April 10, 2022

Trip to Vallersund Norway

Vallersund is a village located at the far end of the ocean in the municipality of Ørland Norway. When I first visited this place, it was part of Bjugn Kommune but after they merged, it is now under Ørland. Its landscape consists of islands, islets, rock formations, and fjords. 

Vallersund Gård or Vallersund Farm 

Vallersund Gård or Vallersund Farm was an old coastal trading center but since 1981, it is known as a Camphill Village. This place was based on Rudolf Steiner and Karl König’s “Anthroposophy” (wisdom of human being). The village’s main goal is to have a community where people can realize their full potential and feel that they are needed in this world. People with and without special needs form this housing community, they work together on the farm, vegetable gardens, workshops, and do household chores. There is a workshop here for people with disabilities between 18 and 25 years old. 



This place is like a self-sufficient community because they plant and harvest their own crops. They take care of farm animals like cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens. They pick flowers and herbs which they dry and prepare to produce tasty products. They also have a bakery where they baked pieces of bread and pastries. And lastly, they have their own weaving mill where they weave textile products. You can buy their products at their shop. I already blogged about this place, five years ago so you can read more information here

The Unite Hope Angel or Angel of Peace 

Just like in Austrått, there are so many things that you can do in Vallersund Farm. If you like hiking or climbing mountains, then visit the Unite Hope Angel or Angel of Peace. This angel was sculptured by Lehna Edwall, a Swedish artist. This project began in the year 2005 and its goal is to spread love, light and hope to all mankind. The first seven Unite Hope Angels were simultaneously set up in different countries such as Australia, Canada, Mali, Peru, Russia, and Vanuatu. The angel that you see in Vallersund is the 13th angel, you can read about our hiking experience here


Vallersund Gård Windmill 

Five years ago, we had already seen this windmill at Vallersund Gård but we were already exhausted after climbing the mountain just to see the Unite Hope Angel so we did not bother to check the windmill view. But last month, we revisited this place and were able to see the beautiful view from the other side. 



I don’t like hiking so my mom tried to persuade me that this is worth a hike and she even said, na hindi lahat nakakakita ng windmill. But I immediately told her na meron kami windmill sa Ilocos. Hehehe! Anyway, these windmills supply energy throughout Vallersund Gård. From afar, you can see the bridge and islets.





Jøssund Bridge 

We made a quick stopover to take a picture of Jøssund Bridge. This is a single suspension bridge that was built in 1939 in replacement of the 1907 old bridge. This place is a favorite fishing spot for both Norwegians and tourists during summer days. You can catch saithe, kelp, and salmon. 


Vallersund Street Art 
 
On our way home, we noticed some street art and according to my mom, it was painted by a famous artist. As per my research, it was painted by Asbjørn Rødberg, all paintings have a local coastal culture theme.




April 08, 2022

Trip to Opphaug Norway

Opphaug is another village in Ørland municipality which is located on the south side of Bjugnfjorden. There are two places in Opphaug that we usually visit every time we are here in Norway, one is Døsvik Havn and one is Austrått. 


Døsvik Havn or Døsvik Harbor 

Ørland is surrounded by sea so if you are following my Norway trip posts, you’ll notice the seascape background. Each place that we visit has its own harbor and each havn or marina has its own beauty. One of our most visited harbors is Døsvik Havn, simply because we just like the colorful rorbu or holiday homes.

Note: Rorbu is a traditional type of seasonal house used by fishermen in Norway. One part of the house is constructed on land and the other part is standing on the water using poles to have easy access to fishing vessels.






Austrått Havn or Austrått Harbor 

Austrått is one of the popular tourist spots in Ørland because it is where you can find the Austrått Manor which is one of the oldest manors in Norway. There are so many activities that you can do here like sea kayaking, golfing, fishing, sailing, biking, hiking, swimming, and other sports activities. 



