elusive moose » Østfold

Shopping in the archipelago

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 07:54:42 +0000

På låven, Hvaler

admin — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 07:51:40 +0000

Hvaler is not reknown for its shopping, but there is one place worth checking out if you’re after original clothes and gifts – På låven on the island of Vesterøy, the first island you come to after crossing the bridge over Puttesund. Ideally located in a restored barn (hence the name), this charming shop has a great selection of clothes and footwear for both children and women, as well as gifts big and small, and a range of home decoration items in romantic, rustic style. Don’t be all that surprised if you encounter a hen roaming freely in one of the rooms while you browse, they belong to the nextdoor neighbour, and in common with locals and tourists alike, they seem to enjoy stopping by to have a good look around too.

På låven, open Tues-Sat 11am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm during school holidays, after that weekends only until Christmas. Hauge, Vesterøy (take it right at the Esso station and follow signs for Hauge. You’ll see the shop on your right at the crossing for Papper about 3km on). Tel: 93 00 06 09, http://paalaaven.blogspot.com (Norwegian only)

Fancy a swim?

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:13:12 +0000

Foten, Fredrikstad (Beach)

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:07:04 +0000

This cute spot just outside Fredrikstad was voted best beach in Norway in 2006 by VG newspaper, and it is easy to see why. It’s a great place for anyone, from families with young kids who spend the day by the small shallow sandy beach to couples who take over in the evening for a late swim and/or a romantic walk watching the sun set over the Oslofjord, not to mention those coming here for a BBQ between friends, or even to cast a line from one of the many rocky outputs.

There are toilets on site, picnic tables and a kiosk selling drinks and food, as well as a beach volleyball pitch and a diving tower. You have to pay to leave your car at the nearby car park in high season (30Kr) during the day (until 5pm), so make sure you’ve got some change with you. There are many hytter (summer houses) in the area, so the place can get a bit busy at times. Go for a walk and explore the surrounding area if you get tired on sunbathing after a while – going to the end of the peninsula only takes about half an hour, and from there you’ll have great views of the fjord and surrounding islets.

How to get there: From Fredrikstad follow Rv110 towards Ørebekk, then left at the roundabout towards Gressvik. Follow Rv117 (Vikaneveien) for a few kilometers towards Vikane until you see a Kiwi supermarket on your left. Take it left towards Øyenkilen and follow signs for Foten from here. If you’re using public transport bus no.302 runs between Øyenkilen and Vikane/Fredrikstad pretty much every hour daily (see http://www.ostfold-kollektiv.no/userfiles/302.pdf for timetable).

Untitled, by Ana Luisa Rébora

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:06:20 +0000

From Mexico to Norway – Ana Luisa Rébora

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:02:05 +0000

Another local artist whose work I love. I was actually very tempted to buy one of her paintings at the exhibition she had at Soli Brug, Sarpsborg, a couple of years ago – it was a rather big painting of a group of people by what looked like a huge waterfall, in shades of blue, browns and white – reminded me of Gullfoss in Island, very atmospheric, and just beautiful! Only the price tag (around 10,000Kr if I remember correctly) stopped me Anyway… When I say local artist I mean an artist based here, by the way, because Ana Luisa comes from Mexico originally, but Norway has been her home for the past 10 years – she now lives in Eidsberg, Indre-Østfold, although she still spends the winter in Mexico whenever she can. Her husband grows and sells organic Christmas trees, while she paints in her studio. Check out her work at www.analuisarebora.com or even better, visit her exhibition at Gallery Stallen in Gamlebyen, Fredrikstad, which is on until 30 July.

Evening walk in the Old Town

admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:54:27 +0000

Did you know? About Fredrikstad

admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:52:29 +0000

- Edvard Munch’s mother, Laura Cathrine Bjølstad, was born in Fredrikstad in 1837. She married Edvard’s father, Christian Munch, in 1861. He was twice her age. They had five children together, including Edvard, before Laura died of tuberculosis in 1868. She was only 31 years old. Edvard was five. His mother’s premature death, which was followed by that of his favourite sister a few years later, was to have a profound impact on his life and career.

- The city was named after the Danish king Frederik II in 1569. Fredrikstad is also known locally as ‘Plankebyen’, because the town was once one of Norway’s main exporters of timber.

- Fredrikstad, with its 73,600 inhabitants, is the main town in Østfold, as well as Norway’s 6th largest.

- Fredrikstad Football Club, FFK, were Norwegian football champions nine times, although their last victory dates back to 1961. They play at the award-winning Nye Fredrikstad Stadion, which was built on the site of the old shipyard, Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted (FMV).

- In 2005, Fredrikstad was the final host port for the Tall Ships Race, attracting thousands of visitors to the town. The municipality has made another bid, currently under consideration, to host the races again in 2014.

- Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), one of Norway’s most famous polar explorers, was born just outside Fredrikstad in Borge. Amundsen famously beat Captain Scott in the race to the South Pole, reaching his target on 14 December 1911 – or 33 days before his English rival. Today you can visit his childhood home in Borge, where you can learn more about his life and achievements.

- Fredrikstad’s cinema, which opened in 2002, has been voted best cinema in Norway six times in a row.

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.