The town of Haugesund, where I come from, is in the centre of the region of Haugalandet. These are photos from around Haugalandet. Beside each «Foto:» is the name of the photographer responsible for that photo.





Yrkjefjorden mot Vindafjord
Foto: Ole Jakob Vorraa





Vindafjord is the big, lovely fjord between us and the rest of the nation. This is Imslandsjøen, on Vindafjord, and isn't it a gorgeous little place?





Vikedalsdalen - Vindafjord





Etne is the nice place north of Vindafjord which we pass through whenever we're going someplace outside Haugalandet.

Korndyrking, Sørheimsmoen - Etne
Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Langfossdalen, Etne
Foto: Ole Jakob Vorraa





Folgefonna - Etne
Foto: Erik Kvalheim





Langfoss - Etne
Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Sæbøtunet - Etne
Foto: Etne Reiselivslag, Haraldsen





Skånevik - Etne
Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Love those tunnels!
Åkrafjorden, E-134 - Etne
Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Ølen is on this side of Etne, closer to the coast.
Foto: Einar Tollaksvik





Romsa, Ølen
Foto: Jan Rabben





Kyrkjegard, Oa - Sveio
Foto: Tove V. Bråthen





Fjonelva - Sveio
Foto: Tove V. Bråthen





Sveio is the area of Haugalandet which is north of Haugesund.
Foto: Jan Rabben





Haugesund's Rådhuset, the Town Hall, was built in 1931 after the generous local shipowner Knut Knutsen gave the townspeople of Haugesund one million Norwegian kroner for the building a new town hall. I'm not sure who decided it would be a great big pink building, but there it is.

Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Haugesund
Foto: Tor André Johannessen





This is Vår Frelsers kirke and what a sight it is inside! Could almost make me believe in God if not for being turned off by Moses and all that "killing in the name of blah blah" and "we're the chosen ones!" crap.

Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Smedasundet - Haugesund
Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Dokken Museum - Haugesund
Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





This is Haraldshaugen, the burial site of Harald Hårfagre, who was the first Norwegian king. His name means Harald the Fairhaired. It's too bad we never had a Harald the Bald, Harald the Mohawked, or Harald the Pigtailed.

Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





Festiviteten (www.festiviteten.no) has rather nice things now and then. We're not a large town, but we still have some great things going for us.





Haugesund
Foto: Espen Børseth





This is Haugesund Sykehus, or hospital, where people like me are squeezed from their mum's bodies like a pit from an olive. Isn't it the least attractive building ever built?





Haugesund Billedgalleri





This is the town's art gallery which has some very nice things from time to time. See that piano over there? The keepers get a bit upset when people decide to give impromptu concerts on it. Oops.





Haugesund
Foto: Kjetil Helland





This is the island Utsira off Haugalandet's coast, and it's the most western point in the nation. The colours come off well there.

Indre Havn, Norevågen - Utsira
Foto: Fotogén Haugalandrådet





The wind is rather active in Karmøy, a nice place south of Haugesund.

Foto: Ørjan B. Iversen





Fishermans Memorial, Ferkingstad - Karmøy
Foto: Kjell Birger Gilje





Visnes Gruveområde - Karmøy
Foto: Ørjan B. Iversen





Karmøy





Avaldsnes kirke ved natt - Karmøy
Foto: Ørjan B. Iversen





Føresvik Turveg - Bokn
Foto: Jardar Havikbotn





The brilliant area of Tysvær is just between Haugesund and Vindafjord, and that brings us full circle around Haugalandet. Not such a bad place, eh? I rather like our nice wee plot on this big earth. Now I'd better be off to do some recycling so it still looks this nice in fifty years!

Utsikt frå Holekleiv, Nedstrand - Tysvær
Foto: Elise Lea, Tysvær Kommune





Naustmiljø, Søvik - Tysvær
Foto: Nils J. Tollefsen, Tysvær Kommune