Monday 5 September 2022--I catch a ferry this morning, a 40-minute hop from Ålesund to Hamnsund, and then a bus across a string of islands--Haramsøya, Skuløya, Fjørtofta, Harøya, Finnøya--that are linked by a series of bridges, causeways, and tunnels, the most recent of which opened just last week. The locals don't seem to have latched onto the new bus route yet, and I'm the only passenger. I have a nice chat with the driver, who points out his grandmother's house and other points of interest. He also radios ahead to the ferry at Finnøy, as we are running late. I was a little nervous about the ferry and bus links for this day and Wednesday, but they are well-integrated and easy to use. Still, I'm happy to have the driver's help; it seems the regular ferry is in the shop for an oil change or something, and a small boat is being used. (The local transit system's app keeps me informed.) It's launching from a different spot in Finnøy's harbor, and I don't know if I would have found it on my own. I board and enter the little cabin, where twelve of the fourteen seats are occupied, twelve faces turned to see who's holding things up. "You're all waiting for me!" I exclaim, and they laugh.

The ferry takes me to the tiny island of Ona (pronounced Oona), a few miles out in the open North Atlantic. I can only imagine what it's like here during a storm...as it is, a week or more of calm weather has left the surface of the sea as placid as a pond. Like most coastal and island villages, Ona was once focused on fishing, but it seems to be a village full of holiday cottages now. I check in at Ona Havstuer, a hotel in the Classic Norway group. My room is more an apartment, with full kitchen, a large bedroom, five more singles in the loft, and the kind of bath I wish I could have at home. The windows look out over the harbor. I wasn't sure about two nights here, but I'm already wishing I'd booked a week.

Ona's most prominent landmark is the lighthouse, built in 1867 atop the rocky hill Onakalven. From up there, I have a stunning view over the nearby islands and skerries, and mountains in the distance. The closest bit of mainland is ten miles away, and the inland peaks are, I think, forty and more...there probably aren't too many days a year that are this clear. Back down, I explore the village, which doesn't take long. Wikipedia says about 40 live in Ona; the website of a local adventure outfitter says the year-round figure is eleven. The larger figure perhaps includes the neighboring island of Husøy. There's a small grocery, and a couple of artsy-craftsy businesses that I imagine are more hobbies than a way to make a living. The one road snakes from the ferry landing around the village to the short bridge leading to Husøy. I'll save that for tomorrow.

I rest up a bit back in the room (yeah, a nap), then get out for another stroll around the harbor in early evening light. Dinner in the hotel is very good, followed by a beer or three--there are offerings from Nogne Ø, one of Norway's oldest craft breweries, a favorite--and a blether with the hotel manager, who tells me he winters at another hotel in the chain. It must be pretty bleak here in the off-season. Just now, it seems like paradise.

I'm up at 4:00am to visit the bathroom. Stick my head out the window to take a look at the sky. Grab my camera and do my best to photograph the Aurora...not great, but good enough to show off to friends at home.