TravelStream™ news feed for member evasolo on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/evasolo en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:19:01 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1221310800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1221310800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1221310800/tpod.html Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:19:01 -0400 Travel notes from an itinerant baby boomer

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Alghero, Italy

While Ryanair was offering one of its planes to airlift XL Leisure holidaymakers home to the UK, it was leaving hundreds of its own passengers stranded at the airport in Alghero, Sardinia, overnight Friday after a violent storm made the airport inoperable.The town, including the airport, was hit by wind gusts of 140km an hour and torrential rain late Friday afternoon, felling trees, scattering chairs, tables and market umbrellas along the seafront and blowing a 32m yacht up on the beach.The same day, Ryanair offered authorities in the UK and Ireland the use of one of its aircraft for the next two weeks to bring back home 85,000 people on holiday after XL was put into administration.But when Ryanair passengers for the 9:05pm flight to London's Stansted airport arrived at the airport Friday night after checking the website showing the flight was leaving on time, they found the check-in area cordoned off and the flight listed as delayed.Ben Hodgkiss from Minehead, Somerset said that, while passengers were lined up outside the Ryanair office at the airport, the screens changed, showing the flight was cancelled."We were told they could only waitlist us for the FR231 flight the following morning because it was full and then they just locked the office and walked away," he said.Pauline Trailion of Stratford-upon-Avon, said: 'At 3am this morning they just abandoned us! with no water, nothing to eat and only these hard metal seats to sit on.'The following morning the Ryanair website still showed no change in flight schedules but passengers who arrived at the airport at 8:30am for the Ryanair 231 flight for London's Stansted airport were turned away at the check-in and told the airport was closed.The airport was filling up fast and confusion reigned as five flights, including local One Air Italian flights and a Lufthansa flight for Frankfurt were indefinitely delayed and no announcements were made - even an Italian Civil Aviation official had no answers and just walked away when questioned. However, as rumours circulated the airport's computer systems and electricals were out of action, the tarmac strewn with debris and no-one would be able to get out that day, passengers were looking for alternatives. Some passenger in the Ryanair queue were booking flights on their mobiles on Easyjet from Olbia, and getting together to share the cab fare for the 134km ride to the west coast of Sardinia. As passengers filed into the Ryanair office, they were told there was a possibility the 10:15am flight would leave in the afternoon, otherwise all they could do was to waitlist them for the next flight which was not until Wednesday. Asked if Ryanair would put on extra flights to bring its passengers home, or whether it was a signatory to the IATA passenger charter which promises stranded passengers the first alternative flight out or hotel accommodation in a worse case scenario, one of the Ryanair staff members shook his head. A number of Ryanair passengers were by now visibly distressed - particularly those who had been queuing up outside the Ryanair office since the evening before - amid a surreal festive atmosphere as a stranded Sardinian dance troupe heading for the Italian mainland started performing to the tune of an accordion. Shortly before midday, the airport maintenance staff filed into the airport building having cleared the tarmac of debris and shortly afterwards planes was starting to land. The first flight out was a Ryanair fight to Liverpool, its passengers only a few hours delayed and by now, enough passengers had found alternative routes home, leaving enough seats for Friday's stranded passengers. However, before the Ryanair 231 flight took off, Thomson flights heading for Norwich, Southampton and Birmingham left with less delay. While Thomson officials were loudly announcing their flight takeoffs and rounding up passengers, the only information Ryanair customers had to go by was the departure screens which showed the Stansted flight leaving at 4:10pm and an airport announcement that passengers would be able to check in for the flight at 2pm, information which turned out to be hopelessly erroneous. The check-in for the Ryanair flight 231 was not until 3:30pm and the flight did not take off until 5:30pm - more than seven hours delayed, leaving passengers grumbling over the lack of information and assistance, swearing it was the last time they would fly Ryanair.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1215993600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1215993600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1215993600/tpod.html Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:59:33 -0400 Travel notes from an itinerant baby boomer

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Spissøy, Norway

I was my niece Mia Julie's annual summer party yesterday - about 20 people arrived from near and far. My brother Erling selected one of the young rams for the party and Trine my sister-in-law slaughtered it.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1214645400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1214645400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1214645400/tpod.html Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:23:29 -0400 Travel notes from an itinerant baby boomer

