Finland: Days 4 and 5 in Helsinki

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Our fourth day in Helsinki we spent exploring a bit more of the city. We had a general idea of what we wanted to see. After visiting some shops that specialize in a variety of objects all known for very high quality design, we eventually worked our way back to Market Square where we did not find the one-song accordian player playing. We did, as we knew we would, find the Old Market Building open. It’s a bustling narrow but long building with plenty of food vendors. It was a bit early for lunch so we passed through.

We continued on to eventually find our way to the Design Museum. I don’t have much to say about this museum. I can tell the textile work is of high quality and special in an abstract way but it doesn’t really click for me - too visual. For Mom and Dad it was a treat and well worth the time we spent there.

After leaving our quest for lunch began. That took us a bit farther than we probably wanted before we settled on a place we think is called Gourmet Street Food. It appears to be a collection of restaurants selling various types of food. To date it probably is our best lunch in Helsinki. The ice cream we had from the Helsinki Ice Cream Factory (making ice cream since 1922 - oldest in Finland) was a nice capstone to the meal.

Mom and I took an afternoon stroll over to the Church of the Rock called Temppeliaukio Church. From the literature at the church and the wikipedia article final plans for the church came together in 1961 after an architecture competition in 1961 was won by brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen. The final church - started in 1968 and consecrated in 1969 - was scaled down due to cost but what was built is impressive enough. Excavated from a hill of granite I believe the interior space is about 24 meters in diameter with granite walls ranging from 5 to 9 meters in height before skylight windows climb higher to the copper dome. That dome is sheaved in 22 kilometers of copper tape which permits more light to filter through. There are artificial lights in the ceiling but the space is more than adequately lit by the natural light streaming down. The walls are mostly unworked granite. Water can trickle down, it must be a slow process, to grates set in the concrete floor. These walls and the grand space give the church very good acoustics. While neither Mom or I thought the music playing from the speakers added much to the ambiance of the church we did note that the music filled the space without being loud. There is a different feeling about this church compared to the Chapel of Silence. Both are worth visiting.

We walked down past the Music Center which was rather un-welcoming at least as far as the lobby area went. A final examination of Oodi Library was in order and it really is a building you should stop by to explore inside and out. Then back to the apartment - it’s isn’t as far as we first thought. It was a good way to spend a bit more time during the afternoon and the day would have been overall very good if our Chinese restaurant dinner had been more than just adequate.

••• ••• ••• •••

This is our final day in Helsinki. We have spent the entire time in the city and we are ready to be done. Perhaps we should have taken a day trip to Tallinn, Estonia but we weren’t keen on the 4.5 hours of round-trip ferry travel. Perhaps we should have visited a national park but the enthusiasm wasn’t there. However, we have managed to fill our final day pretty well and it turned out a fine day in Helsinki.

We weren’t hurrying to get out and about. Many places don’t open until 10:00 or later. I’m pretty sure the Botanical Garden (not sure of the name) is one such. It was a fairly straightforward walk to the gardens and when we entered we were in for a nice surprise as the sounds of the city ebbed and the scents, sights, and some natural sounds began to make themselves known.

We strolled through the gardens. The “Sense Garden” was an interesting experience. They’ve put out an assortment of plants people can touch, look at, smell. There is a path you can walk barefoot and get acquainted with you sense of touch through your feet. We somehow missed this path - I would have walked it. As we walked the gardens we were surprised by how many people seemed to be working to keep things clean and growing. A lot is being put into these gardens and that is nice to see.

One thing we like about walking through European cities is you don’t seem to have to travel far to find a cafe that will serve a decent coffee-style drink (if not necessarily a simple brewed coffee) and a nice pastry. The Botanical Garden had a nice little cafe where we were able to enjoy just such food before continuing on our way toward Market Square and the boats that cruise the Gulf of Finland providing 1.5 hour tours. Along the way we passed by the large white church we had seen from afar the first day. One thing we had marveled at here are the large number of large open plazas. This is something you see a lot of in European cities and we are always a bit surprised by them.

Market Square was not as busy as it had been. Perhaps they have a mid-week slowdown. However, the one-song accordion player was present. When we purchased our tickets for our City Canal cruise we asked the people working the ticket counter if he plays anything else - he does not. I hope it turns into white noise for them because if it doesn’t it surely becomes something of an ear worm.

The cruise was a nice way to spend a part of our afternoon. It’s true the provided information comes through in a pre-recorded set of speeches in several languages on too few speakers to easily hear over wind noise, boat engines, people chatting, and everything else. But you get a sense for part of the area that is Helsinki and at least a few of the 300 islands along with the mainland that make up this place. It was a nice cruise and I can see why people like to live here with the comforts of a city and the ability to get away from the city to a peaceful island without too much difficulty.

After the cruise we managed to find a good lunch at one of the food vendors in Market Square. The place that sells sweet and savory crepes was a hit. The ham, cheese, and egg crepe was good but the spinach and feta cheese one was better. After that it was time to head back to the apartment to take a bit of a rest before dinner. We actually did pretty well with dinner too. It didn’t look like much from the outside but Burger Bites produced a good burger. Sometimes simple is best.

Photos

The Helsinki Ice Cream factory has been making ice cream since 1922. The ice cream we had there was pretty good.

—June 27, 2023 at 2:14 PM.

Under this granite dome sits the Church of the Rock. It was excavated in 1968 and work was finished in 1969. There is a coppery green dome on top though it isn’t really obvious here.

—June 27, 2023 at 4:04 PM.

It is a bit distorted because of how I took the photo. The church has a main floor and a balcony where I am standing. It is a grand single space under the copper dome you see above. I believe the diameter of the intereor space is 24 meters and the skylights that surround the dome and let in plenty of natural light sit atop walls of unworked granite that are 5 to 9 meters high. I am not sure how high the dome is. The feel of the space is quite different from that of the Chapel of Silence.

—June 27, 2023 at 4:22 PM.

A view from the other (south) end of the Oodi Library. Here you really get a sense that the building could be a boat sailing a sea of, I imagine, knowledge and creativity.

