• Escape the Heat (August ‘26)
    Mount Aksla ... on our approach to Ålesund to drop off the tours.
    Mount Aksla ... on our approach to Ålesund to drop off the tours.Map showing the fjords area we will be cruising.Passage through Storfjorden (Great Fjord).One of the ferries that ply Storfjorden.Fish farm near Stranda in Sunnylvsfjorden.Waterfalls stream down the cliffs in all the fjords — Sunnylvsfjorden.The lifeboats add a pop of color — Sunnylvsfjorden.Waterfall in Sunnylvsfjorden.Waterfall in Sunnylvsfjorden.At the mouth of Geirangerfjorden.Rib boats tour ... some of those people look miserable in this weather — Geirangerfjorden.Waterfall in Geirangerfjorden.Waterfall in Geirangerfjorden.The lower part of a waterfall in Geirangerfjorden.The Ørnevegen is one of the zig-zag roads along Geirangerfjorden.Approaching Geiranger — Geirangerfjorden.Geiranger at the head of Geirangerfjorden.Geiranger at the head of Geirangerfjorden.We did the 327-step waterfall walk to the surging Storfossen (Great Waterfall) in Geiranger in 2017.Geiranger at the head of Geirangerfjorden.Kayakers in Geirangerfjorden.Another waterfall on the return cruise through Geirangerfjorden.The Troll Face — Geirangerfjorden.Seven Sisters Waterfall ... sometime there are less than seven; sometimes more — Geirangerfjorden.Tour boat at the Suitor Waterfall (across from Seven Sisters) — Geirangerfjorden.Tour boat at the Suitor Waterfall (across from Seven Sisters) — Geirangerfjorden.Suitor Waterfall (across from Seven Sisters) — Geirangerfjorden.Back at the mouth of Geirangerfjorden.The small protected area on deck 8 was our favorite spot ... there were heaters, too.Bye bye Geirangerfjorden ... back in Sunnylvsfjorden.Through the fjords on the way back to Ålesund.Through the fjords on the way back to Ålesund.Through the fjords on the way back to Ålesund.This is what the green-clad cliffs are like in the sunshine!Looking aft as we leave the fjords.On the way to Ålesund.

    NB Day 2: Onward to Geirangerfjorden

    9 agosto, Norvegia ⋅ 🌧 48 °F

    The itinerary on the website showed an all day stop in Ålesund.

    Well, sort of. Maybe in the winter time.

    In the summer time, the ship makes a quick 15-minute stop in Ålesund at 9:45a to offload tours. Independents can also get off. But they have to keep themselves entertained until 7:00p because the ship doesn’t return to the city until then. What does it do in the meantime? A roundtrip cruise through the fjords to Geiranger.

    We’ve been to Ålesund twice before. We’ve also been to Geiranger … just once. What to do? We could disembark for a wander in the city and have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. Or we could stay on the ship for a relaxing and scenic cruise … weather permitting. Since it was still raining, we crossed our fingers for better luck in the fjords and stayed aboard.

    As it turns out, the weather did not cooperate … until the very end. Nonetheless, we had a peaceful cruise … quiet … even quieter through Geirangerfjorden itself as m/s Havila Castor went on battery power alone for the roundtrip cruise between the mouth of the fjord and the town of Geiranger. Not a peep out of the ship the entire time. And no emissions at all.

    The coast of Norway is a maze of fjords that branch off of one another. To get to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Geirangerfjorden, the ship has to first negotiate Storfjorden … and then one of its branches, Sunnylvsfjorden. Geirangerfjorden then branches off of the latter and reaches 9.5-miles (15 km) further inland.

    On either side of the ship were tall, green-clad cliffs with hundreds of waterfalls streaming down their sides. With all the rain Norway has been getting this summer, the falls were full and scenic. As one passenger near me remarked, “This country sure has a sh!tload of water!!!” Low-lying clouds wreathing along the cliffs added to the ambiance.

    We had better luck with the rain on the way back out of the fjords. It drizzled on and off … but we had periods of clearing. By the time we left Geirangerfjorden, there was even some blue sky and hints of sunshine to enjoy … short-lived though they were.

    Taking photos was a challenge … I had to dial down the exposure setting on the camera, and make heavy-use of the de-hazing filter. Can’t control the weather, so it is what it is.    Leggi altro

    Guarda la traduzione