Archive for April, 2010
Golfing in Østfold
Fancy a round of golf now that spring’s here. Well you’ve come to the right place. Østfold’s got many greens, so you’re bound to find one that suits you, whether you’re a seasoned player or a new beginner. Here are some of the options:
- Borregaard Golfklubb: Established in 1927, this is one of Norway’s oldest greens, with 9 holes, and an ideal location by the Glomma River. Hagebyveien 52, Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 12 15 00, www.borregaardgk.no
- Skjeberg Golfklubb: One of Norway’s best kept courses, established in 1986. 18 holes by Isesjoen. Off Rv111 (Iseveien) in Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 13 91 00, www.skjeberg-golfklubb.no
- Øya Golfpark: Pay and play, ideal for beginners, 18 holes. Nordbyveien 210, Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 14 95 50, www.oyagolfpark.no
- Østfold Golfsenter: Scandinavia’s largest indoor golf centre. Industriveien, Sarpsborg. Tel: 69 15 60 40, www.golf-senter.no (indoors)
- Evje Golfpark: One of the best golf courses in Norway. Evjetangen 15, Dilling. Tel: 69 26 27 00, www.evjegolf.no
- Onsøy Golfklubb & Golfbane: An 18-hole course of international standard through woods and parkland. Clubhouse and restaurant. Golf tuition arranged. Open all year round, closed Mondays. Golfsvingen 1, Manstad. Tel. 69 33 91 50, www.onsoygk.no
- Hvaler Golfbane, Skjærhalden: On the island of Kirkøy, 9 holes. After driving through the tunnel, take it left past Hvaler Church on Rv 501 towards Sandbrekke Gjestegård. Tel: 90 95 99 00, www.hvalergk.no
- Fredriksten Golfpark: 18 holes within the grounds of the Halden Fortress. Iddeveien 35. Tel: 69 17 65 56, www.haldengk.no
- Askim Golfpark: Two 9 hole-greens, one of which is pay and play, on a varied terrain. Trøgstadveien 67. Tel: 69 88 26 66, www.askimgolf.no
- Mørk Golf: Green card required, 18 holes, 9 holes and a 6-hole green for kids. Mørkveien 797, Spydeberg. Tel: 69 83 33 30, www.morkgolf.no
Unfortunately none of the above websites are in English, but most Norwegian speak good English, so if you ring you should be able to book tee time over the phone.
Did you know? About Indre-Østfold
Posted by admin in Uncategorized on April 23, 2010
- There are several hydro-electric power stations along the River Glomma, and the ones in Indre-Østfold are among the oldest in Norway. Vamma in Askim is the largest of its kind in the country.
- Saxophonist Jan Garbarek, one of Norway’s best-known musicians, was born in Mysen in March 1947. He was the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war and a Norwegian farmer’s daughter.
- Traces of settlements found at Høgnipen in Degernes, Rakkestad, date back to the Stone Age (around 10,000 years ago) and are the eldest found in Norway. Sea level was then much higher, and Høgnipen was an island – local people used to fish here.
- Risen Grotte in Marker is a very special place. The cave, which took 10 years to build, is made or rock and timber only, and there is no electricity – instead the cave is lit up by no fewer than 600 candles. www.risengrotte.no (Norwegian only)
- Linnekleppen and Haukenesfjellet may be better known, but it’s Slavasshøgda in Rømskog that is, at 336m (1,102 ft), the highest vantage point in Østfold.
- Indre-Østfold has been a centre for motorsport in Norway for many years, and the area has some of the best facilities in the country, including Rudskogen Motor Park in Rakkestad. Michael Schumacher is one of the shareholders! www.rudskogen.no (Norwegian only)
Every (ash) cloud has a silver lining…
You’ve all heard about the volcanic eruption in Iceland, and how it has affected air travel in Europe over the past few days. Chances are most of you will either have been directly affected by all the flight cancellations, or know someone who has. My sister and three-year old nephew had come to visit us here in Fredrikstad, Østfold, for what should have been a week-long holiday, and arrived the day before the Eyjafjallajokull volcano started spitting its troublesome smoke last Wednesday. They were due to travel back the day before yesterday.
Guess what? They’re still here, and will be until tomorrow – when they can then look forward to a three-hour coach journey to Gothenburg, Sweden, followed by a three-hour train journey to Copenhagen, Denmark, and then (the icing on the cake!) a 15-hour car journey back to Geneva, Switzerland. (My brother in law’s coming to get them in the Danish capital, so he will for his part have to undertake a 30-hour non-stop car journey over a two-day period). They’ll also have to fork out over 300 euros for the privilege (and yes, this was the cheapest option we came upon), which their insurance company will probably not cover.
