Sæbø

And now I have to move on to Møre, where the fjord country begins. The next day after arriving in Ålesund, we go to a small village (pop. around 200) on Hjørundfjord called Sæbø.

Sæbø Church across the valley. The hole between two mountains is called "Olauhølå" (Literally, "Olaf's Hollow"). Said to be a place where St. Olaf sat down. One wonders how a man of that size could lose the Battle of Stiklestad.

My hosts, Kjell and Johanne Heggstad, have a house in Sæbø, where Johanne is originally from.

Everyone who has been to Norway must at least know about the ubiquitous open-faced shrimp salad sandwich. But I had never had one that was as tasty as this, which I made myself, using shrimp provided by Kjell and Johanne and bread from the Sæbø bakery---"Hjørdunfjordbrød." On the right side of the plate was some sursild (pickled herring).

The Skonndal River

A well provides water from the  Skonndal River. This was the best water I had in Norway. When I was here 23 years ago, almost all the water tasted like this, but with the growth in population, it has become necessary to institute water systems with chlorinated water. 

Where the Hjørundfjord meets the Storfjord. Kjell tells me the best fishing here is for pollock. Some of them grow very large and you have to fish for them in a boat equipped with a winch in order to get them out of the water and into the boat.

Another view of  Sæbø, mountains and fjord, from in front of Kjell and Johanne's house.