—June 27, 2023 at 4:45 PM.

We didn’t enter this Lutheran church. What we really reacted too here though is yet another grand plaza. Helsinki, like many European cities, is liberally sprinkled with large open squares such as this one.

—June 28, 2023 at 11:24 AM.

A view of Suolemina from the cruise boat we are on of the now Lutheran church and the lighthouse beacon that sits on its steeple. As we passed we caught a glimpse of the green light emitting four long puleses (Morse code for “H”).

—June 28, 2023 at 12:42 PM.

When you have daytime temperatures that can touch 80 °F now and then and over 20 hours of sunshine and you have some nice sandy beaches you should take advantage of the fine weather.

—June 28, 2023 at 1:31 PM.

Norway & Finland: Day 3 in Helsinki

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It is interesting to compare the climates in places. According to Weatherspark.com:

In Helsinki, the summers are comfortable and partly cloudy and the winters are long, freezing, snowy, windy, and mostly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 17°F to 71°F and is rarely below -3°F or above 79°F.

Which compares to Ann Arbor:

• In Ann Arbor, the summers are warm; the winters are freezing, snowy, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 17°F to 84°F and is rarely below 1°F or above 92°F.

From that cursory overview one would guess Helsinki should be a very nice place to live. Of course, it doesn’t take into account the extreme amount of daylight during the summer months and the extreme amount of darkness that comes during the winter months. During our time here in Helsinki the weather is living up to the general expected climate conditions. Our third day dawned, well before we awoke, with sunshine and pretty clear skies. The day also brought with it a much louder city: the start of the work week and Midsummer Holiday is over.

We planned to explore some other parts of the city. We particularly wanted to see more examples of Finnish architecture and design. First among these was a proper visit to the Chapel of Silence (Kamppi Chapel). We had seen it earlier in the trip but had not been able to go inside. It’s an intriguing looking building from the outside attached to something rather more bland. The church is meant to be a place of silent contemplation in the heart of a bustling city district. I suppose that begins by contemplating and admiring the exterior of the church. If nothing else you will muse on the nature of how perspective changes things. From one vantage point the building appears to be a warm brown handle-less teacup; from another vantage point it is much more clearly an ark or boat. The wooden construction is warm and inviting though if you are like me you will no doubt think it must be terribly dark inside as no windows are visible. Once you walk through the large, silken smooth wooden door you enter a single open space that is surprisingly bright with light entering through from upon high. The inside is spare in its design with pews spread out facing a small silver cross. Along the sides I saw cushions laid out reminding me of small rock gardens. I don’t think you are meant to sit on them. Sit down and be silent; think about where you are in a place designed to help you do that as there are few distractions (oddly while we saw a sign requesting no photography there wasn’t a similar sign asking you to silence your mobile phone). We settled down on a pew for a few minutes of contemplation before taking our leave of this special place.

We strolled to the train station, where we were originally dropped off by our taxi, and took a longer peek inside. LIke so many train stations in Europe this one is grand in design but we all agree we have seen finer. Still if you have to use the place it is best to have a nice place to use and the Central Station certainly does fill that bill.

From there we moved on to the Oodi Library. We were, and this might be correct,thinking of it as the central library for Helsinki. While it may well be the finest library building both inside and outside it certainly doesn’t hold the bulk of the library systems collection. At least we did not see many books. However, if you do find yourself studying there or doing some other form of research or merely taking a break you will be hard pressed to find a better place to do it than this building. It is spacious throughout and while the main floor is nice enough with a fine cafeteria and other things I think the upper floors are where the building shines. The cushions sprinkled about are designed to suck you down and perhaps to nap. There is a section, towards the prow of the building (yes, from the outside looked at properly it can be seen as a ship plowing forward through the sea) there is a grand rising stretch of wooden floor surrounded by fine city views. An exterior wooden deck would be a fine place to relax when the weather is good and we stood outside upon it for a time. The calm of the place is shattered somewhat at the far end by the substantial play area for children. If you appreciate good design a visit to the Oodi Library should be on your agenda.

After enjoying a good hot coffee (take that Strindberg Cafe) and some pastries from the library’s cafeteria we continued on our way. It was time to visit an inland bay. Töölönlahti Bay (or is it just Töölö Bay) is just a few minutes walk across a broad, rather dead seeming, expanse of ground covered plaza. The Finlandia building is here but since it’s undergoing renovation we couldn’t visit. We took a walk around the bay which does have a small inflow from the greater body of water to the east but it doesn’t feel like a bay to me - more of a lake. The wide most paved path provides ample room for walkers, cyclists, and people on scooters. The latter tend to zoom by so pay attention. It is a pleasant stroll around the bay where many species of birds live. A small dollop of nature in the middle of Kamppi which I am sure many find quite welcome. We were in no rush to complete the 2.3km circuit of the bay on what was turning out to be a fine afternoon.

Our day was pretty done after this circumnavigation. We had lunch at the Finlandia Cafe and Wine but while they claim there was no fish or chicken oil in the salad something clearly set my immune system off. We might not have had too much more planned but we went back to the apartment to rest for a couple of hours while the feelings of un-wellness faded. We decided to throw together another pasta and meat sauce style dinner with a simple bit of greens on the side instead of tackling the local restaurant scene.

Photos

THe Chapel of Silence is located by a shopping center that may be at the heart of the Kamppi neighborhood. Is it a teacup or a boat? You decide.

—June 26, 2023 at 10:00 AM.

Perspective matters. Teacup or boat? The chapel is made of wood - oak I believe for the exterior. It is as remarkable inside as it it outside but photography isn’t allowed within. Inside you stand or sit in a warmly lit space surrounded by wood. Light pours in from the roofline. The space does invite you to sit and be quiet with your own thoughts.

—June 26, 2023 at 10:10 AM.

Inside the Oodi Library’s third (I think) floor. This is a great space. At this end a ramp gently climbs to the end of the building. People standing at the peak are easily visible from outside though at the time we did not know that. As you come off the ramp you pass by numerous comfortable chairs and cushions. You will find a play area for children at the far end. The library is a space for study, play, relaxing with a coffee, and making things. It isn’t primarily a place where books are kept - that is just part of the building’s purpose.