If you are into leisure walking or history, you can also visit Austråttlunden, Austrått Fort, and Austråttborgen. Although you can visit this all year round, the best time is summer because you can join their guided tours and explore the Norwegian manor and former German fortress. You can read more about this in my post “Things to do in Austrått Norway” 

Last month, we had a chance to revisit but this time we went straight to Austrått Havn because there is something new here, there is already a viewing deck. Just like the other harbor that we visited, there are tables and benches too. 



According to their website, Austrått Harbor is run by the Ørland Boat Club and their clubhouse is open to boat guests during the summer season. They have the following services. 

Free - Space at guest jetty within 3 hours 
150 NOK per day - Space at the guest jetty for leisure boats 
250 NOK per day - Space for commercial traffic 
20 NOK - Electricity 
20 NOK - Shower 
30 NOK - Washing machine 
20 NOK - Dryer




Storjektvika 

A few minutes' walk from the harbor, you can find a sandy beach with a viewing deck too “Storjektvika”. During summer days, you can do sunbathing, play volleyball or football or swim if you can take the seawater temperature. 




April 06, 2022

Trip to Uthaug Norway

Uthaug is a village located on the south shore of Bjugnfjorden and it is part of the municipality of Ørland, Norway. You might be familiar with this place because this is one of the shooting locations of the recent James Bond “No Time to Die” movie. 

Uthaug has Ørland Airport, it is a small airport with daily trips to Oslo via Air Leap airlines. This is the most convenient way to go to Ørland because you don’t need to ride a bus or ferry boat from Trondheim Airport. Three years ago, I was supposed to fly here but unfortunately, they don’t have a flight schedule on the day that I was supposed to go to Oslo so I have no choice but to take the long route. Aside from the airport, this is also where the Ørland Main Air Station located, it is operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force and is a significant air base of NATO. 


This is an information map to give you an idea what to see in Uthaug, you can visit Sjøgata, Museumsnaustet, Guldteigbrygga, Uthaugsgården, Nøkkelhaugen (burial mound), Husmannsplassen Tinden, Kloholmen, Storhaugen, Ørland Froskemannsklubb and others


I’ve been to this place a few times to visit family and acquaintances. When I was young, this is also where we picked mussels. In the past, I’ve visited Sjøgata and I’ve seen Kjeungskajaer Lighthouse from afar. Just recently, we were able to visit the other side of Uthaug where Uthaug Slip & Marina, Guldteigbrygga, Uthaug Fisk AS, Ørland Froskemannsklubb and AS Uthaug Sementstøperi are located. 

Uthaug Slip & Marina 




Guldteigbrygga 



I thought this is just an ordinary red barn but I was wrong, this pier was built by Oscar Guldteig in 1938 and was used as a base for fishing and for salting herring. It was also used as a prison camp during World War II where 60 out of 195 Russian prisoners died. 

Ørland Froskemannsklubb 


Ørland is part of the Fosen peninsula so it is not surprising that they have their own club. This club has one of the largest environments for underwater hunting with 120 members, a mix of freedivers and bottle divers. About half of the club members are affiliated with the Armed Forces. 



We just kept on walking until we reached this light post. It is nice to see different boats, old and new ones. We can also see the Kjeungskajaer Lighthouse from afar. There is a table at the end of the pathway so we took a rest before we went to Døsvik Havn, another marina in Ørland. 


April 04, 2022

Trip to Garten Norway

Garten is an island in the municipality of Ørland, Norway. This island is situated on the north side of the mouth of Trondheim Fjord. A long time ago, you need to ride a boat to reach the mainland but starting year 1948 it is connected by a small bridge. 


Garten is where you can ride a ferry if you want to reach nearby islands like Storfosna and Leksa.


If you are into adventures like hiking, visit Garten because this place has steep hills where you can see the beautiful Ørland tidal landscapes and Trondheimsfjord from different viewpoints. On the north-eastern part of this island, you will see the Synnørsfjellet or Synnors Mountain. My mom wanted to visit this mountain but hiking is no longer part of my vocabulary so hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa naakyat yan. 


