Why Even Leave

So everyone’s talking about where to go on their next summer holiday.  If you live in a place where summer means watching glorious sunsets until the first blush of morning, why even leave?  

Sunset watching is a luxury I have missed for a good part of my adult life.  Making a living amidst the concrete jungle that is Metro Manila deprived me of such a privilege.  It was either I was working late into the night or I was stuck in indescribable city traffic on my way home that I would overlook those much-talked about Manila sunsets.  But all that changed when I moved to Ørsta.  Now I get to gaze at the horizon as its hues shift from clear blue skies to glorious golden rays for hours on end.  But then it’s summer in Norway.  Is there such a thing as day culminating into night?   

The dog days of summer draws almost everyone closer to the water.  The fjord lining the coast of downtown Ørsta is a favorite of sunbathers and boat and fishing enthusiasts from all over the region.  A fully-equipped camping space is right at the heart of town and just a few steps away from the fjord.  There are cabins for rent, ample parking space for mobile campers and a kiosk for fast-food lovers.  Once again, the question:  why leave Ørsta?

Ørsta has its share of mountains for trekking and climbing enthusiasts.  The town which is located at the end of the Ørstafjorden, is the heartland of the rugged Sunnmørsalpene mountains.  The hubby and I trekked to 600-meter high Skåla in the beginning of summer of 2012; I have been dreaming of going back there or even higher up to my favorite Vallahornet soon.   Right where we live at Osskarvegen is the road that leads to 800-meter high Melshornet, another mountain that offers breathtaking views of the valley where Ørsta lies and its surroundings. The mountain is not only a favorite summer climb; I’ve seen several skiers hiking up when we attempted to scale the snow-covered tracks in the winter of 2012.  

Here in Ørsta, summer spells divine sunsets, breathtaking sceneries, fjord-cruising, camping, mountain climbing and many more.  So, why even leave?

Ørstafjorden and part of the Sunnmoresalpene range of mountains viewed from our living room window on a summer evening.