A few weeks ago we returned from a wonderful experience sailing in the Norwegian Fjords. When I say sailing it wasn’t on a small yacht but a big luxury cruise ship, the Ocean Countess. We left at the end of June from Newcastle after travelling down from Scotland on the bus. We caught a taxi from the city centre to Tyne Port at North Shields and when we arrived our cases were taken from the taxi boot and we were told they would be taken to our cabin. Sure enough when on board the two cases were waiting outside our cabin door. The cabin was small, two single beds with a toilet and shower, but a bit bigger than what we are used to in the motorhome.
After watching, on deck, the ship sail out of the Tyne into the North Sea, we went to the restaurant for dinner. The dress was casual but on other nights we were expected to dress formally. The service was slow, you have to wait until everyone has been served and finished the course before they start with the next one. Later we discovered that there was a buffet at the stern that served the same menu. We could help ourselves and eat as much as we wanted while at the same time watch the scenery as the ship cruised the fjords. It was the same with breakfasts, after trying out the restaurant the first morning we soon changed to the buffet for that meal as well. Another advantage to the buffet was that we could make sandwiches and fill our flask with coffee to take for lunch on shore trips. We never went back to the restaurant and all the formal clothes we had had carted with us was a waste.
The first day was at sea as the ship made its way to Norway. There wasn’t much to see and the North Sea was fairly choppy, I felt a bit sea sick and spent a lot of time lying down; Moira has better sea legs and weathered the condition much better. The second morning when we wakened it was much calmer and we were making our way along our first fjord. Some snow was still lying on the tops and there were waterfalls in abundance falling in strips from the cliff tops into the fjord. It was similar to the lochs of Scotland but the mountains were much higher and steeper, also from the main fjord, Hardangefjorden, the one we were sailing up, lots of other smaller fjords branched. At every bit of flattish land that was available on the slopes there were houses or farms, at larger sections little villages had gathered.
The first stop was at the town of Ulvik where passengers for a bus excursion were taken ashore on the tender boat. The bus would take them over the mountains to Eidfjord where we would reach by boat. It was two hours between Ulvik and Eidfjord, down one arm of the main fjord and along another. The banks more steep sided with more waterfalls all along the route. Moira had made sandwiches from the breakfast buffet rolls with cheese and filled our flask with coffee, so we has our lunch ready in the day pack and were ready to go as soon as the ship tied up at Eidfjord. Moira had been talking about catching the Troll train here, recommended by the Lonely Planet. I thought it was some fancy mountain train peculiar to Norway but it turned out to be the little tractor with carriages that you see kiddies riding at the sea side, it was a bit of a rip off at £10 each. The ride gave us some nice views of the village and fjord but we left the train half way through and walked instead, following a waymarked route.
The weather was nice, a lot of cloud about but there didn’t seem to be any threat of rain. There wasn’t a breath of wind blowing; all the flags were hanging limply. One unusual feature here was the decorations on the trees that lined the pavement back into town. The ladies of Eidfjord knit different patterns and these are stitched round the trunks to clothe the trees, some were quite attractive.
When we got back into town there was still over two hours before we had to board again so we decided to take another walk. It was a nice walk on a gravel path beside the river which was a raging torrent with lots of rapids and standing waves. I was easy enough going on a flat track and we were making good time, so no problem about being late back for the boat. The path led to a large lake and the water there was placid, with lovely reflections from the surrounding mountains, in stark comparison with the water exiting from the lake and cascading down the river. After absorbing the glorious scenery it was time to head down the river side again to the fjord and ship. We got back with ample time to spare.
We set sail again at 6:00 and cruised back through the fjord we had entered. During the night the ship made its way further north to the next system of inlets and when we went for breakfast in the morning the weather was not so good, overcast, clouds low on tops and drizzle developed later. We didn’t know where we were at first but pinpointed our position on the map when we pulled into Vik to let the people off going on an excursion. Their trip was by bus from Vik over the mountains to Voss where they would take the train to Myrdal then change to another train which would take them down the mountain to Flam. We would later take this train from Flam to Myrdal and back. It was 2.5 hours cruising to Flam, it was beautiful as the ship made her way through a narrow passage between towering cliffs up the Aurlandsfjorden. The scenery was magnificent and again there was an abundance of waterfalls.
At Flam we anchored in the middle of the bay and a tender boat took us ashore shortly after mid-day. The ride on the train to Myrdal took an hour and it was quite magnificent as the train climbed to a height of 800 metres. Below, as we climbed we could see the river pouring down beside the rail track in torrents and rapids. There were waterfalls one after the other spilling over the cliffs. At one point the train stopped for everyone to view and photograph a waterfall that was an enormous cascade of water that came over the ridge above and thundered under the track, to carry on as the river down the mountain. The spray from the force and volume of water made us button up our waterproofs and the photographs had speckles on them from water drops on the lens. It was a short ride after that stop to the finish at Myrdal where there was a short stop before returning to Flam.
When we got back to Flam we decided to go for a walk, there was a route up the river and down the other side; it was pleasant going beside the river, which was still a fast flowing torrent. There was a village near where we crossed the river and a nice church. It was a small wooden clad building with a spire while inside it was fairly plain. What looked like carvings on the woodwork turned out to be designs painted to give that impression. The walk down the other bank of the river was on a nice gravel path and we didn’t see anyone from the cruise until we crossed again onto the road into town. When we reached the quay a tender was just about full so we didn’t have long to wait until it pulled away and we were back on board the Ocean Countess. As we set sail the weather had improved, the clouds were thinning and clearing, also the sun was trying to come out. It was a big contrast from this morning when it was misty, now I was able to get some good clear photographs. When we exited the narrow fjord and into the wider channel the route was straight without the detour into Vik this time.