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Stavanger, Norway

I am in Stavanger, Norway's fourth biggest city with about 150,000 inhabitants. To get here, I took Kystbussen or the WestCoast Express Bus from near my brother's place. The bus runs between Bergen and Stavanger every hour through some of the most spectacular scenery of Norway along the coast and across the outer reaches of the Hardangerfjord. The bus connects with  Ryanair flights from both Bergen and Stavanger and links up with Airport bus in Haugesund. The ride took me immediately under the fjord through the the longest under-water tunnel in Norway - the 8.9km long Bømlafjord tunnel under the fjord. It is 260.4m under sea level at its deepest. As we emerged on the other side we passed Valen, the home of the modern atonal composer Fartein Valen, who is buried there and where a museum dedicated to him also stands. The road then passes close by Tysvær church where there is a statue built of Gleng Peerson, one of the country fathers who organised a large-scale Norwegian emigration to America in the 1800s. Nearby is Kårstø which is the main terminal for the gas pipeline from the Statfjord oil field in the North Sea. The pipeline continues to Emden in Germany. At Arsvågen the bus drives on a ferry, which is run on LPG gas, and the passengers get out for a 22-minute ferry ride across Boknafjorden to Mortavika, crossing old Viking sea lanes. This is followed by a short ride before crossing under the fjord again in the Mastrafjord tunnel, 4.4km long and 133m below sea level at its deepest. Exiting the tunnel, the bus enters Mosterøy, an area rich in history - Utstein Kloser Norway's last surviving abbey which is still in use as a cultural centre for concerts, weddings and conferences, can be found here. After crossing yet another under-fjord tunnel - 5.9km long and 223m under sea level at its deepest - we arrived at Randaberg, at the outskirs of Stavanger. Nearby at Vistehola, a 6000-year old settlement from the stone age. I was met in Stavanger by my relatives who lives near Sola - which has Norway's only sandy beach. From my window I can see Hafsfjord - where  the first king of a united Norway, Harald Hårfagre (Harald Fairhair), is said to have defeated the last uprising of his enemies around 900 AD. Stavanger, Norway's 4th biggest town of about 120,000 residents, is surprisingly cosmopolitan for its size, being the home for people from 150 different countries. It is best known as the oil capital of the Norway, but in earlier times it was the centre of Norway's then booming herring and canning industry. Summer is a particularly busy time in Norway, when every community becomes a hive of cultural activity encouraged by the long days of never-ending daylight to show off works created during the long winter months. Even the smallest and most remote community have something on offer, from a photo exhibition in a converted light house right out at the edge of the North Sea, to "søppelkunst" - artworks made from rubbish - at one of the art museums in Bergen, Norway's next biggest city. This year, Stavanger has been selected as the European Capital of Culture and a wide ranging and varied program of art and culture has been planned, including art exhibitions, poetry readings, ballet and all types of other performing arts throughout the year. The program also includes three days of culinary art, regarded as an integral part of culture alongside other forms of art, which will include a Food for the Future conference, Buffet food exhibition and the Bocuse d'Or Europe individual chefs championships. In all 20 European nations will compete over two days using local salmon and lamb as raw ingredients for their dishes.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1213896600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1213896600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1213896600/tpod.html Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:09:17 -0400 Travel notes from an itinerant baby boomer

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Spissøy, Norway

I almost did not make it to Norway today. I got up early, was all packed and at the station well in time for my 05:50am train to Waterloo Station. Like me, everyone waiting for the train had luggage with them, except for two couples all dressed up for the races at Royal Ascot. When the train arrived at 05:40am I assumed it was early and boarded. But alarm bells rang when it left the station before schedule and when it stopped at the next station which was not on my route, I jumped off.There I was, in a place called Blackwater - it might as well have been named Backwater - not a soul around, not even at the railway station. I climbed the stairs and started walking along a busy highway towards a cluster of shops. With a huge feeling of relief I saw a man enter the newsagent and I followed him inside, where I was able to get a phone number to call a minicab.Explaining my dilemma, the operator told me he'd have a minicab there in 15 minutes that would take me to Farnborough where I could pick up the train to Waterloo - a 45-minute ride. A quick calculation and it started to look promising. I should be at Liverpool Street Station only 10 or 15 minutes later than I planned for the Stansted Express. The minicab arrived as promised and I was back on track and at Stansted in plenty of time to check in for my Haugesund flight which was delayed anyway.I arrived at Haugesund in driving rain and a temperature at 10C. Erling picked me up and we arrived at Spissøy where there was a roaring fire waiting and a hearty meal of chicken stew, potatoes and cooked homegrown vegetables of broccoli, carrots, snow peas and cauliflower.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1217030400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1217030400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1217030400/tpod.html Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:18:42 -0400 Travel notes from an itinerant baby boomer

