A Day in Geiranger, Norway
WOW…. We woke up whilst sailing on the Viking Sun and into Geiranger Fjord. It’s 5.00 am! We scurried outside onto our verandah so as to witness and capture the panoramas unwrapping before us as we sailed up the fjord towards the township of Geiranger. Didn’t realise that it was quite as cold and clearly this wasn’t “bathrobe only” weather😊
Sailing into Geiranger
I maddeningly move from one side of the balcony to the other snapping photos. I took my time to absorb the unveiling views. The weather is clear. Hardly a cloud in the sky. The promise of a sunny day is in the making.
The ship’s wake seems to be unusually less intrusive this morning as if to allow me to listen in on the wondrous nature surrounding this part of the world as the Viking Sun slowly navigates this 18kms stretch of natural beauty thousands of years in the making.
Given the slow pace, I could actually see birds flitting about in their early morning foraging task and heard the headlong plunge of the waterfalls into the cold fjord. The superlatives abound.
I equate the natural beauty in front of us to those seen in our past travels. The cliff walls testify to the resilience of nature as trees, scrub and grass cling to the cliff walls hundreds of meters high.
On one occasion, I saw a solitary house, high and isolated in the mountains which my research tells me that it is the remnant of a farm abandoned in 1898! This remnant is only used by the occasional hardy hiker to this area.
On yet another occasion as the Viking Sun slows its pace even more, I saw mountain goats (yes our suite has complimentary binoculars) and marvel at their ability and agility to traverse the sheer walls. The fjord is 260 m. deep while the surrounding mountains are 16-1700 m. high.
Seven Sisters & Suitor Waterfalls
We sail past the stunning World Heritage listed waterfalls called the “Seven Sisters and their Bridal Veil” on one side of the fjord as these waterfalls seem to playfully flirt with the massive “masculine” waterfall called the “Suitor” on the opposite fjord wall. For a time, I took deep breaths, urging and pleading with my senses to imprint the scenery’s DNA onto my very own. Time becomes inconsequential as we eventually reach our mooring destination.
Ashore at Geiranger
Having spent most of our early morning totally absorbed in the scenery, we had to rush through our morning routine including breakfast.
We hurried out of our stateroom to our designated meeting area for our anticipated day excursion. Our ship was moored in the fjord so we used the ship’s tender to get ashore.
Once ashore, we moved to our assigned bus and got ourselves ready to be, yet again, “thrilled” by the zig-zagging road to our first lookout.
Visions of our other zig-zagging events from previous world travels forced themselves up from my deep repressed subconscious, but one stood out…. CAPRI!!
…. there’s nothing more harrowing nor more horrifying than an Italian bus driver driving up the sharp, narrow and hairpin bend roads (roads without safety barriers!) climbing and winding up to the top of Capri.
The bus driver had one hand in the steering wheel and the other hand, typically Italian, waving about madly as he attempts to interact with the passengers AND most of the times his eyes are not on the road but looking at us, his “supposedly precious cargo”.
There was on-coming bus traffic equally hellbent on not giving way to anyone…. I concentrated on banishing these visions back into my subconscious!! ….
Bend Road Lookout, Geiranger
…. BUT, driving up these hairpin bend roads in Geiranger is so much more civilized, unlike Capri!
Bus drivers here are courteous and very road savvy. I felt quite safe for us and comfortable. The scenery passing us by was amazingly picturesque and I recall seeing pictures of these views many years ago in magazines and other media and used to wonder when we’d get to see them (never ever did I doubt that “if” we’d see them…. I was certain that was going to happen….).
We arrived at Bend Road Lookout. What a sight! We madly rushed for selfies here and there and immediately, the dream of one day being here, was realized. We simply took in the views and Nanna quickly shared the photos with our grandchildren😊
Geiranger, Norway
Geiranger is a village of 220 permanent residents which swells up to about 800 during the 6 months of heavy cruise liner traffic (mid-spring to mid-autumn).
We’re told that on most days during these 6 months, there is between 3-4 cruise ships at anchor per day and depending on their size, could have up to 8,000 cruise ship passengers ashore daily!! This would be in addition to the other independent travelers visiting from other places.
Geiranger Fjord is most assuredly the jewel in the crown of Norwegian fjords. It is a fairy-tale landscape surrounded by majestic (at times snow-covered) mountain tops, wild and beautiful waterfalls, lush green vegetation and the deep, bluish fjord itself.
Whilst this small town is home to some of the most spectacular mountain and fjord scenery in the world, it is under constant threat from landslides into the fjord especially from the mountain Akerneset.
Fortunately, Akerneset is under constant monitoring and when the expected collapse happens (and it WILL happen as the mountain is constantly splitting), authorities would have between 10-30 minutes to evacuate all valley floor people!!! It’s been scientifically established that a collapse will cause a tsunami wave 82.0m high and so would destroy downtown Geiranger and surrounding settlements.
