Cave Men

Or maybe not. We went for a trip to the island where I was born, and here are some photos:

The nicest beach on the island. We didn't go for a swim, it's way too cold yet:



The shovel at the graveyard has an all-tree handle and shaft. The brand "Norge" or "Norway" is branded on the handle:



We wanted to check out the big cave on the island. I've been there before but my daughers and husband hadn't seen it. This is where our trip started:



The path is up and down across rocks and marshes:





Most of the vegetation is stunted. This poor rowan is probably a lot older than it looks:



This narrow passage is called the "Smalhans" and even little feet have to watch their step. According to earlier belief people must not support themselves on the rock or pat it when passing, because then you'd have bad luck with animals and crops for one year. The only way to appease Smalhans was to bring him the leg of a sheep. The chain was added a few years back when the islanders improved the path:



The path's well marked but at times I didn't quite believe what I saw. We're going up here and to the left:



Getting close. The green patch is where we're heading:



Columbine-bay. On 7th of February 1886 a ship named "Columbine" drifted ashore here. It had come all the way from Shetland. A lady was on board, and she was saved by local men. They were rewarded for their deed. Each got a medal and £10 from the British government:



Then the cave. It's up there:



The path leading up is very steep:



Imagine that, a cave with shower:



On our way into the cave:



And we're down:



The mouth of the cave from the inside:



All that greenery is ferns, moss, a few wildflowers and lots and lots of chickweed. I munched a few hundred stalks. They tasted very good indeed.

All caves need cave paintings, right? Here are a few:





And all who venture into caves must have headlamps even though we didn't really need them in this cave:



We're all done checking out the innermost corners:



An archaeologist dug a bit inside the cave in 1878 and found a few traces of habitation, the earliest one probably dating from the stone age.

Back down by the sea. A large patch of stinging nettles shows that there's been a lot of human activity in this area:



People brought their animals here for the summer. I have no idea by which route:



Stone fences to keep the animals in:



While waiting for the ferry we had this charming creature to keep us company:



I hope you enjoyed our trip. I think I'll write more about both Columbine and the cave, but not tonight. I need my beautysleep.

 

A marvelous day trip Droopy and I did not get tired a bit. What is the name of the island so I can find it on a map. Beautiful landscape, it looks remote.

Jerry

 

Wow Droopy, Thanks for taking us along with you. That was awesome, especially knowing I will never get to see it firsthand.

 

Such gorgeous scenery! Thanks for taking us along

 

You said, "Cave Men", but all I saw were cave girls!
What a lovely stroll. I enjoyed seeing the countryside and of course the cave pics. I am already looking forward to your next installment. The landscape looks rough and beautiful. It sort of reminds me of Alaska.

You wrote and showed so well that I felt as if I were right there too.
That shovel was an interesting begin to the show.

 

Very enjoyable trip Droopy,..interesting that we have all mentioned Columbine of late,..and you mention the ship named Columbine,..that was a long rough trek to the cave,..but well worth seeing it for the first time,.."its a big cave",..i like caves,..thank you for sharing that trip.

 

Love seeing the rugged lush island. thanks for the walk without the effort

 

Wow wow wow! How beautiful is that place!!!
How long did your hike take? How many miles/kilometers was it?
Super duper wonderful post. Thanks so much for sharing your trip!

 

Thanks all for liking "my" island. We moved away when I was seven, but we visit to tend to the graves of my grandparents and great-grandparents.

It's called Løvsøy, and is situated right off the coast outside the town Aalesund, so it's not remote at all. The ferry trip takes about 20 minutes. The drive to the ferry from here takes about 50 minutes.

You didn't look close enough! My husband and son-in-law are on several of the photos. S-i-L is carrying my youngest graddaughter on his back and is the hind troop so he generally shows up like a small dot somewhere way behind the first person.

We used 45 minutes each way, so it's not far at all. I don't know the distance. It's rather difficult to measure how far we walked and distance as the crow flies is very misleading.

But of course. Nobody would publish un-stunning photos, would they?

And yes, it was just you until you mentioned it. Now all I see is a giant garden gnome.

 

I totally enjoyed this Droopy! Thanks for sharing your beautiful island. What a great walk/climb. I have to put Norway on my list of places I would love to visit, thanks to you!

 

Now I know where I want to visit.

 

Thanks DB. Please remember to visit the right parts of Norway. The sout-east is flat. The south is more rugged but the wild beauty is to the west, north-west and north.

You're very welcome.

I'll never be able to see that cave again without thinking of Frank.

As for being born, let me rephrase that: grew up on. I'll put it down to language differences. In Norway we say we were born in such-and-such, but in reality most of us were born at the nearest hospital and spent our early childhood in such-and-such. I just translated directly. Sorry.