—June 26, 2023 at 10:38 AM.

Ken on the ramp. Photo by Jonathan

—June 26, 2023 at 10:39 AM.

A view from one of the ends of the Oodi Library. To me it seems like the building should be plowing through a sea (right). YOu can see the curves of the structure quite clearly on the left.

—June 26, 2023 at 11:32 AM.

Looking north across Töölö (I think) Bay. The paved path is about 2.3km long and circles the bay with just a couple small hills along the way.

—June 26, 2023 at 11:48 AM.

Looking southeasterly across the bay. At this point we saw one of the few birds we would see the whole walk. While the duck isn’t shown here it was busy doing something down by the jetty at the edge of the water.

—June 26, 2023 at 12:04 PM.

Norway & Finland: First Days in Helsinki

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It’s about 1,400 kilometers generally east from Alesund to Helsinki. We spent about 10 hours getting from the exit of Hotel Brosundet to the entrance of our Air B&B in Helsinki. Granted we lost an hour with a time change and a few more hours to waiting in airports so it wasn’t all that bad up until the end in Helsinki going the last kilometer or so. Perhaps the directions to walk here are good and perhaps we were just messed up following the walking directions from Apple Maps and perhaps there were too many cooks trying to make things work. We took a strange route to get here and that meant it took longer than it should have and caused irritation. I think it was well past 17:00 when we finally managed to open the final, of 3, doors and enter the Air B&B. The rest of that afternoon and night we spent settling in and finding the local K-Mart (not the same thing I am sure - think small neighborhood grocery/convenience store) to get some breakfast foods, pasta, and tomato sauce for dinner.

••• ••• ••• •••

We aren’t in love with the Air B&B except for one key feature: the location. It isn’t a bad place in most respects but it’s not the best we’ve been in either. But a lot can be forgiven if the location is good and we are pretty near many thing we want to visit. First up on that list will be walking to the Market Square which is one mile away.

Before I go any further I should note that it seems very quiet around us right now. It turns out that we have arrived in Finland during the Midsummer Holiday. This is pretty much precisely what you are likely thinking it is: a celebration around the Summer Solstice. If Finns can manage to get away and out into nature (as they put it) they do so. They also may go to live events and bonfires. Many places close for the wekend. Perhaps we will manage to go to a Midsummer event but I doubt it. We walked the quiet streets towards the Market Square. We noticed some shops, many restaurants, a few homeless peole, and probably anyone else walking was a tourist. It was a nice enough stroll with a pause at the Strindberg Cafe for a very good almond croissant and so-so coffee.

When we reached the Market Square we found more people. While I am sure most not selling food, drinks, or other stuff were tourists this open-air market is actually used by locals too and is far from a pure tourist trap. If you want to get some fresh fish, baked goods, or fruit this is certainly one place you can count on finding what you need.

We tried reindeer hot dogs and hamburger (not really different from what get back home) with fries.

After wandering the market we took a tram ride around the center of town. This just gave us, over about an hour, a circular well over 13km trip around part of the city.

An aside: with such an active Market Square you would think the city should have public toilet facilities present. Off a side street, behind an unassuming and even a bit shabby seeming door with the letters “WC” painted large upon it, was one such example. You’d have to know it was there to know it was there. Inside Dad and I found two people sitting and doing who knows what. Some sort of staff. Down a flight of steps we soon found off to the left and the right were toilet facilities for women and men. While the entrance to this space was a bit dark and unwelcoming the bathrooms were bright and clean. Perhaps they are marked on some map somewhere - that would be lovely in this age of digital maps.

Back at the Market Square, hours after we dropped our last Norwegian krona in a street musician’s bucket - and he was playing the same Russian folk song still (only thing he plays) - we began our walk back to the Air B&B. We were ready to get off our feet for a little while. After all, we had to contend with dinner still and were not really sure where we would go (settled on Vietnamese cuisine - plenty of food but not that flavorful).

Our second full day we would also spend walking part of the city. We would go to Suomenlina Fortress. This fortress sits on a collection of islands about 4km southeast of the Market Square area. It’s popular for both locals and tourists as it hosts places to stroll, picnic, eat - when restaurants and cafes are open - and of course the fortress. I am sure we just scratched the surface of what we could have learned. To reach the islands, there are I believe 8 though only 6 were fortified, we took a ferry. I haven’t been able to figure out how to buy multiple tickets for public transit on the HSL app so we have used the machines which provide instruction in English. We managed to purchased our €3 tickets (one way). It’s a quick and easy ride.

Departing the ferry we began our exploration pretty much by following the suggested route (mostly). Suffice it to say that we soon found ourselves surrounded by buildings with plenty of history starting with the a church that was built in 1854, over a century after the Swedes began construction of the sea fortress, for the Russian troops garrisoned on Suomenlina (Sweden surrendered the fort to Russia i May 1808 during the Finnish War; Russia held the fort until Finland gained independence in 1917 - though they may not have taken full control until 1920). Great chains surround part of the structure that once were used to block the harbor or so I think we read. Today the church is Lutheran instead of Russian Orthodox and the steeple has a lighthouse that signals (we did not see this) for long flashes on a regular basis (“H” in Morse code, representing Helsinki).

We continued our ramble along the rounded cobblestones. Watch your step especially if the stones get wet. We passed through a great entrance into the Great Courtyard. I tried to imagine what this place was like a couple centuries ago. Too bad it isn’t really doing any re-enacting. Perhaps if we passed by a working smithy or sailmaking shop (both do exist somewhere) it would feel different. We passed many buildings and other things, many closed, and saw mostly fellow tourists.

