The Ulstein Hotel

It was fantastic to be able to visit Norway again! Fantastic to be in the fresh air, away from the smog and pollution of continental Europe and the hectic lifestyles that people seemingly force upon themselves elsewhere! And great to see snow again after so many years spent in Asia!

I spent two weeks in Norway and the first five days was in a little known place called Ulsteinvik! I stayed at what was seemingly the only hotel in town, aptly named the Ulstein Hotel with a great view over the fjords surrounding the Island of Hareidlandet on which the town is located.

This one-horse town is the home and residence of the large Ulstein family who designed and built up a massive and diverse company, part of which for the offshore industry was the infamous Ulstein designed and built supply vessels (the most well known being the UT 704)! I don't think much moved in the town and its surrounds unless condoned by the ever present Ulstein brothers; in some weird ways they owned and controlled the sleepy town from the sole hotel, the people and to the industry based within!

on The Ferry to Hareid, March 2006
Photo Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, 2006

To get to Ulsteinvik requires a plane from Olso to Vigra, a bus to the ferry terminal of Valderoya, a ferry to Haried and a taxi to the hotel! Arriving at 6pm on a Sunday (having battled the freak blizzard that greeted my arrival) I looked forward to dinner, a beer and a hot shower in that order. The receptionist kindly informed me, upon my questioning, that the hotel restaurant did not open on a Sunday and the only food available (in the whole town) would be that gleamed from a take-away pizza menu! Hawaiian or tuna and pineapple, thin or thick crust? And to beat it all the delivery guy ran away with my change! The beer came next and the receptionist kindly informed me, upon further questioning, that the bar did not open on Sundays and that "no, the local pizza hut did not deliver beer and "no", there was nowhere else to go!

A Stuffed Bear in the Ulsteinvik Hotel Lobby
Photo Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, 2006

I went to my room and grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge, then whilst running my bath I nearly choked upon finding out that my hasty opening of the bottle had just cost me the grand sum of 105NOK (9.50 UK Pounds)! Gulp! The bath was good though, the bed comfortable, the room spacious and the view of the Rundjafjorden over the top of the town of Ulsteinvik amazing! So not all was bad, just costly!

The next morning I attended the course (the reason for my presence in this part of the world) and slotted into the way of life in this slow moving backwater of society! People move lethargically here! They think at snails pace and talk with significant pauses between words! It might have been the cold weather (most people who deigned to talk always stated that, "it       was       unusual       to       get       so       much       snow       in       March"), but generally I found the people of Ulsteinvik quite rude! No returned "hellos" in the streets, no smiles or pleasantries, just a slow and shuffled walk past with the head down in the sand (sorry; snow)! Oh, well - it must be the cold snap!

It became abundantly clear during the week that there was only one bar in town, and this was thankfully situated in the Ulstein Hotel! This bar, called the Atlantic Bar, is described in the hotel brochure "as being the perfect place to relax and, with its nautical decor, gives the feeling of being aboard a luxury liner"! I am more-or-less positive that the lone porthole in the bars door does not justify the above statement! Or maybe Norwegian luxury liners have a lot to say for themselves but with nowhere else to go I suppose they could advertise the place anyway they wanted!

Typical View uphill in Ulsteinvik Town
Photo Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, 2006

Ulsteinvik is seemingly quite a religious and one could say pious town with only four liquor licenses currently issued! Only one of these was in-force at the time of my stay - the Atlantic Bar, although Sunday nights is off the menu! The hotel bar was therefore quite the meeting place and anybody worth their salt entertained or dined out in this establishment - naturally with Ulstein approval as usually one or other of the family would be sitting at the next table! I did attempt on the second day, to purchase some beers at the local supermarket but all they sold was low-alcohol beer so I declined!

View of the Bay at Ulsteinvik
Photo Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, 2006

I must state at this point that I love Norway! It is ultimately beautiful, peaceful and idealist! So natural with its snow-layered landscapes, mountains vying with the fjords for attention amongst the valleys and picturesque sea scenes!

The food in the Hotels Sydvest restaurant was an immediate cause for concern! For Monday's dinner I ordered a steak as the Norwegian Salmon was "off" that day! When my very large plate arrived I took one bite and looking down realized that there was not going to be much more! I mean, I don't go for American 'whopperized' cows in front of me or 1000grammers but this here was the kiddie's portion, the last of the rations after the nuclear holocaust! I ate my incy-portion, hoping that this was just a starter but was not soon after faced with my bill for 512 NOK (approx 45 UK Pounds) - I mean I did have a bowl of chips with the minute (tiny) steak!

Come Friday evening, after having spent a literal fortune in the bar on a pint a night, suffered miserably with recurring hunger pangs and searched without luck for an alternative drinking venue, I decided to depart Ulsteinvik and spend the weekend in a more down to earth part of Norway. I caught the ferry to the big city of Alesund!

I checked into the Thon Hotel in Alesund at about 1700hrs on the Friday evening and went straight to park my bags in my room! Strangely enough and in true Norwegian spirit; the receptionist kindly informed me upon my questioning that the hotel restaurant did not open on a Friday evening, Saturday or Sunday and should I require food within the hotel there was a pizza delivery menu in each room!

Wow!

Luckily for me Alesund Town Council did not restrict their liquor licenses and I spent that evening recuperating with a massive burger and a pint of Guinness in the Irish bar downtown!

Great country though - just a shame about the hotels!