Travel Bug entries...Journey destined to? (31 March-3 April 2007)

My travel trails took a turn towards the west coast and the northern Norway during the Easter vacations.

I headed off to experience the majestically towering mountains with scenic beauty of gushing streams of water running through the huge rocks. Taking the night bus from Trondheim to Stryn, the journey is worth mentioning for the following reason; I was captivated heart & soul by the majestically gigantic snow-covered mountains under the starry sky.

Though my stay destination was at Innvik (a small town with 600 inhabitants), I visited the "Utvik Fjell" (the mountains of Utvik, a part of Gloppen Kommune), for some skiing- being highly unsuccesful though.
Thousands of tourists flock to this place to experience cross-country and down hill skiing, enormously facilitated by the huge mass of snow.

Nature's Catastrophes- 1905 and 1936.

Driving through the hair-pin bends, my next visit was to Lodalen. Ironically, nature has intervened three times in the last century to reshape Lodalen's landscape, twice with the loss of Human life and enormous material damage in 1905, 1936 and 1950. The catastrophes were the landslides from the mountain, which are the biggest in the Norwegian history.

In the innermost reaches of the Nord fjord, Briksdalsbreen (Briksdal Glacier)is one of the most popular nature-based tourist destinations.
Growing tourism has provided a larger scope for the employment at Stryn. However, people find employment at the slaughter house (a fabric for Meat production)and the wool producing fabric of the locality. Apart from these, some farmers jointly own a few acres of Land and share the produce.
It is the intense experience of Nature that makes Stryn and its surrounding places so attractive; its wide range of Fjords, mountains, lakes, waterfalls and glaciers makes it Norway's most beautiful destinations.

Entry 2- The infected travel Bug....Destination Mo I Rana (4 April - 10 April 2007)

Travelling ahead towards the North, I journeyed along the beautiful fjords. The fjord is indeed the soul of Norway - and certainly its the most magnificent attraction.
On reaching Mo I Rana, after a long train journey of 6 and half hours, I was driven by Julianne to her home town, Lurøy.
Peering up at the towering mountains on my way, it felt inevitable to appreciate the immense power of the forces of Nature which have given rise to such huge masses of land.

Occupation of the localites...

The people of Lurøy and the surrounding places are mainly engaged in Salmond Fishing and the construction and sale of Boats.

Place of Historical Importance....

Grønsvik Military Coastal Defence Battery (Grønsvik Kystfort)

It was built in 1942 (during the SWW, by the Germans)to blockade the sea communication to Mo I Rana. 100 Russian and Polish prisoners of war were working with the fort. In addition, came an unknown number of civilian workmen, some of them were volunteers but others were forcibly recruited.

Easter Celebration..8 April 2007