Makes you realise how reliant on air travel we have all become. But that’s still a drop in the ocean compared to how much all this is costing the airlines themselves. After just one week of the widespread disruptions resulting from the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, some industry experts are already saying the impact on the airline industry will be worse than 9/11. Within a few days of the eruption over 300 airports were paralysed across Europe and by Sunday night more than 63,000 flights had been cancelled, report the air-safety agency Eurocontrol. Some airlines have lost over £20m per day (having to reimburse tickets on cancelled flights, but also accommodation and meals from stranded passengers in their thousands), and there are concerns that weaker airlines might be unable to last out the crisis. Not good.
But every cloud, even a big volcanic ash one covering almost all of Europe, has a silver lining. This incident has turned into a good PR exercise for Jens Stoltenberg, Norway’s Prime Minister, it seems. Stoltenberg was stranded in New York City after the ash cloud closed European airports, during which time he governed his country with the help of his new iPad (trendy guy or what?), then had an epic trip back to Norway via Spain and Switzerland, including a long car journey (well, at least the embassy was picking up the bill for his!), during which he made good use of social media, tweeting his thoughts and engaging in a lively debate with his followers, as well as making new friends on facebook. The story was picked up by the British and US press, and some say this is the best PR for Norway since the Lillehammer Olympic Games. A slight exaggeration surely, but there’s no bad publicity, right?
Personally I can’t say I’ve had much time to catch up on the news, tweet, check my facebook account or do much else these past few days, as I’ve been busy entertaining a three-year-old little boy round the clock and trying to find alternative travel arrangement for my sister. But I read about the Jens Stoltenberg’s story on www.newsinenglish.no, a great resource for anyone wanting, well, Norwegian news in English… 
Thought it might be of interest to you too. Apologies for the long silence, I’ll resume updating this blog shortly. Well, as long as the Swedish rail workers don’t decide to go on strike tomorrow that is!
The King of the Forest
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on April 15, 2010
A few facts about the moose
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on April 15, 2010
The moose (alces alces) is the largest species in the deer family, and is known as ‘the King of the Forest’.
In 2007 there were 120,000 moose in Norway.
All moose are herbivores and eat many types of plant or fruit. The average adult moose needs to consume 9,800 calories per day to maintain its body weight.
An adult moose stands 1.8–2.1m (6–7ft) high at the shoulder. Males weigh 380–720kg, females 270–360kg.
The moose has long, thick brown fur. The hair is hollow, which helps keep the moose warm. The moose also has long legs. Its front legs are longer than its rear ones – this helps it jump over fallen trees and other obstacles in the forest.
Only males (called bulls) have antlers. These can reach up to 1.8m (6ft) across, although 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft) is more common.
The mature bull drops its antlers after the mating season each year to conserve energy for the winter. A new set of antlers regrows in the spring. Antlers take three to five months to fully develop. They initially have a layer of skin, called ‘velvet’, which is shed once the antlers become fully grown. The velvet has blood vessels in it that deliver nutrients that help the antlers grow.
The moose is active in the day, especially at dawn and dusk. It has very poor eyesight but good hearing and an excellent sense of smell. It is a very good swimmer and can swim as fast as 10km (6 miles) an hour. On land they can run up to 56km (35 miles) an hour over short distances, and trot steadily at 32km (20 miles) an hour.
Moose are not usually aggressive towards humans, but can be provoked or frightened to behave with aggression, especially when they have youngs around. And although moose actually attack more people than bears and wolves combined, it’s usually with only minor consequences.
Moose collisions with vehicles and trains, on the other hand, cause more damage to property and injuries to people, sometimes even death. The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten estimated in January 2008 that some 13,000 moose had died in collisions with Norwegian trains since 2000. That’s a lot of dead moose every year – please remember that when driving on remote country roads at dusk (the time of day when you’re most likely to hit one).
Highest in Scandinavia
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors, Photos and videos on April 13, 2010
Brekke Locks, Halden
Posted by admin in Nature and the great outdoors on April 13, 2010
Did you know that Scandinavia’s highest set of locks could be found in Østfold, a few kilometres east of Halden? The four locks at Brekke, on the Stenselva along the Halden Canal, have a total elevation difference of almost 27m.
In summer many people kayak along the Halden Canal, one of Norway’s only two man-made waterways, which is also plied by small leisure boats. Going through the locks, which are still manually operated, is a highlight of the trip. You can watch the action every day, from early June to mid-Aug, at 10am, 2pm and 5pm, when the locks are in operation.
Brekke Hydroelectric Power Station is nearby. There is also a flood tunnel on the north side of the locks. The tunnel has a capacity of up to 150 cubic metres per second, and is used to regulate water levels in extreme conditions.
How to get there: From Halden centre, follow Rv21 towards Tistedal. Continue on the Rv21 for about 5km – when you’ll see a sign for Brekke on your left. Take it left – the locks are about 2km away on that dirt road (Asveien).
More info at www.haldenkanalen.no (Norwegian only)