Nevertheless, this a place we would like to revisit and stay for a few days trekking/hiking with a guide….
Coincidentally, whilst I was putting final touches to this blog, we came across a 2015 Norwegian movie named “The Wave” whose story-line was about a family living in Geiranger when Akerneset collapsed into the fjord and subsequently weaved a path of destruction through the township and surrounding countryside.
The movie is based on a true story that hit Norway in 1933! It was an interesting watch….and very glad we watched afterwards😊.
Queen’s Chair Lookout
After Bend Road Lookout, the tour took us to the Queen’s Chair Lookout, constructed for the benefit of Norway’s Queen (The Borg Queen??) so as she’s able to sit and admire “her domain”. Sadly, when it was built, Her Majesty complained that it was too cold for her to sit here! We roamed around in the vicinity of this lookout and managed to locate a couple of other waterfalls and feverishly photographed them before we were “summoned” back to the bus. The views from the “royal chair” were outstanding. Looking straight ahead, you’re amazed with the views of Geiranger and the fjord below, to the left you’re enthralled with forests and waterfalls and to the right, you’re captivated by magnificent cliffs and snow-covered mountains.
Stranda Lake
The tour continued and we began our climb to Stranda Lake which was about 30 minutes into the mountains. The scenery was simply phenomenal. Wherever we looked, it was to either to marvel at another waterfall or gaze at snow-filled landscapes or to admire a fast-flowing stream or to feast one’s eyes on the abundant greenery or to merely breath in the purified air. Also, on the way, we encountered a lot of buses carrying passengers to and from the lake and I shuddered at the amount of traffic when the season was in full bloom!!!! Interestingly whilst on the bus we saw a number of farms most of which appeared to be abandoned yet the buildings, though overgrown with moss and other greenery, have remained generally intact despite the harsh conditions. Today’s farms in this region are simply tourist attractions.
Anyway, we arrive at the Stranda Lake and it looks simply pristine! The surface is like a black & white still photo….not a ripple. Amazing view.
In parts ice and snow cover the lake’s beaches. Its worth noting that we’re at this lake in early summer!
It came to me that the white and black vistas before me were the type of abstract art I actually do like…. and, by the way, there are no fish in this lake!
Its worth noting the possibility of getting a tiny bit nauseous while at the lake (could be suffering from “altitude sickness” or from all the winding through the road for the past 2 hours leading to slight vertigo attack).
Back to Viking Sun
The trip back to Geiranger village was uneventful. At the village we browsed around the two souvenir shops and soon afterwards, we caught the tender back to the ship for a late lunch.
After lunch, we spent the afternoon lounging on our stateroom balcony.
As we were moored close to the shore and for the most part, out of the slight wind, it was simply an idyllic way to spend a few hours “enveloped in warm” sunshine and feeling genuinely nourished. I have never imagined this particular setting this afternoon….
Blissful….
Viking Sun Funny Moment
Incidentally, whilst we were peacefully gorging ourselves on this sunshine, “man-servant” Advik interrupts us by bringing in our neatly folded and pressed laundry (without an escort this time!!…. yes, there’s usually two people that bring in our daily laundry😊). He called out to us and found us on the back verandah. Apparently, he’d never been out on the back verandah of an Explorer’s Suite!! He was agog at the luxury and beauty we were enjoying!! He explained with a nodding head that this was all new to him and so he asked if we could take a photo of him on our very large verandah so he could send it to his wife! …. I was speechless! …. Yes speechless!! …. I just couldn’t believe the affront by this cad! Naturally my dear wife said that we’d be delighted to take his photo!! There was no way I looked delighted! ….
…. But the Nanna won so I took a couple of dozen photos of him all over our verandah.
But wait, there’s more!!….Nanna of course invited him to share a glass of my expensive wine with us…. which, to my horror, he accepted! …. and he even sat down in one of our chairs!! He didn’t look like he was ever ready to leave so I suggest that it be best if “I phoned his supervisor to let him know where Mohammed was so Mohammed wouldn’t get into trouble” …. Never ever seen anyone bounce out of that chair so fast and he quickly excused himself and insisting that there was no need to tell his supervisor anything…. 😊
During late afternoon the PA system “initiated” an “Alpha Alarm”. We found out later that this is a code for a medical emergency.
Still later in the evening after we’d sailed out of the fjord, we briefly moored at Alesund while a local and more qualified medical emergency team boarded our ship to assist whichever passenger it was. Very glad no one died.
We had dinner in “The Restaurant” and afterwards we went to see a show starring a vocal entertainer (Paul Emmanuel) from Great Britain. He was quite entertaining and was a delightful way of finishing an exceptional day….
