Lovund

Lovund is a small island and village in the municipality of Lurøy. Before I'll show you the island, let me tell you something about the reason why we went there at all - the Puffins. Puffins are birds that arrive each year to lay eggs and Lovund is notable for their large breeding colony. Actually, there is only one egg from a couple of Puffins per year. What is interesting - the whole flock of birds arrives exactly on 14th of April. Always. (Here you can read something more about it). We wanted to see these birds because... we found them extremelly cute! 

At the beginning we went for a walk on the island:

We've found such a mouse ;>

Ok, it's high time to search for some Puffins...

It means that we're on a good way...

Then, together with Alex we started to climb up to a place marked on a map as Puffins' nests. 

Such a nice moss! Can I take it home? ;>

Views from the top were really breathtaking...

But where are all these Puffins? 

Well, we were on the right place but... few hours too early! It turned out that Puffins are hunting during the day and coming back to the nests in the afternoon. We were watching almost every bird on the sky, trying to perceive if any Puffin is coming, but unfortunately - there wasn't a single one. :c

We couldn't wait any longer, because there is only one boat coming back to Nesna. With a heavy heart we went back. As a consolation, we went to local supermarket and bought plush Puffins ;>

Lovund, view from the boat.

Puffin Przemek.

Træna, the Arctic Circle

Anyway, I fell in love with Puffins, even though I haven't seen any.

 I'm watching dozens of pictures every day and can't stop to marvel at them. ;3

Just take a look at some photos I've found on the Internet:

(projectpuffin.audubon.org)

And here is Alex, another fan of Puffins and master of Photoshop.

Some people even believed that this picture is real! :)

Bjørndalen

Bear Valley. It's a half an hour far from Nesna and we went there for a walk as a part of our Norwegian course. It's great that we don't have to sit in classroom and learn. Now we have an opportunity to go out, to discover and experience many various things. I wish other subjects were taught like this.  

Even though it wasn't especially cold, the lake was completely frozen. Some of us started dancing on ice...

In Bjørndalen there is also a wooden hut. We stayed there for a while and Claude prepared a coffee.

After a short break we went up to the mountains to see bunkers from The Second World War.

We had to go through the cave...

Which in fact - without a flash - looked like that. 

And bunerks. We stayed there to eat matpakka prepared together in the morning. Actually, matpakka is just a sandwich, but packed in paper without an upper layer.

And of course from bunkers in mountains are nice views on neighbouring islands.

Ok, it's time to move on...

A Sami hut. This one is reconstructed, but it's how did they live. 

Claude, our teacher, shows how the stone is being damaged by frost and rain.

In Bjørndalen you may find many various plants, sometimes even taken from other continents.    

At first, when I saw this cross made of stones I associated it with Celts, but obviously it has nothing to do with them. Later on I learned about one Sami musician - Nils-Aslak Valkeapää - who created a similar symbol called "Faðir min, solin" - "The Sun, My Father" and probably this one is related to Sami culture.

And another wooden hut, this time placed behind the waterfall.

I'm looking forward to go there when the ice is melted.

And the last view on the Bear Valley. Fortunately, we haven't met any (;