Beach within walking distance

When the weather is nice in Norway, we all “flee” to the nearest nice place to enjoy the sun. And that includes beaches, parks, cabins, outdoor-bars and more – because everyone enjoys it differently.

The main reason we all go outside when the weather is nice, is that we normally don’t have that much nice weather, and grow up with the mindset that we need to enjoy it while the weather is nice.

This picture is from Kristiansand in September 2016, when I lived a short walk away from this beach, and got to enjoy the view whenever the weather was enjoyable.

Jæren

This picture is from mid-July 2009, and shows some of the landscape at Jæren in southwestern Norway. Jæren is very flat by the coast, with beautiful beaches and great surfing opportunities, as well as many farms growing different things outside and in green houses.

The dunes on Jæren

For me, sand dunes are a part of a windy, yet fun time. We’ve spent a lot of time on the beaches of Jæren, and there’s just something about walking down towards the north sea, preparing to go swimming, and feeling the wind in the towel.

The landscape on Jæren is mostly pretty flat, which creates a very different picture than most of Norway. It also means that any hill seems bigger than it actually is, even if it might not stop the wind. In general there can be a lot of wind on Jæren, seeing as it is the south-western coast of Norway. The people living on Jæren are pretty used to it and have been for many generations. This can also be seen with the trees planted around the houses or in a line to decrease wind.

This picture was taken in mid-June 2013, and it was an evening spent watching the stormy clouds, but in all honestness, I can’t remember it being too windy. However, too windy might be hard to define on Jæren (unless things start flying and the train stops).

The staircases that went through a forest

I’ve posted pictures before from the visit to Møns klint in south-eastern Denmark in late June 2012, but those pictures were of the beach and the cliff. This is the end of the staircase we had to descend (and later climb up again) to get through the wooden area to the beach. Walking down the stairs through a forest felt pretty strange, but when you got out of the woods and all you could see was a rock-filled beach, the cliffs and the sea, it was pretty magical.

Summer at the stoney beach

While this picture is getting old (in a few days it’ll be three years since I took it in 2013), it still partly captures the spirit of the place. This is a part of the beaches on Jæren. Not all of the beaches are of stone, some of them are long, sandy beaches that can be incredible in the summertime (if you don’t mind the water to be a bit chilly), and windy and filled with stormy weather in the wintertime.

The rock (-and-roll?) beaches of Jæren

Yet another post about the beautiful beaches on Jæren. This picture was taken in late June of 2013.

 

A stormy Juneevening on the westcoast of Norway

In late June of 2013, I spent some time taking pictures on a beach along the south-western coast of Norway, in an area known as Jæren. Later this evening, it rained quite a bit, and some of the pictures were pretty dark of the same reason. If you ever find yourself in south-western Norway, for example in Stavanger, Sandnes or Egersund, I really recommend visiting the beaches.

I really miss Jæren.

The landscape really is something special. Long beaches, whether they consist of sand or rocks. And (almost) always some wind. Even in windy and somewhat rainy days, like the day this picture was taken in June of 2013.

On the (stone-y) beaches of Jæren

One of the things I miss, having moved from the west-coast to the south, is Jæren. The beaches and the generally flat landscapes, that may remind you of Denmark or the Netherlands. The sandy or rock-filled beaches. And the wind flowing in from the north sea, spreading the saltwater-smell in the air.

This picture is taken in June 2013, close to the border between Hå municipality and Klepp municipality.

Where would you guess this is?

I’ll give you more time to guess.

Ready?

Denmark might not be on the top of your list, as it’s said to be as flat as a pancake, but this is a picture from the cliffs of Møn. Møn is a Danish island in south-eastern Denmark, south from Sjælland and east from Lolland and Falster.

The picture was taken from the stairs at the cliffs of Møn, walking down to the beach. At the top, a sign claimed that it took 15 minutes to walk down to the bottom, and I’m pretty sure it did. It was taken during the great Danish road-trip in June of 2012, with two of my sisters.