From a section of the high point of the island we walked by cannon emplacements where many cannon still stood. Underneath many - all? - were bunkers that I expect held gunpowder, shot, and other necessities to serve the cannon. I am guessing but it makes sense to me. As we moved around the top a light rain fell. That rain had started earlier. More than hard enough to ensure you wanted to be sheltered or at least wearing a rain jacket or using an umbrella (both). During part of this time we found our way to Cafe Piper which may be the oldest cafe on Suomenlina. Not a big selection of food. Mom and I settled for sandwhiches; Dad had a nice salmon soup. It is in a nice setting.

All told we spent a few hours strolling the area of this sea fortress. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon even if it was raining some during that time. Eventually we, along with many many others and two cars, piled into a ferry for the return ride to the Market Square dock. The distant lightning did not seem so distant when we arrived and began our mile-long walk back to the apartment. We did make a stop at Stockmann - the largest department store in the Nordic countries - along the way.

We ended our day with a final walk to dinner. The rain had cleared out treating us to lovely blue skies as we walked to Putte’s Bar and Pizza. No ill effects from this neopolitan-style pizza and far less pricey than what we had at Anno in Alesund, Norway just over a week ago.

Photos

Walking down the esplenade we are among the few probably not out in nature celebrating Midsummer. One thing we have noticed is that there are not that many trees. I am sure the city’s central park has forested areas - claims are made about it - but most streets boast planters like you see here.

—June 24, 2023 at 11:12 AM.

Do you want some whole salmon fillets? You can find this and plenty more food in Market Square booths.

—June 24, 2023 at 11:47 AM.

Vegetables of a wide variety. I feel certain that this amount of food is feeding far more than tourists strolling through.

—June 24, 2023 at 11:48 AM.

Strawberries! We bought a bunch of these to be part of our breakfast cereal.

—June 24, 2023 at 11:51 AM.

Underneath this sloping roof sits the tourist information building. Our second building we got to walk to the top of.

—June 24, 2023 at 12:04 PM.

The Suomenlina Church.

—June 25, 2023 at 12:09 PM.

Inside part of the Suomenlina Fortress.

—June 25, 2023 at 12:37 PM.

Surprisingly I do not have any photos of the cannons. Here is a view some of the men manning some of the cannons would have seen. Of course, cannons are emplaced along a much lengthier curve of the island.

—June 25, 2023 at 1:43 PM.

Norway & Finland: Day 7 in Alesund

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June 22: Mom and Dad’s anniversary.This will be our final day in Alesund and it is dawning pretty clear with the promise of good weather. The plan today is to take a cruise along the Hjørundfjord and see what we will find on what is noted as being one of the lesser visited but very spectacular fjords. Instead of taking a guided tour, they must exist, we will ride what we think is something more like a regularly scheduled ferry run that connects the hamlets that run the length of the 20-kilometers long fjord from Øye at the fjord’s source with Alesund at the mouth (actually a bit west) of the fjord.

When we found our boat there was no one around. No tourists, no workers, just us it seemed. In a few minutes some boat workers appeared but no one else did. We boarded the board and we were its sole passengers, the 3 of us, and the boat easily accommodates 200 people.The boat staff saw us seated, gave a perfunctory safety talk, informed us that we could buy drinks including wine and vanished to do what they must have to do. We settled down inside the tinted glass cabin alone amongst what must have numbered close to 200 seats.

The boat left promptly and we began motoring down the channel between Sula and Alesund. We passed by docks with big and small boats, signs of construction, signs of much activity. At this point you are on Borgunfjorden which despite the name is not actually a fjord. But it would not take long before we turned to the south and entered Hjørundfjord proper.

At its widest the fjord is about 3km across. It’s doesn’t feel that wide except in a few places. I am sure that must be an illusion caused by the mountains that plunge seemingly so precipitously down into the water. This fjord has a handful of hamlets sprinkled along its length. You can reach some of them via a road but many can only be reached by boat. Our boat will take us to Øye which is a hamlet of 50 people 25 of whom work at the Hotel Union which has stood proud since 1891 serving a a high-end clientele (pretty sure the least expensive room is around $500/night). It looks like a fantastic hotel and it certainly is set in a lovely setting. Along the way we passed by other hamlets but we did not stop. Perhaps the boat only stops if a person has reserved ahead of time.

We had just enough time in Øye to visit the Hotel Union and buy coffees. It’s dark inside so I wasn’t able to explore even a little to see the distinctive rooms they boast. Each room is unique and named for someone famous who has stayed at the hotel. From what little I saw, and the more Mom and Dad saw, it was quite clear the hotel attempts - and I assume succeeds - in providing a memorable experience perhaps bringing up visions of the gilded age of the latter 1800s when wealthy travelers from the United Kingdom (lords and Ladies - a hotel staffer actually used the former term) who would travel here by steamship.

We hurried back to board the boat. As we stepped through the cabin doors the boatman brought the gangplank up and began casting off. We were the only passengers on the way out and the only ones departing Øye. We stopped at Sæbø, where I believe children in the area, all attend school and picked up 3 more passengers: doubling the passenger compliment. It was just as pretty a cruise back to Alesund as it had been going out. How can you not enjoy looking at the tree-covered slopes with plunging waterfalls, patches of snow, with no habitation, and not enjoy yourself.

We had plenty of time after returning to Alesund before our final dinner at the XL Diner. We decided to explore a little more of the town. This time we found our way to an area we kind of knew about but had not visited.We found a very nice small multi-level shopping center. The quality of the stores is generally high and I expect they do a lot of trade with the tourists who come off the huge cruise ships that make port calls. Mom bought a pair of walking shoes and I purchased a pair of Ecco sandals. Our feet will be much happier.It was a nice way to spend a bit more of the afternoon.

Dinner at the XL Diner was another 3-course meal. Fortunately for me, the restaurant was able to accommodate my needs as the majority of the food at XL DIner was fish-based. Perhaps I could have had the duck entrée but I wasn’t willing to risk it. I got a lamb dish that while perfectly fine didn’t knock my socks off. I think Mom and Dad had similar feelings about the salmon they had. The real challenge with meals like these though isn’t with the food but rather the lengthy - exceedingly so - time spent waiting between courses. It gets tiring just waiting. The restaurant topped our dinner off, once they learned of the anniversary, with a birthday robot that said “Happy birthday” on it and played a birthday song. The best they could do for a wedding anniversary. The dessert of various morsels was enjoyable but it lost something because of the waiting time.

