Michi Photostory

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 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

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. 

Read: Places to Visit in Ørland for Free 

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. 

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 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. 

Read: Places to Visit in Ørland Norway for Free  

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

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

Beradon