You can hike Synnors Mountain using two routes, one with stairs and one route following the beach. Actually, there is a walking path map in the parking lot. My mom parked here even though we are not going to hike because she wanted to walk from the parking lot to reach the Grillhytta or Barbecue Hut in Garten. 

I have sedentary lifestyle for almost two years so I am not used to long walks again. So on our way to the Barbecue Hut, I’ve said “Bakit ang layo ng pinaparkan kung puwede naman na magdrive hanggang doon?” My mom said “walking nga para maexercise” but God sent me an angel because out of the blue, may dumaan na sasakyan and we were surprised that it was my aunt’s car so hindi na kami naglakad, pinagdrive na niya kami papunta sa grillhytta and pabalik sa parking lot. Hehehe! 


Three years ago, we are looking for this place pero hindi namin makita kung saan so umuwi na lang kami. But since my mom used to work in Nursing Home so this place is one of those places that they visited so it already looks familiar because I saw the pictures before. But of course, iba pa rin sa personal. 




One thing I like about Norway, is there are so many places like this that you can visit for free. Yes, this cottage or barbecue hut is free to use. It was built on a voluntary basis in the year 2017. It is funded through a social development project. 


Update: May 2022

Synnørsfjellet

When we arrived here in Norway last March, my mom wanted to hike Synnørsfjellet but like I've said before, I'm not into hiking. After two months, I finally gave in and we conquered the Synnørsfjellet despite the windy weather. I will blog this in a separate post so you will have an idea of how child-friendly the trail is. This is the view from the top of the mountain. :)



April 03, 2022

Day 2 in Norway

For our Norway trip, I did not bring my digital camera since the mobile phone camera nowadays has better quality but the problem is, I have limited storage so I am trying my best to blog about our family adventures in Norway as soon as I can so my phone won’t be full. And also, para naman hindi umabot ng years ulit bago ko maiblog itong trip namin like our Norway 2019, na hindi pa rin tapos. Hehehe! 


Anyway, it was our second day in Norway and we are still adjusting to our new schedule. It was still Winter Season when we arrived so it was a chilly month. If I was not stuck in the house for almost two years, I would rather stay inside and get cozy with a good book, movie, or tv series. But even though my body wanted to rest, my feet were itching to go out of the house. I’ve been looking forward to this trip because finally, I can feel that life is back to normal already since we don’t need to wear a face mask or face shield and I don’t have to think about social distancing anymore. 

Northern Lights 


We started our day early because my son needs to follow Philippines time for his online classes but we have no reason to complain. In fact, it was worth waking up early because I had a chance to see Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. I already blogged about this, you can read my Glimpse of Northern Lights in Norway post. 

Bruholmen 


After our breakfast, off we went to Bruholmen and we’ve been here numerous times already since this is just a few minutes away from my mom’s place. I’ve visited this place during winter, spring and summer; kulang na lang autumn season. Hehehe! But of course, there is always something new every time we visit, like there are tables and chairs at the grilling place already. 


Read: Bruholmen 

I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery - air, mountains, trees, people. I thought “This is what it is to be happy” - Sylvia Plath 



I used to take this place for granted but after experiencing the global pandemic, I’m happy to be back here. I’m thankful for the fresh air and amazing views. It feels good to be out again and I started to appreciate more the beauty of nature. 

Shopping at Ecco and Cubus 

Since we are confined inside our home for almost two years, buying clothes is not part of our priority but things changed when we got our vaccines already. When we started traveling, that is the only time I realized that my son has no decent clothes na pala. Nasayang lang yung mga damit niya at nagpaliitan agad ng hindi gaano nagamit. 

Actually, I had a hard time looking and buying clothes for him since pabago-bago ang lockdown restrictions sa atin so hindi pwede bata sa mall. And because konti lang ang choices, I only bought a few pieces of clothes so he has something to use for our Norway trip. 