Photos

On our way into the Hjørundfjord. We would end up spending less time up top than perhaps we should have done. There is no seating and it was a bit brisk. Photo by Jonathan

—June 19, 2023 at 09:48 PM.

Near the mouth of the Hjørundfjord. This is a sample of the landscape we are going to be seeing.

—June 19, 2023 at 10:13 PM.

Nearing the hamlet of Øye.

—June 19, 2023 at 10:57 PM.

I do not know the name of the waterfall but this is just one splendid example of a torrent rushing down several hundred meters to the valley floor. The boat you see is our ferry.

—June 20, 2023 at 11:05 AM.

Hotel Union was built in 1891. They clearly serve an upscale clientele both then and now. Back then salmon fishing was appearently quite popular but I believe that is far less common today. However, I’ve no doubt you can find plenty of outdoor activities to fill your day and exceptional food to sustain you through the night.

—June 20, 2023 at 11:20 AM.

We had enough time for a quick glimpse into the lavish Hotel Union and to pick up coffees. Just enough time to pause and snap this photo of Mom in front of what I suspect is one of the more photographed waterfalls of the fjord.

—June 20, 2023 at 11:25 AM.

Returning to Alesund. We are probably near Urke or Saebø.

—June 20, 2023 at 11:35 AM.

Norway & Finland: Day 6 in Alesund

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This is our final walking day in ALesund. On our last day tomorrow we hope to do a cruise along the Hjørundfjord (“Jur-rund-fjord” sort of) . Today we will return to Sula and hike along the island’s northern coast. The weather is supposed to be pretty good with a chance of rain later in the day and generally moderately cloudy with a high temperature around 60 F. Fine weather for hiking. The notes call this a grade 1 hike which is the easiest level of hike. It is just over 10km long and should have about 80 meters of ascent and 80 meters of descent. Of course, as with all walks what matters most is the quality of the footing and how steep the ascents and descents are. If you just look at the profile you could be forgiven for thinking they’re very steep (when you look at an elevation profile it is best to remember that it is incredibly compressed. Something that appears vertical is, in fact, probably showing a grade that’s much less steep - it’s a shame the notes do not give the compression factor). On this walk, reported to take just under 4 hours of walking time, it is the former that really will play into things as we would eventually learn.

We began our leaving heading west out of the village of Langevag (population as of 2019, 758). We followed the gently ascending paved road through quiet neighborhoods for a couple kilometers before reaching a dirt road that would take us into the forest and away from the occasional views across the waters of Borgunfjorden towards Alesund. Eventually the road would come to an end and things would get more interesting.

Here is where some of our elevation appeared in a short steeper (not really that steep except when compared to the paved road) ascent from the current dry stream to what would quickly turn into boggy lands that once supported a farmstead centuries ago. Fortunately the people who built the trail placed boardwalks along the majority of the trail. Step off those planks and you will get sodden feet especially if you are, like me, hiking in trail runners. If the ground was like this when people were trying to farm I wonder what they managed to actually grow.

All that remains is a bit of ruins in the form of a foundation. There is an information board (with English text) describing the history of the place. I can’t tell you now the number of chickens, cows, and sheep (?) a peasant family owned here 1,000 years ago but I find it a bit remarkable that records from back then were still in existence when the sign was written.

The trail would treat us to one more quick climb and we would continue trending west along the edge of the cliffs. At times the trail snuggled right up to the edge. If you aren’t fond of heights take a few steps inland and walk there. The ground should be firm if it hasn’t rained much. Our views of the coast were back and this now was truly a coastal walk and would become more so soon.

When we reached the western end of our walk we dropped down to just a few meters above the breaking waves. There was, at times, rocky beach, but generally speaking the ground was covered in low plants and shrubs to the tideline. Toss in some boulders and a rivulet of freshwater and you have a challenging shoreline to navigate. The trail is present but it became quite clear to us that what keeps it a trail is the passage of people making it so. A game trail where humans are the game animals. It’s often faint, wet, hidden beneath shrubs, and rather twisty. If you can see it for more than a few feet in front of you then you have found a spot that is pretty obvious. Result: slow going. This is not a path you would want to try following in inclement weather. Over the next couple hours, including time for lunch and other pauses, we worked our way along this somewhat rugged coast towards the curving boardwalk we had seen when we first started along the gravel road.

With a sprinkle now and then to keep us company we marched forward. Mom led the way and we only lost the path a couple of times. I am sure we were not the only ones to make our own path through the low-growing springy plants (reminded me of pushing through heather on a Scottish moor). When we reached the picnic table just before the boardwalk we were quite pleased with how we did. From that point on it was a simple matter of regaining the road and heading back to Langevag and the welcome of coffee and desserts.

I’ll leave things off here with just a note that if you do visit Alesund it is probably best to make a reservation every night for dinner. Perhaps you will have better luck finding places to eat than we did but after failing to find a restaurant we had been told about the other places we checked out did not have seating for us even though they did not seem that busy. We ended up eating at the hotel lobby bar. The food provided energy but that is about all I think we can really say for it.

Stats: The hike to and from the ferry dock on Sula was 10.8km. There was 94 meters of ascent and 94 meters of descent (above half of that was probably on the road-walk and the rest was in short spurts - none particularly steep). The road-walk covered about 4.8km. The dirt track covers about 1.5km. The coast trail (upper and lower) traverses 4.5km. The lower coastal path is what will slow you down. We were out for 6 hours, taking 69 minutes in breaks.

Photos

This boardwalk marks the end of the interesting part of the Sula Coastal walk. For now we have about 1.5km of dirt track to follow through a forest. The walk may be following the coast but it doesn’t feel like a coastal walk.

—June 21, 2023 at 10:53 AM.

The first two kilometers of this coastal walk are on a gently ascending paved road that takes us west of Langevag. It’s a lovely view towards Alesund and we are walking through a quiet pleasant neighborhood.

