elusive moose » Travel and practical stuff

As spotted on the way to Linnekleppen

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:41:47 +0000

Top 5: Things to do around Rakkestad

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:33:53 +0000

- Rudskogen Motor Park: Norway’s largest motor-racing circuit, partly owned by Michael Schumacher, hosts big events throughout the summer, and attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. More info at www.rudskogen.no (Norwegian only)

- Lannem Pottery: One of Norway’s oldest, using local clay exclusively. Their products are on sale through many outlets in Norway, including at Gardermoen Airport and on the Hurtigruen, as well as in the shop here. More info at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/03/11/

- Hiking: The area around Rakkestad is great for hiking. The walk to Linnekleppen fire watch-tower is a popular one, but the whole of the Rakkestadfjella is worth exploring. More info at http://www.elusivemoose.eu/2009/11/18/

- Fishing: There are myriads of lakes of all sizes in the area, making this a great destination for fishing. Two of the largest ones are Frønesjøen and Kløsa, both easily accessible.

- Buer bakkene (Os): A lovely spot along Varteigveien, and a great stretch of road to cycle or go for a drive. Particularly lovely in early summer when wild flowers line the roadside and the ripening crops in the surrounding fields lend colour to this already beautiful landscape.

Refsnes Gods, Moss

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:52:04 +0000

Stay in style – De Historiske

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:45:27 +0000

Want to treat yourself (and a loved one too maybe) to something really special during your trip to Norway? Well why not stay in a historic hotel? This group of hotels (De Historiske in Norwegian) comprises landed estates, country houses, manors, Swiss-style chalets, old coaching inns and many more historic buildings that have been transformed into characterful luxury hotels offering all mod cons in truly stunning surroundings. There are 39 properties to choose from all over Norway. All the hotels in the portfolio have fine dining on the premises, offering a taste of Norwegian culinary heritage, and many also offer cookery classes and wine tasting evenings. Others can also offer spa treatments, golf, ski tours, and more. Not cheap, but well worth splashing out on for a special occasion. Gift vouchers available.

Tel: 55 31 67 60, www.dehistoriske.com

Weather forecast for Norway

admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:55:44 +0000

Wondering what the weather will be like during your upcoming trip to Norway? Check out the forecast on www.yr.no. They have weather forecasts, in both English and Norwegian, for more than 700,000 locations in Norway, so wherever you are, they should cover it. You can see the forecast for the next three days at a glance, or look for a long-term forecast (9 days). They even have a page for stats I discovered recently. I’ve just checked out the entry for Fredrikstad, and found out that during the course of the past 12 months, the lowest temperature was an unusually cold -17.7 °C (9 January 2010) and the highest (on 4 July 2009) a very nice 25°C! Ice cream anyone??

On board the D/S Turisten

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:06:34 +0000

The Halden Canal

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:04:31 +0000

The Halden Canal, part of the Halden watercourse, is one of Norway’s only two man-made canals. Stretching some 80km from Tistedal in the south to the little village of Skulerud in the north, it consists of a series of large lakes connected by short rivers or sounds. The canal, designed by ingenior Engebret Soot, was historically used to float timber, but the last log was lifted out of Lake Femsjøen in 1982, when a 600-year-old tradition came to an end. Today it is used by leisure boats and kayakers, and exploring the area from the water is great fun.

You can buy a map at the Halden tourist office and explore the canal at your leisure, or join an organised tour. Built in 1887, the steamship D/S Turisten, which used to ply these waters but was sinked in 1967 because it no longer was profitable, was hauled up after lying for 30 years at the bottom of LakeFemsjøen. It has since then been completely restored, and a trip on this old-fashioned vessel is quite a special experience. It runs every Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun from Strømsfoss til Tistedal until 11 July, thereafter sister ship M/S Strømsfoss takes over until 22 Aug. Departure at 11am. Price: 290Kr (M/S Strømsfoss)/450Kr (D/S Turisten) return, children under 15 free. See www.turisten.no for more info (Norwegian only).

One of the highlights of a trip along the canal is going through the Brekke Locks, Scandinavia’s highest. See www.elusivemoose.eu/2010/04/brekke-locks-halden/ for more information.

Close to nature…

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:02:54 +0000

Camping in Norway

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:12 +0000

Norway has over 1,000 campsites, with rankings from 1–5 stars, depending on the standard and facilities available. The price for a plot varies from between 100Kr–160Kr, sometimes more, and some campsites apply additional charges per person too. If you’re planning on using a campsite for more than a couple of nights, it might be a good idea to get hold of the Scandinavia Camping Card, which entitles the bearer to special discount deals. The card is available online, and from participating campsites in Norway, as well as Sweden, Denmark and Finland. It can be used in those countries too. Many campsites also rent out hytter (cabins). Most are basic, but are usually well equipped, with cooking facilities and electricity, and can sleep up to 6 people, making this a good alternative if you’re travelling in a small group. A very tempting option on a rainy day too! Most campsites are open from 7am to 11pm in high season. The larger ones tend to have someone on duty 24 hours a day.

Offsite camping (camping sauvage) is permitted in uninhabited areas (but please note, not lay-bys), and is probably the cheapest way to holiday in Norway, if you are prepared to do without modern conveniences. You must keep at least 150m away from the nearest house or cabin. If you’re intending to camp on farmland, remember to ask the farmer for permission beforehand.

For further information on camping in Norway, log onto www.camping.no, or check out www.nafcamp.com/en/

Wooden Boat Festival, Halden

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 17:50:46 +0000