Sagasund

http://www.nrk.no/contentfile/file/1.434034!img433979.jpg

100 Norwegian crowns is less than 20 US dollars.

Here is how you can spend that money:

You go to the town of Fredrikstad by train or by car.

In the harbor of Fredrikstad, which is actually the last part

of Norway's biggest river Glomma, you find this ship, the Sagasund.

During summertime, except for Sundays, Sagasund leaves

Fredrikstad at 11.00 o'clock.

The ship is often quite full of Norwegians going to Sweden to shop.

I am told that those who smoke and use alcohol, get it cheaper

in Sweden, though they must not buy more than the allowed

amount to bring back to Norway.

Then there are others who like to buy their food in Sweden.

And some just enjoy the atmosphere in the little town of Stroemstad.

Me , f.ex.

Sagasund takes two hours from Fredrikstad to Stroemstad, passing

a lot of smaller and bigger islands.

Typical for this area are the rounded rocks, shaped by the ice once

moving over them.

In Stroemstad you have two hours for your shopping or sightseeing.

If you want to eat, you can use another 100 crowns for a fish dinner

at Rasta, situated in the building of Domus, a supermarket.

Suggestion: From Stroemstad you can take another boat out to the

Swedish islands of Koster, I will tell about the summer paradise Koster

some other time.

Back to Stroemstad.

At 15.00 Sagasund left Stroemstad and , at least on our trip, took

a slightly different route back to Fredrikstad.

Some passengers had ordered dinner for their backtrip.

A kiosk served the rest of us.

I find this a nice way of spending four hours on the sea,

going from Norway to Sweden and back,

and at the same time being able to spend two hours in Stroemstad.