Fast forward to our trip, we went to the mall for groceries and I need to buy new shoes for my son. Dinala ko pa yung winter shoes Sa Norway pero one day pa lang kami naglalakad, nasira na. Anyway, 5 years na rin naman yung shoes so baka gusto na magretire. Hehehe! I’m not really familiar with Europe brands so when I was looking for shoes, I don’t know what to buy. My mom suggested ECCO and according to her, it is a good brand. The shoes are already on sale but when I convert the amount to pesos, mahal pa rin. Hehehe! 

So I’ve made some research and from what I’ve read, ECCO is a family-owned shoe manufacturer and retailer founded in Bredebro, Denmark by Karl Toosbuy in 1963. It was in the year 1982 when the first retail store was opened and now they have different stores worldwide. Their shoes are known for comfort and durability so even if it is a little bit expensive, the shoes might last for 2 to 7 years. So far, wala naman reklamo anak ko sa shoes niya kahit ang layo ng mga nilalalakad namin so I guess totoong waterproof and comfotable yung shoes. 

Anyway, after buying his shoes, off went to the grocery and I immediately saw the SALE at Cubus. Shopping in Norway is out of my mind because Norway is one of the most expensive countries in the world so every time we visit here, I make sure to buy our winter and spring clothes in the Philippines. I have no idea na may mura pala dito sa Norway. Actually, mas mura pa yung nabili ko na clothes dito kaysa sa nabili ko sa Philippines kahit sale ko din nabili. I’m glad na marami options dito for my teenage son. 



Cubus is under Varner which is a Norwegian company. It is one of the fashion retailers in Scandinavia that offers basic clothes but high quality using natural fibers to Nordic families. They offer a wide range of clothes and essential garments that you can use again and again at a very good price. They have stores in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Yung price niya hindi nalalayo sa H&M or Uniqlo, pero bongga kung magsale, parang 70% off yata nabili ko.


Shopping Tip: It is better to bring your own bag when you shop in Norway because you have to pay for the shopping bag whether it is plastic or paper. I don't know if it varies per size or per store because when I checked my receipts, the rate is NOK2 and NOK3 per shopping bag.

April 01, 2022

60th Birthday

We made it through the first quarter of the year 2022 and so far, life is slowly going back to normal. It’s been almost three weeks and I can’t still believe that we are already in Norway. Nine years ago, I’ve read my Facebook memories… 

Me: Ethan, we will go to Wowa’s party. 
Ethan: Oh, we will ride an airplane and boat to Norway. 
Me: No, Wowa is here in the Philippines. 

Time passes quickly and it seems like yesterday when we celebrated my Mom’s 51st birthday in the Philippines with family and relatives. She had her 50th birthday party in Norway which we were not able to attend because Norway is far and we still have classes during March. So I never imagine that one day we will be able to celebrate her 60th birthday here in Norway.

Although, we didn’t arrive on her birthday because of the delayed visa I’m still thankful that we were able to visit and celebrate her 60th birthday here in Norway kahit delayed celebration. It’s been three years since the last time we see each other in person. There was no big 60th birthday celebration or party because of my mom’s health but despite that, it is still worth celebrating because turning 60 is a privilege only the lucky ones get to experience and enjoy

Happy 60th Birthday Mama and wishing you many more happy years to come. May God continue to shower His blessings on you and keep you safe and healthy. Even if the world is slowing down like you, you got this, so continue to live with meaning and purpose. I know that your life is no longer the same and there are big changes since fibromyalgia entered your body. 

When your abilities become inabilities, when your strengths turn to fears, and when your self-confidence turns to self-doubts. But I know that you’ll find out for yourself what you are really capable of and what is possible for you despite having fibro. Although our future is uncertain, let us just be positive that tomorrow will be a better day. 

You have done so much for us. It is now time to focus on your health so if you choose to retire, always remember that “Retirement isn’t the end of the road, but just a turn in the road” and at your age, it is time to “Say goodbye to tension and hello to your pension” 

P.S. Sharing the birthday cake or food toppers that I’ve made for my mom’s 60th birthday.






I downloaded the 3D Layered Birthday Gnome here and for the cake toppers, I used the following fonts. 
Klook.com