But first, our major stop and excursion was in the afternoon, so we opted to workout at the gym which is apparently where all the young people on the boat congregate. It was a little tight and a bit of a balancing act with the swaying of the boat, but it felt good to be active. We then had breakfast next to a window in the opposite area of our fixed table for dinner to switch it up.
I decided to attend the daily briefing where they introduced the most senior members of the crew and run through the excursions off the boat and planned activities on board along with a humorous video about Norwegians. It was good to have someone walk us through the orientation of some cities and weather predictions.
We stopped briefly in Ålesund which is an Art Nouveau city and the boat will stop for longer this evening as we exit the fjord, but we will miss this as we will be on our excursion.
While resting in our cabins, we were alerted of a whale sighting starboard so we hustled to deck 5. We were only able to see some fins on the digital cameras of the expedition crew, but the anticipation and possibility was very exciting.
I selected the northbound route as the southbound does not visit the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord. A little after 1 pm, they had a guided viewing of this protected area with towering mountain cliffs and waterfalls. It reminded me of when they narrated viewings on our Alaskan cruise in 2023:
Most famous of the waterfalls are the Seven Sisters - it’s been a little dry so it was about five:
Across the way, there is a single waterfall called “The Suitor”…because he was unsuccessful in courting a sister, he has taken to drinking and his waterfall forms an outline of a vodka bottle:
There are faces in the mountains - I said it was like a troll:
And here’s more of the beautiful fjord - the pictures really don’t do it justice:
Those going on the overland excursion had to meet and descend to the car deck where we tagged out and were transported by tender boats to shore - some photos of our boat from the tender:
A photo of the town with about 250 people who live year round:
We boarded a French / English bus while there was a second in German. Our guide, Tobias, had studied in Canada and his pacing was slow, so was easy to understand even with my high school french. However, we learned later he’s actually German and comes to work here every summer. We started winding our way up Ørneveien or Eagle Road - a Google map of the turns from the town of Geiranger and some photos of our ascent:
The UNESCO status of the area was also because of the historical farm life. We saw several and learned they are accessed by boat and then by steep climbs via ropes and ladders. The ones not accessible by road are now abandoned, but are still maintained due to the world heritage status. Many families have departed for a more accessible life and apparently, children were tied with ropes, so they didn’t fall down the steep cliffs when families lived here long ago. A photo of a more accessible farmhouse:
We stopped at one of the viewing platforms and we got another view of Geirangerfjord, the Seven Sisters waterfalls, and the village:
We drove to and then took a car ferry across Eidsdalsvatnet Lake and it was so smooth, I didn’t even notice the 10-minute crossing. This is one of the reasons why I opted not to drive on this trip - there are so many crossings needed, that it just seemed to make more sense to travel by cruise.
During the bus ride, our guide played music like “Gula Gula” by a famous singer, Marie Boine who was Sàmi - indigenous to the northern area formerly known as Lapland, “Vidda”, a trumpet composition by Ole Edvard Antonsen who was inspired by northern Norway, and a classical music piece that was familiar to both of us by Edvard Grieg, “In the Hall of the Mountain King" - apparently it was also for Henrik Ibsen's play, “Peer Gynt”. All of these worked well with the landscape. When our guide thought we needed more pep, he played 1985 Eurovision winner Bobbysocks!’s “Let it Swing” which was familiar to the French tourists and “Take On Me” by A-Ha who I didn’t realize was Norwegian.
We passed fruit orchards as this region is known for its agriculture and we saw apple trees, cherries, and strawberry patches as we followed alongside the Valldøla River:
We even saw a cute salmon ladder next to a white house:
We stopped for a break and snacked on hot chocolate and apple pie before we walked over Gudbrandsjuvet or Gudbrands Gorge:
Continuing to pass all sorts of animals such as sheep and horses, our guide explained pasture farms where folks bring their herds here during the summer to graze. We could also see the crystal blue glacial lakes and rivers in the valley:
Then, we were warned about the 11 hairpin bends down steep Trollstigen Pass which means “Troll Ladder” - a Google map below:
It was super foggy and our guide explained it’s considered “troll weather”. Also, another popular Norwegian saying is “there is no bad weather, just bad clothing.” At the peak of the pass, we stopped at the rest-stop and walked down to the viewing platforms. The building reminded me of Japanese architect Tado Ando’s esthetic and as it sat over the glacial waters and near the gushing waterfall:
Here’s the main viewing platform enveloped by the fog:
And here’s overlooking the actual pass with the hairpins peeking through:
After munching on some fresh wild blueberries with our guide, we boarded the bus and descended safely while our guide told jokes. Eventually, we stopped at a guesthouse with traditional natural roofs and a troll park. They served us coffee and tea with sandwiches and waffles which we ate with some Canadians and Rachel got to pet some friendly cows…
We continued through the Romsdalsfjord area and boarded another car ferry where again, I didn’t realize we had completed the crossing as it was so smooth. We finally arrived at Molde, known for many mountain peaks making up the ‘Molde Panorama’ and also known as the ‘City of Roses’. Roses were left in honor of the King in front of Rosepiken or “the Rose Maiden” in the city center:
As a group, we dined at Scandic Alexandra Molde Hotel where we were served cod and a dessert and Rachel and I paired with a pilsner while sitting next to a reserved Belgian couple. Then our boat arrived and we returned to our cabin after the long and scenic journey!