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Lyon, Rhône-Alpes, France

Roger, Manfy, Chris and I set off at the crack of dawn from Reading for our journey to the south of France. We felt like gypsies as we took off, the Mercedes Roger had bought on eBay for the occasion, packed to the gunnels with luggage for four adults, beach gear and food on the way, including a water jug which could be plugged into the cigarette holder - to heat up water for cups of tea or noodles and soup on the way.We arrived in Dover with plenty of time for the ferry and had croissant and coffee at the ferry terminal while waiting to get on the SeaFrance ferry.<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HtEIMqMdW78&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HtEIMqMdW78&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>The one-hour journey across was uneventful and the channel calm. Jane, our GPS Navigator, led the way out of Calais and soon we were cruising along on to the Autoroute 26 at 130km an hour, heading for Lyon.Somewhere south of Reims we stopped for a picnic at an idyllic spot and we found a small covered pavilion with a table and two benches.Everything was fine until we opened the coke and we were invaded by wasps and had to pack up our things and get out of there quickly.For the next two hours or so I drove - the traffic was bunching up and I had to weave in and out of lanes to keep up the speed.Never having driven on the right hand side with a left-hand side car - it was a bit of a challenge changing on to A4, back to A26, followed by A5 and then on to A31.We stopped before getting on to the A6 at one of the many 'pit stops' and had something to drink and eat. Roger decided to take over the rest of the drive.I had calculated about six hours from Reading to Lyon, including ferry, but out 'pit stops' had slowed us up and we were running hopelessly late.It was past 10pm until we got to our apartment. Check-in was until 8pm, so I had been desperately tried to get hold of someone to let them know we would be late.But our reception was a touch screen where I was asked to key in my name, slide in my credit card and retrieve it - and a set of keys dropped down.After that it was 'open Sesame' and we got to our apartment without any trouble. It was a perfect place for an overnight stay and for only 59 euros for four, pretty reasonable.Our apartment had one bedroom and a sleeping sofa in the living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. We just dropped our things and hurried to the restaurant below, which had closed already - but we were told by the bartender closing up the bar, that we would be able to get a meal at a restaurant around the corner.We had a lovely dinner - steaks and chips for the guys and gourmet pizza for the girls plus carafes of red wine and  coffee afterwords for a quite reasonable GBP80 for the four of us.After a good meal and some nice red, we were all ready to go to bed.
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Hard, Austria

