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 Kjelatind rises above waters
of Kjelavatnet by mtncorgLeave a Comment
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 Towards Roldal over
Roldalsvatnet by mtncorgLeave a Comment
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The Lodal's catastrophes are remembered by a monument placed outside the Loen church.
In 1905 and 1936 large parts of mountain fell into the fjord waters and the waves formed flooded the villages killing locals and tourists.
The monument consists actually in two stone slabs on which the names of the victims are written.
The most interesting part is that almost all the persons killed in 1905 had the same surnames, the names of the villages.
In the second catastrophe to the names of the local people were added also the names of the tourists on a cruise ship anchored in the harbour.
Inside the church, on a board, copies of newspapers dating from the years of the catastrophes are displayed.
For more details, visit my Loen and Kjenndalbreen page.
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Important part of Norway's stunning landscape, the mountain rivers beds seem to be filled with milk instead of water.
This special colour of Norway's rivers in fjords area is to due to the fact that the rivers have been formed through glaciers thawing.
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Skårsvatnet is situated in Hordaland county in western Norway - ca 5 km from the small town of Øystese, direction Fyksesund.
The quite large lake gets is nickname from the large population of golden orfe (Leuciscus idus) living in the lake - the "goldfish" were introduced to the lake in 1914, and are the only fish of this type found in the wild in Norway. The golden orfe is commonly seen in ponds in parks and gardens, but it is a rare species in the wild in Europe. The silver-coloured variety (also found in Skårsvatnet) is more common. The fish is quite large, it usually grows to ca 30-40 cm, and you'll see loads of them in the lake.
How did the fish get here? Doctor Klaus Hansen from Bergen (His brother, Armauer Hansen, discovered the lepra bacillus) was working in the district of Kvam together with the local doctor - who mentioned that Skårsvatnet was completely devoid of fish. Klaus Hansen arranged for two milk pails with golden orfe to be sent to Øystese by steam boat, and released the fish into the lake. The fish probably came from the pond in Nygårdsparken in Bergen - but the golden orfe in this park died out during some unusually harsh winters in the 1920s.
You can go for a swim among the goldfish, and there's a lovely area for picnics and barbecues by the lake - but fishing is *not* permitted....;o)
How to get here:
Drive the *very* narrow, steep and winding road from Fyksesund bridge - it's a 3-km drive from the bridge. A sign by the bridge says Gullfiskvatn; Goldfish Lake. Leave a Comment
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Herdla is yet another lovely little island (only 1.6 square km), situated to the north of Askøy, a 45-minute drive from Bergen in Hordaland county in the western part of Norway. Askøy is the island you'll see just across the fjord from central Bergen. (Stand at the fish market and look out over the bay - across the fjord you'll see the southern part of Askøy... :o)
Parts of Herdla are a nature reserve, well known for its many species of birds (about 220 species have been registered here). Paths in the area make the lovely, flat fields and gravel beaches of Herdla and the nature reserve just perfect for a leisurely walk... :o) The flat landscapes of Herdla differ quite significantly from the rest of Hordaland county - most of Herdla was formed by the end moraine of a large glacier, during the latest Ice Age.
During WW2, Herdla was used as a military base by the German Luftwaffe, and you can still see their old landing strip here, as well as ruins of military installations. Visit Herdla Museum to learn more about the nature and history of this area - there's also an exhibition about the WW2 German airbase. See the link below for more info about the museum.
At Herdla you'll also find a small golf course (6 holes), a café beautifully situated by the sea (Herdlevågen Gjestehus, which also offers rooms for rent), and a quite interesting church that was rebuilt in 1861 after a storm ruined the old 12th-century one. Fishing opportunities are excellent at Herdla - hire a boat or go fishing from the shore. For some more info about this island, please have a look at my little Herdla page.
To get here: cross the Askøy bridge and drive as far north as you get on Askøy, then cross the small bridge to Herdla... ;o) The drive from Bergen to Herdla takes ca 45 mins. Leave a Comment
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Last time I was in this area was appr. 30 years ago! The pictures are taken by my brother on his way to visit our sister, winter 2003.
You could make this a part of a round trip Trondheim, Støren, Røros, Tydal, Selbu, Hell, Trondheim like I did in the 1970's, or on your way north instead of driving the main road E6 between Oslo and Trondheim or the faster route RV3 Oslo, Elverum, Ulsberg, Trondheim. But I do suggest that you stay a while! This area is spectacular both summer and winter. There are great opportunities for hiking on both sides of the swedish / norwegian border, many lakes with fishing / boat rental possibilities, several camp sites and a mountain hotel in Stugudal, there is a southern sami population and there are lots of cultural and historical sights along / close to the route.
How to get there:
From south: E6 from Oslo, Road no 3 from Stange to Tynset (or turn right onto no 30 at Koppang), no 30 to Røros where you should make a long stop to see this old mining town which is on the Unesco World Heritage list. From Røros take road no 31 to Brekken, then 705 from Myrmoen to Tydal. Leave a Comment
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 Norway's flowers by Diana75
I have found a surprisingly colourful Oslo due to the beautiful flowers planted all over the city.
I always had the impression that Norway is a cold country and due to the weather there was no place for flowers.
But even the smallest village had wonderful flowers planted on the road curb, out camping in the fjord was practically floaded by flowers and on the mountains there were superb wild flowers.
Some of the pictures I've taken are on the flowers travelogue.
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 Røgden lake and an old farm by Rusket
The southern part of Finnskogen is appr. a 2 hours drive by car from Oslo.
See my Svullrya page and travelogues for more info. Leave a Comment
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 Kristin Lavransdatter by Rusket
The farm Jørungård, where Kristin was born, did not exist either, until 1994. It was built for the filming of Kransen, "The (Bridal) Wreath", in realistic middle age style, with 16 buildings and it's own stave church. The film was directed by Liv Ullman, another famous norwegian woman :-)
Jørundgård has become quite an attraction, you can learn (or watch) log notching, smithwork, weaving and other crafts, there is an exhibition of film props and there are concerts, lectures and other activities.
Each year Kristindagene (The Kristin Days) are arranged at the end of june / beginning of july, and a play about Kristin with both professional and amature actors is played in july. It is possible to rent Jørungård for private or business arrangements.
The old pilgrimage route between Oslo and Trondheim, which was reopened in 1997, goes right past the farm:
www.trondheim.com/engelsk/psmaler/eng_2_pictures.asp?thisId=954225278
This part of Gudbrandsdalen is very beautiful, and with close approximity to the national park areas of Jotunheimen, Dovrefjell and Rondane there are great opportunuties for hiking / skiing. The link below is to the municipality of Sel, with several other links to interesting sites. Leave a Comment
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