Nordfjorden
Early this morning MS Endeavour cruised her way along Nordfjorden. Through the light mist which covered the hills and the water, she sailed past colorful houses, and lush farms, scattered on the hillsides of the fjord. It was like being in one of Steve’s troll fairy tales; I swear you could see the trolls scurrying along the hills, trying to make it home before sunrise.
The ship docked at a pier in the town of Olden. It was here we boarded the buses and started out on our daily adventure, which was to take us to Briksdal, a glacial tongue, of an even larger glacier which lies high atop the mountains. Our drive to Briksdal brought us past glass lakes reflecting the high moutain tops and glaciers which surround this area. The water of the lakes was a magnificent aqua green, containing sediments from the eroding mountains and glaciers, making the surrounding even more surreal.
Upon our arrival at Briksdal we were met by pony drawn carriages which transported some of us up to the glacier. Covered in a comfortable Norwegian blanket, acsending nearly 1000 feet past rushing rivers and waterfalls (some of which decided to give us a quick misty shower), we arrived a few hundred yards from the base of a glacier. What a way to travel!
Some of us chose to walk up to the glacier. There were several options of the type of path one chose: there was the hard core hikers path, with steep inclines, and hiking over rocks; there was the medium path, along the river banks with a few rocks to contend with; and, of course, you could follow the carriage path, leisurely strolling and enjoying the sights.
The glacier itself was an incredible sight to behold. As we stood right next to it our eyes could follow it a further 2000 feet up to where it disappeared from view.After admiring the glacier, we reluctantly travelled back down to the mountain lodge where coffee and cakes were awaiting us. Some of us chose to get in a last dash at shopping, adding to the 59 Norwegian sweaters already purchased this trip. Today is one of those days that most of us would love to see last forever. What an incredible and memorable ending to this trip.