Arrived at Friedrichshafen yesterday - albeit almost two hours late thanks to an unscheduled stop in Frankfurt where my Ryanair flight dropped off some spare parts. This is what you have to expect with Ryanair - it's a country bus in the air. Seating is first in best served and do not expect any special service. So, if Ryanair needs to drop off some spare parts for one of its plane at Frankfurt airport, do not expect to be told about it beforehand - only when you're in mid flight and unable to leave the plane. The delay meant I missed the tail end of a wonderful balmy day on the shores of Lake Constance. By the time we were on the autoroute, driving to my brother's place at Hard, storm clouds were gathering above and we got into the house just as the first downpour came. Hard is a small town of about 12,000 residents on the eastern shores of Lake Constance and in Austria's westernmost province of Voralberg. It is about a 10-minute drive from Bregenz, the capital of Voralberg, is well-know for its international festival in July and August, particularly for its opera performances on a floating stage on the lake. This and last year - they put on Tosca and for the next two festivals it will be Aida. The festival program also includes another opera in the big festival hall, plays and concerts. Hard itself is quite rural and there are still farm buildings in the middle of town. Every morning at seven you can hear cowbells when one of the farmers in town takes his cows through town to the fields nearby for grazing and at five when he brings them back, stopping all traffic.The town is known for attractions such as its big skateboard and bicycle rink and lakeshore baths. A small stream runs through the town and widens into a small canal at the edge of town, where there is a lock and a small pool with railings to hold on to and pebbles at the bottom said to be good for your feet to wade through. For a small town it has a lot of pubs or 'gasthaus' as they are called here. Hard must have about 10 of them - five in the middle of town within only 100m of each other. One of the most impressive pubs is Gasthaus Krone - probably the most standout buildings in town with a gabled roof and very colourful facade in typical Austrian style, advertising a beer garden in the back. Yet for all is pubs the town is remarkably quiet and when I went to bed, making it an early night, there was hardly a sound to be heard. Either the pub across the street had no business or its patrons were very quiet folks.I woke up this morning to gray skies and managed to catch the latest Olympic news on BBC One - another gold to Britain, which is in front of Australia in the medal tally. I had to go online to find out how Australia was doing. Later Chris and I went to the market in Hard - a number of stalls selling fresh fruit and vegetables in season. We bought some freshly picked raspberries and strawberries plus some newly harvested Gravenstein apples which my brother likes. At the same place they also sold home made apple juice - wonderfully fresh without any artificial sweeteners or colouring. At another stall, selling Italian cheese and cured meat, we bought some prosciutto and a bottle of pinot grigio, which we'll try tonight. It's my turn to cook dinner and I'll be doing my travel recipe of chicken breast with garlic and lemon rind wrapped in prosciutto.
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Lindau, Bavaria, Germany

Today we were supposed to pick up my son Francis at Friedrichshafen airport. But thanks to the snail pace of British foreign affairs, he is still in Sydney waiting for his passport with the appropriate UK residence visa. They emailed him on Monday that the visa had been approved and his passport would be sent to him by courier from Canberra. I talked to him today, Thursday, and by the sound of things his passport must be coming via a slowboat to China. The British embassy told him could expect the passport to take five days - by courier - snailmail is faster than that! So we made a trip to Lindau instead. A town on one of the three islands on Lake Constance, Lindau is located near the juncture of the Austrian, German and Swiss borders.   In my earlier life, I remember when driving from Geneva to Munich for the beer festival, stopping at the Austrian border before Lindau, to get an Austrian stamp in my passport. But these days, since EU eliminated its borders, there is no longer any custom house between Austria and Germany and no visible sign when you enter Germany. The town can be reached by car across the causeway or by train - it has an impressive mainline train station, which is one of only two major railway terminals in Bavaria (the other being in Munich), linking it by direct train to major German cities such as Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart. As we drove across the causeway, there was a traffic jam of cars trying to get into the town and many tourists were walking towards us across the bridge. There were also many boats moored along the shores. We were pleasantly surprised to discover parking was quite reasonable at one of the big parking areas at the edge of town at 5 Euro for six hours. The walk from the carpark to the centre of town is only 10 minutes and takes you across the railway lines via an old wooden pedestrian bridge. We were soon in the centre of town walking along the main shopping street, Maximilianstrasse, with its colourful facades, flowers, shops and outdoor restaurants - all restricted from any car traffic. Like so many other places around here, Lindau has a long and checkered history. In 1224 Franciscan monks built a monastery on the island and the city became a free city in 1274-75 which meant it had independent representation in the 'Reichstag' of the Holy Roman Empire. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the town fell under the rule of Karl August von Bretzenheim, the elector of Pfalz and Bavaria, who in 1804 gave it to the Kingdom of Austria, which can't have been too pleased with the gift, for in 1805 it returned the town to Bavaria. A hive of activity around the mid 18-hundreds resulted in the railway causeway to the island and a new harbour and its landmark lion sculpture and Bavaria's only lighthouse at the entrance. In 1922, Lindau merged with the districts of Aeschach, Hoyren and Reutin. After WWII it fell under French administration and was not returned to Bavaria until 1955. Things to do in Lindau include visits to the harbour, promenade along the Aeschach lake side, a range of water sports - from bathing and waterskiing to sailing, diving, yachting, windsurfing and canoeing - golf, cycling along its many cycle paths and 'rambling' along a new network of rambling paths linked to neighbouring communities and the Vorarlberg region. The town also offer its own beer festival which takes place in early September as well as a puppet opera in late autumn. The town is a major port of Lake Constance - and lake fishery has played a big role in the economy of the town. Today, the harbour was dominated by private motor launches and sailboats bobbing in the blue water while a zeppelin from Friedrichshafen floated across the sky. As you walk through the cobblestoned streets, you can't miss the Lindau Townhall with its colourful Renaissance facade, featuring medieval knights and damsels, flowers and animals. We visited some of Lindau's many stores - which range from stylish boutiques, selling top labels such as Prada; houseware stores with an array of merchandise for the German houseproud frau, to food specialty stores selling typical German fare such as sausages and sauerkraut. By four in the afternoon - the outdoor tables were emptying and we sat down at one of them, dying for a cup of coffee but were surprised when we ordered the coffee, the waiter told us the table was only available if we were having a meal. At that time of the day - the demand for a meal was practically zero, so needless to say - the restaurant was looking disserted as the late lunchers were leaving. We took our business across the street and relaxed under the market umbrella over a cappuccino enjoying the late summer sunshine and smell of the flowers.
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Hard, Austria

