,
0:47:30 > 0:47:34and everything else seems so mundane, boring.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Once you get that polar virus in you it's very hard to remove it.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46CAMERA SHUTTER WHIRRS CONSTANTLY
0:47:46 > 0:47:49Totally awesome, totally awesome.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52I could feel the snow around me pound as he went through the lair.
0:47:52 > 0:47:56Hardly ever experience something like that.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00More people have been on the top of Everest than have experienced that.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03Totally awesome.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Back on the coastal express,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20I'm on course to reach my destination -
0:48:20 > 0:48:22the Lofoten Islands.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Few Norwegians get this far north,
0:48:25 > 0:48:28but many are in awe of these mystical islands.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34I can feel a knot of anticipation in my stomach,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36but imagine how, over 60 years ago,
0:48:36 > 0:48:40British Commandos and their Navy comrades felt
0:48:40 > 0:48:44as they steamed, in secret, through these waters in 1941,
0:48:44 > 0:48:49about to take the war to Hitler in Nazi-occupied Norway.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58In the early morning of the 4th of March 1941,
0:48:58 > 0:49:00the Germans occupying the Lofoten Islands
0:49:00 > 0:49:03were utterly unaware of what was about to hit them.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Five destroyers and two ships carrying Commandos
0:49:08 > 0:49:10were creeping up on the islands.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14This was Operation Claymore.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21They came into this harbour at Svolvaer under cover of darkness.
0:49:21 > 0:49:26In early 1941, the German forces were supremely confident,
0:49:26 > 0:49:28the masters of Western Europe,
0:49:28 > 0:49:33but this raid by British and Norwegian forces was the beginning of the fight back.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41Fish oil factories being used to make glycerine for munitions were destroyed.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44German soldiers, officials and collaborators were rounded up
0:49:44 > 0:49:49and the whole operation was filmed to show the folks back home that we were standing up to Hitler.
0:49:49 > 0:49:53'In a daring and highly successful raid, British and Norwegian forces
0:49:53 > 0:49:57'swept down on the Lofoten Islands off Narvik.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02'We sank 18,000 tonnes of enemy merchant shipping and took over 220 prisoners.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06'Stinging blows like this are swinging the war of nerves
0:50:06 > 0:50:09'against Hitler.'
0:50:16 > 0:50:19As the euphoria of success wore off,
0:50:19 > 0:50:23the world viewed the raid on the Lofotens as a vital morale booster,
0:50:23 > 0:50:25but with little strategic value.
0:50:25 > 0:50:30Only a handful of people knew the true significance of this raid -
0:50:30 > 0:50:32how a chance discovery here
0:50:32 > 0:50:36would help change the course of the Second World War.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43While the ships were blazing in the harbour over there,
0:50:43 > 0:50:46a group of brave British soldiers managed to get aboard
0:50:46 > 0:50:49an armed German trawler called the Krebs, which was out there,
0:50:49 > 0:50:52between that big rock and the shore.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56Before it sank, they managed to recover a priceless prize -
0:50:56 > 0:50:58a set of wheels like these,
0:50:58 > 0:51:03top secret rotors from a German Enigma encoding machine.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07Type a letter on the Enigma machine
0:51:07 > 0:51:10and it made these gear wheels rotate,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13producing a message you could only read with another machine
0:51:13 > 0:51:15with the rotors set the same way.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20Not only were rotors captured in the Lofoten raid,
0:51:20 > 0:51:23they also got hold of an Enigma code book.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26All were sent back to Bletchley Park,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29the British code-breaking centre.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32These were vital parts of the puzzle,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35helping finally to crack the Enigma code,
0:51:35 > 0:51:38shortening the war and saving countless lives.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51The Lofoten archipelago is made up of six main islands
0:51:51 > 0:51:55which sit deep within the Arctic Circle.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59These waters aren't as cold as you might imagine -
0:51:59 > 0:52:02they are washed by the warm Gulf Stream
0:52:02 > 0:52:06which attracts huge shoals of cod and the fishermen to catch them.
0:52:09 > 0:52:15The town of Svalvard is dotted with evidence of the boom times of cod fishing.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Huts like these were built to accommodate an army of fisherman,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23thousands of them sleeping two or even three to a bunk.
0:52:23 > 0:52:29They came every winter when the cod in their millions arrived in the waters off the north of Norway.
