WELCOME TO HARSTAD

Some basic information before arriving in Norway

On Friday 14 February 2014 16 students from Escola Massana will arrive in Harstad for a 10 days mobility exchange, that means they are staying with their host students at Stangnes videregående skole (upper comprehensive school) . Here are some basic information for the students before arrival in Norway.

Arrival:

You will arrive at Harstad/Narvik airport Evenes on Friday 14 February in the evening.  Evenes is a small airport and is not busy. Teachers will meet you there and will give some of you a lift in the school bus. A few host families will be at the airport and give lifts as well. The remainder of you may have to take the airport bus which leaves shortly after your plane has landed. You will be taken to your host family either directly from the airport or after arrival at the meeting point in Harstad. There will be a welcome meeting for everybody on Saturday morning.

Departure:

Your plane leaves at 6.40 am so you have to be at the airport by 5.40 am, which means that you have to leave Harstad latest at 5.00 am. Your host family or the school bus will take you there. There is also an airport bus which corresponds to your flight, which leaves at 4.50.am from Harstad Bus Station. It arrives at Evenes at 5.40 am.

Temperature:

An average temperature in Harstad (February 2013): -1,8 C, normal -2,6 C.

Maximum temperature (February 2013): + 6,8 C. Minimum temperature (February 2013): -10,3. More information here. It means we have a mild winter, but there may be one or more cold days. If it is cold we will make sure that nobody gets extremely cold and we will organize our outdoor activities according to weather conditions.

Precipitation:      

Average (February 2013): 81,6mm with normal 80,0 or more (per month).

Max within 24 hours (2013): 14,5 or more.

Most of precipitation is snow (temperature below zero), but there can also be rain (temperature above 0). It seldom snows when it is very cold.
January 2014 has been the "driest" January in about 80 years, with just 1,8 mm snow falling down, the normal for January is 85 mm. On 1 February 2014 it was about 10-20 cm of hard icy snow at the school area. In the surroundings of Harstad it was a maximum of 50 cm snow, enough to go skiing in prepaired ski tracks.

You will find Norwegian weather forecasts for Harstad at yr.no

Clothing:              

You must bring good winter boots, warm outdoor trousers, a sweater, a thick jacket as well as woolly socks, a hat, woolen gloves and mittens (thinsulate). You will be able to borrow some of the clothes mentioned above if necessary.

If you have any, you can bring an additional pair of trousers to wear as the outer layer; or bring polar underwear (woolen long Johns).

If you get wet or cold during your work with snow, it is possible to go inside the school building (50 meters away) and get warm and dry.

Host family:         

You will live with one of our pupils’ family during your stay in Harstad. You will have your own bed, and maybe your own room. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided. All houses are well-equipped. The indoor temperature is higher than in Catalan houses. We use electricity, heat pumps or wood burners to warm our houses. It may be a good idea to bring an additional pair of socks, slippers or indoor shoes to wear at home.

Meals:   

Breakfast: It is common to eat a big breakfast at home before going to school. Alternatively you can eat it when you get to school (8.00-9.00).

Lunch: Lunch lasts 30 minutes, between 11.00-12.00.It is common to bring a packed lunch from home or buy something to eat in the school canteen. Remember that Norwegian prices are a bit higher than Catalan prices, something to drink and a baguette may cost as much as 50 NOK ( 6-7 EUR). A warm meal for lunch is not common in Norway.

Dinner: Usually around 4.00-5.00pm, when the working day is over. It consists of a Norwegian traditional warm meal or more continental varieties are more and more common. On the picture you see a traditional norwegian dinner with fresh cod, cod liver, cod roe, and potatoes.

Supper:  It is normal to eat a light meal in the evening.

Transport:

All pupils who live far from school take a bus but no matter where you live there is always a bus you can take to school. We will provide you with a bus pass, which you can buy at a discount. The bus pass can be used in the afternoons and weekends, but you should make sure that it is always topped up with money. Your host families will provide you with bus timetables. More about local bus transport here.

In the afternoons we will use our school bus and private cars to give you a lift to school activities.

School:  

Stangnes upper comprehensive school is located a bit far away from the centre of Harstad, in the district called Stangnes. Most students take buses to get there. Buses go every 30 minutes from the centre of the town. From other municipalities the bus service may be not so frequent.

At the school canteen you can buy your lunch.

More about the school here.

Town centre:      

Harstad is a little town and it is easy to find your way around. You will get a little map of the town and surrounding area to find your way about. 
You will find more touristic information at the website of Destination Harstad, here.

Program:
Morning:     We are at school from 8.00 am to 3.00 pm from Monday to Friday. 
                      (Have a look at our program)

Afternoon:   In addition to ordinary school days there will be 2-3 organized events in the afternoons. These will be arranged either indoors or outdoors. (Have a look at our program)

                        Otherwise you and your host will be able to plan your afternoons yourselves.

Weekends:    Saturday 15 February and Sunday 16 February the school will make its own arrangements for you. Sunday 23 February we plan a tour in the surroundings.

For further details, have a look at our day-to-day-program! 
The picture shows a student in freestyle at the school's ski day in April 2013.

Prices in Norway:

Food, beverages, entrance fees etc are higher in Norway than in Spain.  Here are some examples:

School canteen (picture): 0,5 liter orange juice NOK 20;   0,5 liter coke light NOK 25;  a big baguette NOK 40. The prices at the cafes are similar.

Currency rate : 1 EURO= 8 NOK;   100 NOK = 12 EUR