Spind

They have clearly held on to their identity and local culture, the roughly 700 people who live in Spind. The village lies on the Spind peninsula, surrounded by Lyngdalsfjorden, Rosfjorden and Spindfjorden. The archipelago is made up of no fewer than 130 islands, large and small; the biggest are Langøy, Ullerøy and Skarvøy.

For generations the sea has played an important part in the lives of the people of Spind. In different ways, but never far away. One of them is Nils Edvin Numme, who lives in the hamlet of Birkenes with his wife and their two boys.

– When I think of what Spind is, the first thing that comes to mind is how close we are to the sea, says Nils Edvin.

– My great-grandfather from here was a skipper and a captain, and I had grandparents who fished on the fjord. My family and I have gone into fishing tourism ourselves. And of course we like being out on the water too, he says cheerfully.

So in Spind you can live the good village life. Majestic nature, children who get to climb trees and pick blueberries in the woods, catching your own dinner and perhaps harvesting from your own vegetable garden. Even so, Spind is only a short drive from Farsund or Lyngdal.

– We divide the village into Østre Spind and Vestre Spind, east and west. But wherever you live, one of the small towns is never more than a quarter of an hour's drive away. We're really right in between the two towns, says Arnt Abrahamsen.

– Being so close to more built-up areas means many people in Spind commute to work. Often to industry or offshore, says Arnt.

– In the old days Spind was big in shipping. Many people here were well off, and you can see that in all the fine old houses from the late 1800s and early 1900s, he says.

So these are neighbourhoods with soul. Sociable ones, too. Spind community hall was built by the villagers themselves, on a volunteer basis, and together with the sports ground next door it is the heart of the village.

– There's always something going on at the community hall, says Arnt.

– There are events, people celebrate christenings, birthdays and much more – or get together for a party. The community hall matters a lot to the village, he says.

Spind community hall is where the little ones meet on Lekelørdag, play Saturday, and have fun building Lego, playing with dolls and dolls' houses, riding tricycles and much more. The children can play, and the parents can chat and eat waffles. It is also where grown-ups meet for Håndarbeidslabberas, a crafts get-together with knitting, a cup of coffee and something to nibble. Not to mention bazaars and other occasions that bring young and old together in Spind.

Spind sports club offers popular places to meet as well. Football, handball, pre-school play and a fitness group are all on the menu.