a walk to the top of the park

today's walk goes through the park to the far end where there is a neck extending off to the left with a hill. it is the highest point in the park and there are great views of the entire area from up there. but on my way i wildflowers near the water's edge on the east side were catching the evening sun just right. in the background is the neck where i am headed 🤭

autumn has its charms

that's the hill. not too high but it is surrounded by water so the view is 360 degrees

there a lots of the remains of the flowers that have gone to seed and i am not in a hurry

having reached the top i look back to where i came through the park. the east facing beach is not very long but it is sandy, shallow and doesn't get much surf so it's popular for families with small kids. it looks much smaller from up here

the view of the outer section of the park with the town behind it. the line of the five remaining wharf buildings where ships were built and repaired during the time it was a naval base

the floating sauna is a popular recent attraction. i can see the back door is open so there are folks inside. when they get too warm they'll hop in the sea which cools them off rather quickly in the autumn.

the cadet's barracks is one of the largest wooden buildings in northern Europe

sweeping farther right we come to the town. in focus here is the fiskemottak- where commercial fishing boats deliver their catch. these days it is mainly prawns and crayfish but now that lobster season is on also lobster and whatever crabs got caught in the lobster traps. Stavern was once a thriving fishing village but it has been years since there were commercial vessels stationed here.

looking up the sound you can see that part of Stavern is on a peninsula that used to be an island. the water beyond that is Larviksfjord and the city of Larvik at the end of it, about 7 km away

the outer harbor is behind the molo with the northern part of town behind it. though it may not look it, the industrial silos in the background are in Larvik. Bøkeskogen- the beech forest at the top behind the silos crowns the city of Larvik. it's a great place for a Wednesday walk any time of year.

looking out through the eastern end of the sound is outer Larviksfjord and the mainland north in the distance

Citadelløya and Stavernsøya were originally two separate islands that were made up the outer landmass of the sound. they were combined years ago to create a harbor between them. the house with the copper roof was originally used for storing gunpowder when for the naval base. it is now used primarily for cultural events. the residence behind it is operated as a residence for visiting artists.

Kikut is the red shed on the island's highest point. it is one of four lookouts in Stavern built my the military in the old days. another great place for a Wednesday walk though the last section is quite steep. the view from up there is even better than where i am standing.

though it looks quite rocky from here there is a decent little beach that is popular in the summer. some local folks even rent out their house for a few weeks to tourists and pitch a tent by the beach and enjoy camping even though they are not on holiday. they just take their boats across the sound to work in the morning.

the lighthouse at the tip of Stavernsøya marks the western entrance to the sound. since it is all automated now the lightkeeper's residence is available for overnighting on a first come first serve basis. it's not at all expensive but booking for the year is by phone only. booking opens at midnight on January 2 and if you time it perfectly you might be one of the lucky ones to get through and book an unforgettable stay. it's not easy to get through but it's worth a try

marking the mainland side of the sound is this quaint little light. it looks like it is on the mainland but if you want to reach there by land you have to wade out to the nearby rock.

that was a faily complete overview of the park and town with its surroundings but there is a large section to the west that i saved for another time.

on the way down from the hill i noticed the folks in the sauna were out taking a dip. my S22 has a good zoom so i got a chance to play paparazzi- i don't think they will mind.

back down again sun sun is mostly gone in the park but at the southern end some wildflowers are catching the very last rays of the evening. on the island though there are still a few minutes of it left to enjoy.