wednesday walk titled: war and peace

please join me on this wednesday walk to fredriksvern verft. from my house it is a short distance, just a few minutes walk. i follow the coast over a small hill with a great overlook of the sound and the nearby island.

just around the corner the shipyard with it's slipways come into view.
it was built in the 1750s and 60s when norway was part of denmark and fredrik 5 was king.

ash trees surround the gate to the historic military base. already in 1930 the older trees were declared protected natural monuments for landscape and botanical reasons,

inside we see the strikingly serene open scene with grass extending to the sea and the nearby island backdrop. seemingly haphazardly placed cannons stand as a reminder that this was once norway's main naval station.

an effort was made to shift the focus of the grounds from times of war to a present day park in times of peace. an art installation was erected which includes four no longer seaworthy wooden rowboats dolled up in feminine colors and stood on end. approaching the boats triggers an audio program with sounds of fishermen on the water.

continuing inside i come to a bridge over the canal lined with docks for small boats. this time of year the boats are mainly in drydock as the canal freezes during the coldest spells of winter.

crossing the bridge i reach the shipyard shown earlier. many years
ago naval vessels were built and launched here, nowadays the yellow buildings house historically oriented boatbuilding projects as well as a museum, theater and cafe.

the shipyard was built in conjunction with an already existing fort on both sides of the sound- partly on the island and partly on the mainland. the oldest remaining building is the one with the curious uneven pyramid shape roof. this was the storehouse for the gunpowder. it was specially designed for the roof to blow apart but leave the walls in tact in case of an explosion.

the red lookout on top of the hill was also part of the fort. maybe one day i will have a wednesday walk on the island

there are two small beaches on the premises. this one facing east is on the sound between the mainland and the island. it is not much of a beach compared to an international standard but it is still very popular among families with small children in the summer.

looking back toward the entrance one can see the old barracks as well as a more modern garage-cum-workshop. behind that there is another red lookout on top of that hill

on the mainland gunpowder was stored in this stone house, well away from the wooden buildings- just in case.
the isolated stark building really stands out as i approach the other beach.

a closer look of the building reveals more inviting friendly lines in the design

proceeding south i will soon reach the end of the old military base but beyond it i can choose between three ways to go. to the left i can climb a hill with a panorama of the base, the entrance to the sound, the island with its lighthouse and more. or i can continue south on a 1,5 km undeveloped rocky peninsula with great spots for diving that are popular for youth and the youthful. to the west is a wonderful 35 km long hiking trail along the coast- the first of its kind in norway.

here facing the open waters of skagerrak is the southern entrance "gate" to the base. through the gate is the second beach.

it is evening and i am not going any farther yet i am in no hurry to return home. i stop and with a few deep breaths i take in the air, the
scenery, the light, the moment

in this pause to take it all in i find myself focusing on the play of light around the protruding rocks in the shallow water and letting time pass itself