Between the houses in Vardø, you sense life that has almost stopped for the winter. The meeting places have moved indoors. Everyone is doing their thing.

There are traces and glimpses of a large industry that has been. Large areas are in a coma or are being demolished. The seagulls are waiting for the few boats that have not yet given up.

Sky, sea and mountains shows itself in a dramatic light. It is a journey into someone else’s reality. The wind and the snow throw us around. It is a reminder of our own smallness. For an out-of-towner like me, nature and this place is something previously unseen.

Exploring the peninsula becomes an universal experience. Nature makes us reflect on our humanity. We keep thinking and talking about what we do, how we relate to nature. Maybe more people will live and be more in tune with nature in the future? Maybe they will leave the stress and overconsumption behind and discover that they feel better close to nature. A romantic thought at least.

The Norwegian photographer Kåre Kivijärvi was here in the 60’s. He made fantastic pictures from the area and is a great inspiration for us who come after. He says, «Perhaps the secret of seeing is to be able to see?»

The words are still spinning in my mind.

Oslo, January 2022