What Anna's Up to Now

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Snow on the Mountains

So, sorry that it has been a while since I last posted! We've had a lot of rain here lately and I've had some medical issues that I'm coping with thats been slowing me down. Anyway, finally had a sunny, beautiful autumn day today and felt good enough to exert some energy, so I took a walk around Torfjell and about the old summer farms nearby. The mountains now have their first dusting of snow for the season. The summer farms were a large part of the old Norwegian agricultural society, they were used by the maids who tended to the sheep in the mountains during the summer months away from the men and older women who stayed back at the homestead. There are some that are hundreds of years old that are still standing alongside many new hytte (or vacation cottages).

Torfjell with "new" snow.

Boathouses new and old

Note mix of Summer farms and hytte on hillside

Beautiful hytte

Old "Summer Farmhouse" and it's outhouse

Hiker enjoying the last of the warm days

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Eidfjord, Vøringfossen and Kjeåsen

Eidfjord is in the innermost part of the Hardangerfjord. There is a nature center there which has a very impressive scale model of the region, as well as exhibits about the lifestyle and culture of the inhabitants, the reindeer herds and the trout fishing operations.

Yes, this is a goat on the roof of a shop, that's how they keep the grass on the roof trimmed.

Children's Hardanger Bunad (regional rural garments of Norway)

Norwegian sweaters for sale!

Herd of stuffed reindeer in the exhibits

Dramatic scenario exhibit!!!

Statue of Viking huntsman in the exhibits

Next on the agenda was an overlook to see Vøringfossen, a magnificent waterfall with a 182 meter vertical drop. They have a nifty hotel built by the overlook and there are some very nice walking areas. The landscape is very interesting and since its is so close to the tree-line, there are remarkable types of vegetation that is only seen higher above sea level.

Bare birch trees speckle this landscape since autumn has already seemingly come and gone.

View walking up to the overlook.

Lingonberries grow wild around here, as do crowberries, blueberries and the sweetest raspberries I've ever had.

Bare birch trees

Vøringfossen

After the waterfall, I went to Kjeåsen, a mountain-plateau farm which is at least 400 years old and lies close to the treeline, 530 meters above the fjord. It has been called the world's most "inaccessible" farm and up until the 1970s the only way to reach the farm was a step vertical climb of bare rock-face up the side of the mountain. There has been at least one book written about the family who lived up here and the stories are fascinating. Apparently, if someone was old, they would decide when to descend the mountain so as not to put their loved-ones through the inconvenience of removing their body from the farm if they were to die up there. For some more information the wiki page is: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Kjeåsen&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8. Hit the first "result" and "translate", can't seem to get the link to work directly.

View from the farm

Old farm buildings dating back to the 1600s.

More to come, I'm sure, when I'm not working and if money allows. =)

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Excursion within the Øystese-region

Went for a drive in the region surrounding the town of Øystese this Sunday afternoon and took the dog. Above he is seen terrorizing some poor sheep. Below are three more videos, the first being a view from a nice vantage point overlooking the fjord and the second and third are "driving" shots. Again SORRY, the video quality is awful! Thanks to my gimp-camera.

Next are some photos. Please forgive the volume of animal-photography. There are animals everywhere, you see. And they tend to be more photogenic than I am, so I rather have them in the pictures "for perspective" than my awkward form.