Geiranger,Norway

Geiranger Norway and Sea Day.

Early rising to see the sheer rock walls and the waterfalls, on a bleak day in Geiranger, fresh snow on the tops, very cold and raining. Having visited and enjoyed in brilliant weather, several times in the past , we decided to stay put. Still nice to be in the Crows Nest, [a tender Port] and talk to new people, with a panoramic view of the Fjord around us ,and the buses struggling up the hair-pin road above, and remembering when we climbed a mountain here years ago, one of life’s great achievements.!!
Some journeys were curtailed with roads closed due to snow .Early departure by 2.30 pm and a storm warning from our Captain at that time ,we were told to secure everything ,he has has permission to take the inland, coastal route ,but at 2am must venture out…We are very well placed ,it will be fine.
The waterfalls at their best with extra rain ,as we sailed with a great commentary. The tiny mountain farms still very visible in what seem completely inaccessible places, high above the fjord, grass all around carefully cut, and stored for winter ,as it has always been. Norway once had one of the lowest standard of living in Europe, weather, tiny acreages, and few animals ,made life very tough in many places .This we know from the favourite books of the Red River series ,of those who left for America, an even harsher climate and life in many respects .Now due to oil and gas Norway is now the richest nation with huge reserves ,carefully managed ,for the generations ahead, the Government not allowed to touch more than 4% to do what they need to doin ,a well run nation.
A journey of 3 hours back down the Fjord, much to see along the way, some places can even grow stone fruit, like apricots, but just in sunny spots, and not so many of them, the long daylight helps the growth. A beautiful part of the world..
I am now reading “We Are Going To Pick Potatoes”, Irene Berman, regarding the Holocaust ,which affected Norway so terribly .A need to understand what life was like here during the war, a lot to forgive and not only the Germans..I have to have breaks from it, but I think we owe it to them ,to know their stories and to understand many things.
Near Alesund we took our pilot on, for the Inland route, not for the faint hearted, many rocky shoals ,tiny islands and a strong gale, up to 70 knts at times and 18 ft seas, very close to shore, almost all the time ,I thought these are man of the sea ,our captain grew up in these waters ,and will know every rock..we sailed so well, she is a well built ,and I’m sure very well ballasted for the night ahead..Daylight helps, and I had to be looking often ,still light most of the night ,we are almost in the White Nights regions, where the sun hardly dips below the horizon, and last night was no exception, even in the lashing rain. Seas behind us, so that helped. It was not really at all uncomfortable.
Calmer today ,we still have 500 nmls to go to Honningsvard right at the top of Norway.
We had an invited luncheon today, in the main Dining Room, Indonesian food, and simply delicious, 4 courses ,and the most interesting table mates, Ann and Alan from Vancouver, He had Norwegian/English Grandparents, Ann Finn/Swedish parents. then Oscar, was a Dane emigrated to the US as a child, and his wife from Mexico, and Sam with the Finnish connections, so a great discussion of amazing stories ,about these brave ancestors.
Also today we have our great older commentator ,Norwegian, and a delight, been to one talk and now off to the next one.
Not great pictures really today, waterfalls are like High Seas, never look as good as they are…!!
More from the top of Norway another day.Read more