I have occasionally posted images from the family cabin that I share with my three sisters on Norway's southern coast. Recently, it was suggested to me that I should post a picture diary to share the beauty and tranquility that can be experienced there. Well, here it is!
Have a seat and enjoy:
(above shots from earlier summers)
Bigger versions of images: "Right click", then "Open in new tab".
I recently returned to NYC after 2+ months back in Norway. Initially, I spent a couple of weeks in Oslo and then some days with friends in the mountains [it was Easter, the holiday when every true Norwegian will head for the mountains in search of a few more days of winter and the worship of skiing]. Then, on April 1, I set course south to the cabin, a 2-hr drive from Oslo. The intent was to stay for at least 5 weeks. It ended up being almost 7. Spring was unseasonably late this year, about 3 weeks later than normal. In a normal year, most, if not all snow would be gone by the beginning of April. However, this was the view that met me as I walked on to the front veranda:
Winter wonderland
It felt like being back up in the mountains. We normally associate snow and ice with the dark season, especially at such northern latitudes. The cabin lies at a latitude of just above 59° north - for comparison, Junau, Alaska is located just north of 58°. But in April, we are already past spring equinox and the days quickly get longer.
Sunrise on 2 April occurred at 6.44 am (which would be 5.44 am if not for DST):
Sunrise at 6.44 am
The peace and quiet is almost complete at this time of year. There is a handful of other cabins close by, but most people do not open them for the season until some time in May. My pleasure was to sit on the veranda and watch the sun make its way to the west (if sunny), some days wrapped up in a woolen blanket. Most of April was also unseasonably cold, with frost many nights and daytime temperatures rarely climbing beyond 50 F (10 C). I enjoyed the changing light and looked for true signs of spring, but they were slow to arrive this year. Some birds were ready for courtship and nesting, but all through April there were hardly any insects or fresh vegetation for feeding.
Another early morning, moon is up, sun will be up in another 40 minutes
One day, I finally made my way down to the dock for a survey. I had avoided it because the snow and ice made the path down close to unnavigable.
The ice has done some damage, not too bad, though
Am I at a mountain resort?
Steep climb back up to the cabin (peeking out up centre)
And then, on 11 April, more snow.
We got accumulation of 4-5 inches almost halfway through April! Highly unusual. Fortunately, the next few days were milder and the fresh snow quickly disappeared. The ice on the fjord was more resilient, though. I spoke with some locals who mentioned that the ice was two feet thick at the end of March - you could land a jumbo jet on it.
If you look carefully at the icy image up towards the top you'll note a little bit of open water just above the centre of the image. Warmer surface water from the open seas comes through the sound which leads out to the ocean. This fjord is very protected with only two very narrow outlets to the sea (map further below). The area of open water barely increased in size for weeks, due to the cold nights. Then, finally, on April 20 changes became more apparent.
April 20 at noon
April 21 noon
April 22 at 3 pm
April 23 at 10 am - all gone
During the same days, the first spring flowers finally also made their much delayed arrival (I don't know the English names for the two anemone species):
Hepatica nobilis [Anemone hepatica]
Coltsfoot (Tussilago Farfara)
Anemone nemorosa
And nesting can start:
By 24 April, we had gained more than an hour of light in the morning compared to when I arrived (as well as an hour in the evening). Sunrise at 5.39 am. By the time I left on May 18, the sun was up by 4.50 am and would set at 9.45 pm. The nights no longer get fully dark from late April unless there is a cloud cover. [At summer solstice, it is 19 hrs between sunrise and sunset, the sun gets up around 3.50 am and sets around 10.50 pm.]
Not much foliage yet, though. The first true leaves only appeared on May 12 - the (European) Rowan.
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
A short week later there had been a major transformation. The temperature was suddenly in the high 70s and I was sorry that I have to leave. People appeared at the neighboring cabins, on the 18th we hit 80 F, but my bookings were made and I had to wrap up my stay.
The landscape on the southern coast is quite different from the image many foreigners have of Norway. I guess most people associate Norway with the famous fjords of the west and north coast. Breathtaking views of snow-clad mountains and impossibly steep cliffs that meet the narrow inlets from the open sea.
Like this ('borrowed' images):
Pulpit Rock
But the kinder, softer landscape of the south certainly has its charm.
I had no boat available to me this time, so I’ll include a few pictures from last and previous summers showing a bit of what can be experienced once you can navigate the local fjords and inlets.
First a map:
You will notice just how craggy and fragmented the coastline is. Thousands of skerries, islets and islands protect the coastline. We call it skjærgården, which translates to "the skerry guard". The long, thin island closest to the open sea is known as Jomfruland. Right next to it, to the north-east is Stråholmen, both are among my favorite destinations for a boat trip. The cabin is located on the almost fully enclosed fjord due north from the northern tip of Jomfruland (you can probably see a narrow outlet, the other one is so narrow it does not show up at this resolution). [For scale: Jomfruland is about 7.5 km (4.5 miles) long.]
Visiting Stråholmen:
Can you say bucolic?
View from inside the sheltered dock
Jomfruland rising out of the sea
At Jomfruland:
Most of the island is an end-moraine from the last ice age - all rolling stones
Somewhere in the Mediterranean? Nope - Jomfruland!
The closest town is Kragerø
The London-based newspaper The Independent, published an article on Kragerø stating that "When Norwegians want to get away from it all they head for Kragero. Forests, fjords and islands await them at the place where Edvard Munch found peace and relaxation."[1] Edvard Munch fell in love with Kragerø in his time, and called it "The Pearl of the Coastal Towns"
Diarist with the two young asklets in Kragerø last August.
As you surely can tell, I love spending time at the cabin and in its environment. The seasons, the landscape, the ever changing light - quite incomparable. Hope you enjoyed!