We went for a walk this morning along the shores of Bodensee or Lake Constance which it's also called. The lake was like a mirror and there was not a breath of wind - the peace was almost tangible. Folks here in Hard are a friendly lot and we greet each other with a benign 'Gruss Gott' as we cross on the walking path. Walking is taken pretty seriously here and many are using what looks like ski poles. Originally a Finnish concept Nordic walking is fitness walking, using poles adjusted to your hight, and has become very popular with young and old alike across Europe as a way to stay fit. Another pleasant feature is how tidy and clean everything is here - the water in the lake is sparkling clear. I also noticed a small brook running through the village does not have one piece of rubbish - not even a bottle cap. There are no bottles, cans or empty plastic bags which we are used to in Australia, which is almost unnatural. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1219857840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1219857840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1219857840/tpod.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:47:57 -0400 Travel notes from an itinerant baby boomer

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Hard, Austria

They were talking on radio here about our 'late' summer - the first sign that my summer odyssey is drawing to a close. As we took our daily walk on the shores of Lake Constance here in the small town of Hard, we noticed lake shore swimming baths were closed for the summer and there was a slightly cold nip in the air, seeping down from the mountains - their mountaintops will soon show the first snow. Children back from holidays, getting ready for school, are enjoying their last days of freedom on the bicycle-skateboard range here or finding other places to swim by the lake. The last of the tourists are boating or sailing on the lake if they are not walking, biking, picnicking or fishing on the lake shores. Fishing here is a sedentary affair - friends getting together, bringing their sun chairs and umbrellas, picnics and fishing rods which are mounted on stands while the fishermen (or ladies) sit nearby talking - I have yet to see someone catching anything. But every week at the market in Bregenz - a 10-minute drive away - there are stalls selling locally caught fish such as river trout, pike, freshwater perch, roach and white fish beside farmed salmon and other fish flown in from the Atlantic such as halibut, turbot and bass. About 1000 tons of fish are caught by the 150 or so professional fishermen of Lake Constance. Pollution in the lake almost eradicated the Lake Constance trout in the 1980, but the introduction of protective measures has saved it and it has now made a significant return. Lake Constance, 63 km long, and at its widest point, almost 14 km, is central Europe's third biggest inland sea after Lake Balaton in Hungary and Lake Geneva in Switzerland. It shores borders Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Car ferries link Romanshorn, Switzerland to Friedrichshafen, in Germany; and Konstanz to Meersburg in Germany. The Rhine flows into the lake in the southeast, through the Obersee, the city of Konstanz and the Untersee and flows out near the Swiss town of Stein am Rhein in the west of the lake. As I sit here on the shores of Lake Constance, outside in my brother's garden, I try to eke out the last remnants of summer. Checking my emails I find an eagerly awaited confirmation of my hotel accommodation in Alghero, Sardinia. 'It's all OK...see you on the 07.09.08, Frank,' it says reassuringly. I am staying at a converted monastery - the San Francesco Hotel - situated in the old part of Alghero, where I am planning to grab the last days of the European summer before I return to Sydney and its beautiful spring weather of soft northerlies, cerulean skies and outdoor living. I visited Alghero about the same time last year and fell in love with it. It is a town on Sardinia's less fashionable north-west coast - but a place full of local character and atmosphere. I have booked my flight with Ryanair and managed to get fairly cheap seats at GP19.99 although my departure is only a week away, which tells me the credit crunch must have taken its toll on the travel industry. But in true Ryanair style, the discount airline has ramped up its charges and the check-in baggage fees have doubled. Even if all you have is cabin luggage and you want to check in online, those who do not have UK or EU passport, are forced to check-in at the airport at the cost of an extra GBP8 return. Could this be the end of discount air travel as we know it? - Watch out for carbon footprint charges next.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1216576500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1216576500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/evasolo/1/1216576500/tpod.html Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:54:24 -0400 Travel notes from an itinerant baby boomer