—June 21, 2023 at 10:54 AM.

Standing by what remains of an ancient farmstead. Noone has farmed here for hundreds of years but there were times, measured in hundreds of years, where the place was inhabited. People farmed and fished but it must have been a marginal existence. When fishing became problematic, I believe in the early 1800s, the place was abandoned for good. When you come here expect to get your feet wet if you step off the boardwalk that has been placed. This ground is rather more like a highland moor than something more stable.

—June 21, 2023 at 11:53 AM.

The sections of trail, and this really is trail, that feature sheer drops are thankfully short.

—June 21, 2023 at 12:04 PM.

It isn’t really obvious in the photo but we are all standing on the edge of the clifftop here. It is a precipitous drop. The footing is actually good here and you could move inland a bit to avoid feeling so exposed. This is rough coast. Photo by Jonathan

—June 21, 2023 at 12:08 PM.

We have reached the westernmost point of our hike and are returning via the coastline. We are about 8 meters above sea level here. We are quickly learning that this coastal walk is going to be a challenge. Sukkertopen (Sugar Top) rises 317 meters. It doesn’t look as pointy from this vantage.

—June 21, 2023 at 12:40 PM.

The trail is best thought of as a game trail where the game are the humans walking the trail. It is narrow, indistinct, and often vanishes. The ground is often wet. It is slow going. Mom is leading and doing a great job of it.

—June 21, 2023 at 1:01 PM.

Perhaps a thin ribbon of light colored curving structure can be seen on the headland ahead. That is a boardwalk we are going to climb to return to the paved road. It has been a challenge getting here but I think we all found it more satisfying and certainly less physically demanding than the descent into Alnes a couple of days ago.

—June 21, 2023 at 2:23 PM.

Norway & Finland: Day 5 in Alesund

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Today we decided to visit the island of Sula. There are two walks on this island and today we would tackle the one named Sula Blåfjell (a local highpoint). While it looked like the walk was a bit relentless as for as ascent and descent were concerned - first you go up all the time and then descend all the time - it somehow seemed like the better option for the day. Since we were going to do both I suppose it doesn’t really matter the order in which they are done. Just do the walk on a clear day so you can enjoy the views when you are above treeline and can see them. Because the bulk of the walk, along a gravel and dirt road (think forest-service road) isn’t that exciting.

We left the hotel with a light rain drifting down upon us. The weather report had that clearing out over the course of the morning so we felt good about that (and we exaggerated concerns, as it would turn out, about the rain affecting streams for the other walk but more on that in a later post). Once we boarded the very well appointed ferry it was a quick 10-minute ride over to Sula and the town of Lanvag. Leaving towns can sometimes be confusing and we were, briefly, confused. Once we got ourselves sorted out though things went pretty easily.

We passed by the Devold factory and museum (they make wool clothing). The rain eased off and we began the gradual ascent along the paved roads that were leading out of town towards the high ridge that dominates the view rising over 350 meters.

In time we veered off onto the forest road (dirt and gravel) and continued to climb. Generally the road wasn’t terribly steep but now and then, really more than you would want, a 50-100 meter stretch would come along that was considerably steeper. It wasn’t anywhere as steep as the steep trails but it was more than enough to notice the change. Up we went.

Now and then a treat like the troll and his (I suppose) family of goats minding the wooden bridge that spanned a rushing mountain stream would enliven our hiking experience. As we gained elevation the frequency of views across the water towards Alesund increased. The view got more expansive. That was nice. The clouds broke up somewhat too.

Lunch at the lookout point was enjoyed before we began retracing our steps down the mountain road. What had been a relentless ascent was now a relentless descent. That gets tiring after a while and even though the hike went back a slightly different way when we got to a certain point it wasn’t a particularly interesting way. We were quite ready to be done as we passed the 10km mark and approached a cafe that we are pretty confident serves people coming on tours to visit the Devold Fabriken Museum and outlet store. It was good to take a break there before walking the final 600-odd meters down to the ferry dock to catch the quick boat ride back to Alesund.

Stats: About 10.9km walked with an ascent of 350 meters and descent of 350 meters. We were out for 6 hours (the last 30-40 minutes were spent at the cafe and walking from there to the ferry dock) and spent just over 2 hours of that taking breaks.

Photos

Rain had been predicted for the day though we thought it would start a bit later than it did. We left the hotel under a light rain and that kept up for a time during our hike along the roads of Sula.

—June 20, 2023 at 9:23 AM.

We begin our ascent on this reasonably quiet road walk out of Langevåg located on the island of Sula (I believe). We are going to climb to the top, or nearly so, of the moutain you see in the background. It’s a 360 meter ascent over about 4km of walking distance. We expect the walking to be on at “worst” two-track style routes once we leave the paved road.

—June 20, 2023 at 9:41 AM.

After perhaps the first kilometer of generally flat road walking we began to climb. We began to warm up. The rain had stopped so layers could come off.

—June 20, 2023 at 9:47 AM.

We have been ascending steadily along what is best thought of as a minor dirt road (think USFS Forest road). We are just under halfway up the ascent though we have, likely, more than half of the actual walking still to do. Views like this aren’t common yet as we are still below the treeline.

—June 20, 2023 at 10:15 AM.

A troll and their goats are minding the bridge. I don’t think the troll is going to ask us to answer a devilish question before we can cross. The picnic table made for a fine place to take a break by the rushing stream.

—June 20, 2023 at 10:50 AM.

Not quite sure what this creature should be. Kinda cute though. Photo by Jonathan

—June 20, 2023 at 10:53 AM.

We are about to turn off this forest road and head to a lookout point. On the uphills I pull ahead and have to wait a bit. That is certainly offset on descents when I plod on down far slower than Mom and Dad. At least the views have been good. Photos by Jonathan

—June 20, 2023 at 11:25 AM.

The previous photos were taken just before Mom and Dad came into view. The road is generally reasonably graded but now and then a rather steeper section, 50=100 meters long, appears to trouble our footsteps.

