monomad challenge visits svenner lighthouse

Svenner lighthouse is on an island about 5 km from the mainland off the Skaggerak coast of Norway. there is an open rib taxi boat to the island and on a calm day the journey can be pleasantly enjoyable for all ages but often the sea is rough and it's quite a journey best suited to the young at heart. these shots are taken on two different visits, one calm day and one rough but once in the shelter of the island the waters are always much calmer

once on land the obvious thing to do first is climb up the path to the lighthouse. since it became automated the door is rarely open to the public but the view is great even from the base of the tower

there are quite a few stone houses on the grounds, built as residences and maintenance areas for the lightkeepers and families as well as maintenance and storage. more recently many of the houses have been converted to rustic but extremely popular accommodations for visitors. they provide an opportunity for an exceptional summer holiday but arrangements can be made to stay any time of year

the lighthouse is on the southern tip of the island which has a well protected natural harbor that makes it a popular stop for boats sailing the coast. in addition to the light and houses the island is mostly carved and polished rock that are a sight to behold and an adventure to explore

but to the north there is a fair amount of greenery and even a couple of tiny sand beaches sheltered from the roughest surf. it's possible to pitch a tent on the grassy area nearby one of the beaches

but i was here just for the day and this shot was taken on the way back to the mainland where the sea was sheltered enough to get a shot. shortly afterwards the ride became wet and wild. color version of the first shot.