0:52:32 > 0:52:36With a big bounty of fish suddenly landing in their laps,
0:52:36 > 0:52:37they needed a way to preserve it.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43So the fish were tied in pairs and hung in the air to dry.
0:52:43 > 0:52:48It's an age-old method for making fast food
0:52:48 > 0:52:50that the Vikings knew all about.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Right, then, this is the dried cod.
0:52:59 > 0:53:04Every March, these huge racks are festooned with the fresh fish
0:53:04 > 0:53:06and it dries in the wind.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09This is what the Vikings took with them on their epic voyages
0:53:09 > 0:53:14because once dried, it's preserved and it'll last a long time.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Now, believe it or not, I'm supposed to eat a bit of this
0:53:17 > 0:53:21after first tenderising it by beating it with this hammer, but...
0:53:21 > 0:53:24I've eaten some things in my time, but I draw the line.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26This is beyond rank.
0:53:26 > 0:53:31If this is what the Vikings ate as well as being terrifyingly violent,
0:53:31 > 0:53:35they must have had breath that would stun a monkey.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40The Vikings didn't just keep the dry cod for themselves,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43they traded it with other countries.
0:53:46 > 0:53:49You don't really think of the Vikings as fish salesmen,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53but as Christianity became more and more established in Britain,
0:53:53 > 0:53:57the church began to discourage the eating of meat on Fridays,
0:53:57 > 0:53:59so fish was on the menu instead.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03Of course fresh fish stock started to fall,
0:54:03 > 0:54:05and dried cod was in demand.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Trading cod with countries like Britain
0:54:10 > 0:54:16helped make the Viking rich enough to indulge in some grand designs.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Here in the Lofotens they've reconstructed a Viking chieftain's long house,
0:54:20 > 0:54:25based on evidence from archaeological remains nearby.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29You could say it's the replica of a house that cod built.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32- Hello, Margarethe.- Hello, welcome.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36'Archaeologist Margarethe Rabas is going to show me around.'
0:54:42 > 0:54:46So what happens in here then? It looks like a bit of everything.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50This is what we believe has been the living quarters,
0:54:50 > 0:54:54most of the everyday life has been going on here.
0:54:54 > 0:55:00How many people would have lived and worked in this building?
0:55:00 > 0:55:06It's really hard to say, but an estimate is between 70 and 80 people.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10- That's a big group.- Yeah.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14This is the great hall, and this room has been
0:55:14 > 0:55:18the political and social centre also.
0:55:18 > 0:55:23So, this is the heart, the beating heart of the community here.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25What was found by the archaeologists
0:55:25 > 0:55:27on the actual site?
0:55:27 > 0:55:32They found everyday tools and things like that,
0:55:32 > 0:55:37but also really precious imported items like glass and pottery.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41There was glass imported from Britain found here.
0:55:45 > 0:55:48These artefacts of commerce and conflict
0:55:48 > 0:55:50show there were two sides to the Vikings.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53We know they were war-like,
0:55:53 > 0:55:58but they didn't just come to Britain to raid, they also came to trade.
0:56:03 > 0:56:07The Norwegians have preserved the heritage of their seafaring ancestors
0:56:07 > 0:56:12who reached out from this shore to Britain and beyond.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Records of their voyages were written down in the great Norse sagas.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20Reading about it is all very well.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24But if I really want to find out about how the Vikings got around,
0:56:24 > 0:56:26I've to get aboard one of these.
0:56:26 > 0:56:32This beautiful clinker-built longship is modern, but it's made to an ancient blueprint,
0:56:32 > 0:56:38and the feeling on board is authentic and timeless.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41HE SINGS IN NORWEGIAN
0:56:42 > 0:56:47On a Viking longship on a fjord in Norway, brilliant.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50HE SINGS IN NORWEGIAN
0:56:54 > 0:57:00Listening to the old Viking song, I'm reminded of what we've found on our trip to Norway.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05That memories of our shared histories across the North Sea
0:57:05 > 0:57:10keep this country and our own fundamentally linked.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16Our landscapes shaped by ice...
0:57:16 > 0:57:18our common thirst for energy...
0:57:18 > 0:57:20our reliance on the sea.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27And the bond of blood between seafaring folk
0:57:27 > 0:57:31whose lives have touched in friendship and in war.