—June 20, 2023 at 11:28 AM.

Photo taken Jun 20, 2023 at 11:47 AM

This is the tower or monument perhaps that marks the lookout point.

—June 20, 2023 at 11:47 AM.

Photo taken Jun 20, 2023 at 11:47 AM

The view from the picnic table at the lookout point. The trail is made once again mostly with paving-like stones (though not as regular in surface contours) so you avoid mushy ground. One section, perhaps as much as a quarter of the 350 meter-long trail, is wonderful boardwalk. Too bad they didn’t use more of that or even just classic two-plank length boardwalk. It was a fine place for lunch.

—June 20, 2023 at 11:47 AM.

I’m really just putting this photo in to show the boardwalk. From this point on we petty much retrace our path down the gravel/dirt road until we take a slightly different (not sure why) route back on paved roads back to the ferry dock. It’s a tiring sort of descent over about 5.5km. We got to a cafe 2 hours later (took a couple breaks) and though the dessert wasn’t the best the coffee and a chance to sit down for a bit were welcome. It’s a shame the ferry ride is just 10 minutes because those seats would be fine for a nap.

—June 20, 2023 at 12:12 PM.

Norway & Finland: Day 4 in Alesund

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We were joining the other early breakfasters at 07:00 and gathering up food before all the warming trays were full. The sun was up - actually that happened over 3 hours earlier - and the sky was clear of clouds. It promised to be a lovely day and we were looking forward to a good hike.

Today we would visit the island of Godøy. The notes say the hike is 6.5km in length and we would ascend 275 meters and desend 310 meters. Most of the climbing would be done over relatively short distances. We were sure in for something over the 5 hours we spent out and about.

To get to our hike we had to reach our island by taking 2 buses. The system is pretty efficient though that doesn’t mean you don’t have time to twiddle your thumbs waiting for your connection. In fact sometimes you end up waiting on the bus you are already riding for a few minutes at a stop, not your destination, before reaching your final goal. But the bus arrives and departs when the schedule says they will. It’s just a bit confusing sometimes what that schedule is. At least I have found different informaiton (perhaps I am misreading things) between Apple and Google maps. I’d use the Fram app but that requires I confirm I am me via a text message and I do not have a mobile number active here for the app to get a verification code. My eSIM is data-only which means I can access the Internet but not use SMS or make cellular-style voice calls. I think our outward bound journey took just over an hour from when we left the hotel to when we arrived at Juv Snuplass (“Yoov Snooplass” on the island of “Goo-day” or pretty close).The sun was shining, birds were singing, the water looked lovely. Too bad the sun and warm temperatures (we think) also brought out swarms of flies. We began our ascent. The trail quickly entered the wooded hillside and began a steady and rather steep climb. Now and then the good soil-based trail-bed would have rocks and roots that impeded our path.However, the footing was pretty decent - steep with a grade over 20% - but good. But this is definitely a trail that gives you a workout and we were feeling it as the flies continued to swarm around us.

Up and up. Swarming flies. An occassional opening in the trees presented us with a hazy view across the mouth of the fjord where so many of the island around here sit. We saw a few people coming down the trail. A couple passed us going up. We all complained about the flies.

After a bit more than an hour we reached treeline at about 260 meters elevation. I suppose the treeline is greatly influenced by what must be a rather short growing season. The wind picked up a little and knocked some of the flies back but that just left smaller swarms to bother us. I suppose that helped shorten our break at the rather nice picnic shelter.

In short order we climbed over the top of the hill and gazed out upon the alpine lake. Nearly mirror smooth, lovely blue, likely cold, and no swimming is allowed. I bet many people have finished the ascent and wanted nothing more than to take a cooling dip. I would. Over the next couple of kilometers we would work our way counter-clockwise along the trail with the lake mostly in view. We found a grand, clearly made, lunch spot at the water’s edge. That lunch spot of a semi-circular bench of stone and plenty of grave laid down to cover the boggy ground is a mark of the quality of the trail. The trail is made of thousands of paving stones. Step off those stones and you will sink into the ground. I think they must have shuttled the stones via helicopter up here. It’s an impressive amount of work and makes for a good trail.

It was enjoyable walking around the lake though you did have to pay some attention to where you stepped and that slowed me down some. But the afternoon was glorious and we had left the swarms of flies behind during our trek around the lake. The joy wouldn’t last.

At about 12:45 we reached the northern edge of the plateau and could look down upon the village of Alnes some 260 meters below us. The worst was about to begin but we still didn’t know how bad it would be. We found out quickly. I think the first 500 meters of trail were probably worse than the second 500 meters. Rock steps of all heights and surface contours, gravel, a slope with a grade of at least 20% all combined to make the descent just plain awful. It hard on the muscles and harder on the mind. Our speed plummeted to, at best, 0.75KPH. The views were exceptional but when you are concentrating on placing every footfall with exquisite care you cannot appreicate the views. The notes undersell the challenge of this descent. I’ve no doubt agile stronger hikers make the 1-kilometer long descent in the 80 minutes suggested. It took us around 120 minutes and it felt longer. Much longer. It is not something I would choose to repeat. The joy of achieving the goal of the road is fine and I can marvel at the work building the trail required but I find myself wondering if they could have made it easier albeit longer.

When we reached the road we were spent. It was now Dad’s turn to gripe about the remaining walk to the bus stop which we thought, because we hadn’t fully absorbed the notes, was 1.5km away. It turns out the bus stop was quite a bit closer at about only 800 meters. It was not much past 15:00 and we figured out that the cafe and lightouse accounted for the remaining 2km (and out-and-back) of hiking the notes suggest you do. We did not do that. It would have been nice to find a cafe for a drink and snack but we definitely wanted to catch the 15:55 bus which we weren’t entirely sure was coming. It arrived at 15:55.

