Kvitsøy

After I posted my music yesterday, I did actually end up going on an adventure. The rain stopped for the afternoon, so I headed out to explore the island of Kvitsøy, located in the Byfjord, just outside Stavanger. The ferry to Kvitsøy takes about 40 minutes and leaves from right outside IRIS. I really didn't know anything about the island except that it was inhabited, so I was pleasantly surprised by the rolling hills, grassy fields, and abundance of small watercraft. It seems nobody who lives on Kvitsøy has a simple home; houses were either on the water and surrounded by boats or up on a hilltop and surrounded by sheep. If you live out here, it's either to fish or to farm.

As far as I could tell, there was one school, one church, one grocery store, and one gas station on the island. The small community reminded me a little bit of Longyearbyen, especially because there were multiple groups of children walking around unaccompanied. Kvitsøy must be a very safe place to live. Actually, what Kvitsøy reminded me of the most was Motutapu Island, just outside Auckland, New Zealand. Both islands are at temperature latitude, have similar topographies, rolling hills, abundant grasses, and livestock. Both are sparsely inhabited but just a ferry ride away from a major city. I think the island residents must do their shopping in Stavanger, because I noticed a couple of families on the ferry with shopping bags and suitcases that I can only assume were filled with new clothes. 

Kvitsøy fyr

I wandered around Kvitsøy's network of curvy, narrow roads for a while and then decided to climb up to the lighthouse. To get there, I had to follow a grassy path between two houses. I was afraid of trespassing at first, but the path was labeled "Fyrveien" ("Lighthouse Street"), so I figured it must be legitimate. It seemed a bit odd to call a grass-covered path a street, but whatever. Kvitsøy fyr (lighthouse) is located on top of the island's tallest hill, so once I got up there, I had a pretty spectacular panorma of the island, with its grassy fields, white waterfront houses, and ceiling of dark puffy clouds. It was definitely worth the climb. As the sky grew darker in the evening, I could see the lighthouse's yellow beam circling around. 

Kvitsøy is a really unique place, and I'm glad I got to see it. 

View down to the water from the lighthouse