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Espevær, Norway

I am climbing like a goat over rocks and shrubs along the side of a hill, convinced that any minute now I'll lose my foothold and tumble into the sea below. This morning, my brother Erling; Trine, my sister-in-law, and I set out for Espevær - a group of island right out in the North Sea on the west coast of Norway. We drove to Eidesvik and then took the passenger ferry to Espevær. We had to park the car at Eidesvik, because cars are still banned from the islands and people either use their legs, bikes or boats fortransport.My grandmother's family comes from Espevær and I spent a couple of very memorable summers here. I remember as a child spending all day swimming, fishing and rowing everywhere and when lying in bed at night, still feeling the gentle rocking of the boat. My parents and I came here for a holiday when I was nine and I made firm friends with one of my distant cousins, who became a 'pen pal'.After 12 months writing to each other, she got her mother to invite me spend the following summer at Espevær and here I learned to fish, including killing and gutting the fish immediately after it was caught - something I still do whenever I go fishing. Erling keeps asking me if I remember where I lived. But that is difficult, all the houses look more or less the same - two-storey white-painted timber dwellings with picket fences and weatherbeaten shrubs in the garden. This is a community exposed to the harsh elements of the North Sea which today look benight with hardly a ripple. Espevær continues to be a thriving fishing village with a rich in history. In the mid-1800's the islands were a thriving community housing more than 20,000 people during the herring shoals.By comparison Bergen, Norway's biggest city at the time, had a population of 26,000. But today, Espevær has only 170 residents but receive many times more visitors during the summer who come for the fishing, diviing or its rich and varied flora. There are 365 small islands nearby, most of which are uninhabited.  Attractions on Espevær include the 'Baadehuset', which has been converted into a museum with a big selection of historical photographs and many exhibits of old fishing tackle. Hummerparken, a lobster 'park', which is under cover, was used from 1887 till 1957 for keeping the lobster live and fed until they were collected or exported mostly to the UK.  Since my memorable summers there, the island is said to have a UFO visit. In 1975 an UFO ring was discovered in the northern part of the island after strange lights in the sky had been reported for a while in the year. After we alight from the ferry, we start on a walking tour of the island and about an hour later come upon the UFO ring, said to be one of the biggest in the world, in a small depression between the rocks, just up from a small bay which looks very much like a bathing spot where we used to go.The story goes, the Norwegian Airforce came with a helicopter to examine the UFO ring, but had no explanation for it. While the marks from the helicopter is long gone, the UFO ring is still there.Scientists from Bergen University who also came to examine the ring said something had been heavy enough to drive stones 7cm deep into the soil in a ring formation on the spot.We continue on our walk and just as we finish - we come upon a lively BBQ where the whole population seems to be gathered.Volunteers collecting moneys to save the Lobsterfarm are barbequeing salmon and selling it with salad and potatoes for Kr5 each.It's a happy gathering and soon The island has its own cable ferry, made locally, and it is automatically coin operated for the 45 metre crossing of one of Espevær`s straits. Nearby is Hespriholmen, an island where greenstone, som e 8,000 years old, was mined. In 1990 Espevær was judged to be one of the most beautiful places in Norway. A warm welcome awaits you. Come to Espevær and experience our idyllic lifestyle!
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