Our 85 minute journey back to the hotel began. One reason it takes as long as it does is that bus 32 takes a 20-odd minutes break at Juv Snuplass (where we began). I’m not sure why this is done. There doesn’t seem to be anything there. If the bus takes a break in Alnes I am not aware of it and that at least is a tiny village. But the break did give us a chance to get out and get some much-less-hazy pictures of the islands south of Godøy. This is when the bus driver told Dad that the extremely pointy peak was called something like Sugar Top. It’s an odd name as there is no snow capping the mountain peak providing the sugar.

I could go on and talk a bit about the lady who was waiting with us at Alnes for the bus while her husband tackled the walk we had just done going in the other direction. We had a modest conversation while we waited. Her husband would link up with her later in the bus ride though not at Juv Snuplass so he found a different route down which means his walk was a bit different from ours. I could talk about the chat Dad had with the bus driver too. If you’re willing to talk with people they talk back. Dad is good at that.

When we got back to the hotel it was 17:23 and we had an hour to get ourselves ready for dinner at restaurant Bro. This would be our first of three pre-planned by Inntravel meals. We were scheduled to have a 3-course meal and that is about all we knew. When we arrived we found the outside teaming with people having drinks and perhaps eating. Given the price of tonic water (about $5) to say nothing of beer ($12) your drinking budget could explode pretty quickly. Inside we found the place for less busy and we settled down at a waterside-view table for dinner. Over the next 90 minutes, an age for us, we ate our very enjoyable meal. My starter ws an asperagus in butter sauce with very small shrimps dish. Mom and Dad had some type of gin-cured mackerel also with plenty of herbs. The restaurant had to make a change for me on both the starter and main course as I definitely can’t eat chicken or fish. My flat iron steak was well presented, reasonably cooked, and flavored in a buttery herb sauce that was quite good. The hassleback (?) potato was nice if a bit salty but I think I’ve gotten spoiled by my smoked baked potatoes. Mom and Dad had Plaice Fish which they both enjoyed. The rhubard dessert was a donut like bun with rhubarb jam inside. Served alongside was a parfait of ice cream, nuts, and a local berry of some type. The combination was lovely. Maybe we will have to return to Bro just to enjoy a dessert on the remaining day we have to find our own dinner. It was good to end the day on this high note. Stats: The hike was 4.8km long with 235m ascent mostly in 1 kilometer; 280m descent mostly in 1 kilometer. The ascent and descent trails are quite steep and the descending trail is pretty much all rocks.

Photos

Our hike is going to start with this climb. The notes say it is a rocky and steep trail. It sure does look like it.

—June 19, 2023 at 9:54 AM.

The flies are swarming and this owl is doing nothing to help us. We continue to plod up the somewhat rocky and steep trail. THe footing isn’t great but it isn’t awful either.

—June 19, 2023 at 10:12 AM.

One of the few places with a view during our 1-kilometer long ascent. We have been climbing for almost 40 minutes and ascended about 155 meters over perhaps 750 meters of trail travelled. We have taken a few breaks. We might have taken more breaks to catch our breath than we did if it weren’t for the ever-present swarming, not biting, flies. Annoying, irksome, bothersome, but at least not eating-us flies.

—June 19, 2023 at 10:27 AM.

The trail opens up here and we still have a few hundred meters to go to reach a shelter. The wind was blowing a bit and that helped knock the flies back a little bit. A very little bit. Dad and I got to the top a couple minutes before Mom. I think we all felt the climb. We wondered what the descent would be like as it looked like it had a similar level of steepness. The views would have been spectacular except for the hazy sky. The pointy mountain on the left is called something like Sugar Top though it doesn’t have any snow sugaring the top. We have been ascending for an hour, hiked 230 or so meters over just over 1,000 meters of hiking from where the trail really got steep.

—June 19, 2023 at 10:51 AM.

I am not sure if we should call this an alpine lake or not. We are now above treeline in this area. We are at 276 meters above sea level and I think we will navigate around the lake for the next 2 or so kilometers. I do not know why swimming is prohibited which is a little sad as taking a dip after sweating our way up here would be tempting. Under the bright sun it feels like the temperature has risen above 70 F.

—June 19, 2023 at 11:10 AM.

The trail around the lake sometimes moves away form the lake. What makes the trail remarkable is that it is made of flat (mostly) rocks that are placed like stepping stones to form the path on the boggy ground. I am confident that thousands of stones were placed to make the trail. How were they brought in? I think it must have been via helicopter.

—June 19, 2023 at 12:08 PM.

We are about to start our descent to the village of Alnes. It will be along a trail the notes say is rocky and sometimes steep and you need to be sure-footed. We expected to descend about 260 meters but hadn’t checked the distance. We actually thought it might be over 2km as we knew the walk ended (we thought) with a 1.5km roadwalk. Nope.

—June 19, 2023 at 12:44 PM.

We have been creeping down this steep, rock strewn, real pain of a trail for a half hour. Mom is standing between two huge bags that contain stones that we figure will be laid on the trail to continue improving it. It is a slog. It is not fun. If we are moving faster than 0.75KPH I’d be surprised. Photo by Jonathan

—June 19, 2023 at 1:26 PM.

Looking back up the trail you can get a sense of what we have been dealing with. Ugh. Just ugh. Photo by Jonathan

—June 19, 2023 at 1:31 PM.

As you can see the views are wonderful but the grind is continuing. We are over an hour into the descent and still have probably 140 meters elevation to drop and closer to 500 meters of trail to contend with. Just awful. Many younger folks have been heading up to the top and some coming down: all so much more adroitly than I.

—June 19, 2023 at 2:01 PM.

We finished the abolutely wretched descent probably two hours after starting it. We then walked the road to the bus stop. It was a bit past 15:00 and we were pretty sure a bus would come by at 15:55 so taking the time to go into Alnes and find the cafe and get a close look at the lighthouse wasn’t going to happen since we certainly didn’t want to wait for a 16:55 bus. We are riding bus 32 back towards the connection point at Ytterland. However, along the way we would pause at Juv Snuplass for 15-20 minutes (planned stop) and I was able to take this photo. The whole journey took about 85 minutes so you can see why we didn’t want to catch a later bus.

—June 19, 2023 at 4:13 PM.