The next morning we had only about an hour before our arrival in Olden I was able to figure out where we were on the map as the ship made a turn into the Innvikfjorden. The weather was nice with some blue sky and the cliffs and snow capped mountains were standing out clearly. I was able to take some nice photos as we turned into the right hand inlet of three natural harbours at the head of the fjord. The excursions were all heading to the glacier at Briksdal which was 22 km away and too far to walk, but there was a route along the road in that direction to Floen Lake which we could walk around and return. The road followed the banks of the river that flowed into the fjord at Olden, again it was a fierce flowing torrent and just before reaching the lake there was a waterfall. A bridge crossed the river at this point so we were able to get a close up view of the maelstrom. In only a short distance from the waterfall and river to the lake and the contrast was amazing, here the waters were calm and placid with beautiful reflections of the mountains and the houses on the banks mirrored on the glass-like surface. At the top of the lake there was another little river, fairly gentle flowing and this joined on to another larger lake. At the head of this stretch of water large mountains towered; we made for the top where a gap showed between the cliffs where the road ran through. I wanted to see what was round the bend of the mountains. The going was relatively flat and with the glorious weather today the scenery was outstanding. The mountains were very high, well over 2000 metres, with thick snow and ice covering the summits. When we got past the head of this lake it was indicated 10 km from Olden while round the bend was yet another lake. As time was short we turned and headed back along the same road. It was quite strange that even though we had walked along this road a few minutes earlier the views going in the other direction were completely different and the mountains from a new angle had me reaching for the camera for more pictures.
When we got to the point between the two lakes again we crossed a bridge to the other side of the little river joining the two. We found a nice spot by the lake side to sit quietly and have lunch. The quiet was disturbed by a helicopter flying back and forth over head and dropping down to land somewhere on the lake side. We found later that it was a trip for tourists on the chopper giving them outstanding views of the mountains and lakes from above. The track down this side of Lake Floen was a gravel path and now there was no traffic and buses to worry about.
We were back on board in time for afternoon tea and delicious scones with jam and cream. The boat got away at 5:00 and now the views of the fjord going in the opposite direction were outstanding and with the perfect weather I got some tremendous photographs. On a map I was able to track our course from Olden along the different fjords all the way to where we came out on to the North Sea. During the night it would head further north before turning into the next fjord on our schedule. As we turning into the North Sea we decided that it was time for bed, now in open water it was choppy, I was glad to be lying down as the ship pitched up and down on the waves.
As we got on deck in the morning, the ship was turning into the Geiranger Fjord from the larger Sunnylvsfjord. This was supposed to be the most photographed fjord in Norway and was a World Heritage Site. It wasn’t surprising as the one hour trip along this narrow stretch of water was a series of waterfalls, some quite magnificent. The most famous of the falls were the Bridal Veil, the Suitor and the Seven Sisters, the later being a series of seven streams of water cascading down the cliff face. The channel went between very steep sided rock faces, and on some of the small ridges houses were precariously perched; these were now abandoned farms on summer pastures. The sky was overcast and some rain was falling but the mist over the fjord didn’t prevent everyone from crowding along the rail with their cameras.
The ship was anchored further out this time and it took about 20 minutes to get us on to dry land by the tender. Our first port of call was the tourist office and information on walks. The one we chose was to a waterfall high in the mountain above the town. The weather was still overcast when we set off but warm. The first part of the hike was a path that left the road a bit above the town. It was a steady climb all the way up to a car park on a gravel track that came from the main road. Our route was very muddy and slippery in places and we planned to use the road on the way down which would be safer. At the car park there was a restaurant and they had a box of hiking poles to use, free of charge. The next section from the car park to the waterfall began steeply, over rough muddy ground which was going to be treacherous when coming down. After a while the ground got drier and the slope eased and we were able to admire the outstanding views without worrying where we were putting our feet. The fjord with the ship stood out clearly below and the early mist and cloud had now cleared from the tops, we could see that we were surrounded by snow topped mountains, all well above 1500 metres.
The waterfall soon came into view and it was only a short distance further to a track that led down to a plateau above the falls. A narrow stone stairway with a rope rail led down to behind the falls and I made my way down. It was quite an experience standing in a cleft in the rock face with the water thundering down in front of me. I managed to get some unusual pictures and woman offered to take one of me beside the screen of water. After a break for coffee from our flask we made our way down again. Once we got to the steep muddy section it was as expected slow going and difficult, I managed to slip and end up on my bottom about three times, I was covered in mud and my feet soaking. Moira did alright and was able to stay upright though her shoes were muddy as well.
When we got down to the carpark we found a spot with a good view over the fjord and had our lunch. As we were sitting there the livestock in the field next to us came along, they were goats and llamas. There was another trail from the carpark, it was about 2 km and again got fairly muddy in places. As we made our way along the track we heard what sounded like cannon firing. Later we found that this was to signify the arrival and departure of ships and when we got to the view point saw the arrival of a big cruise ship. We relaxed for about 30 minutes at the spot and absorbed the magnificent panorama of the fjord and enclosing mountains.
The walk back wasn’t so bad this time and I accomplished it without a fall. We left our borrowed hiking poles back in the box and took the more comfortable route down by the road. It was a gravel track for about a kilometre then we joined the road that dropped to the town in a series of hairpin bends. The road passed on a number of occasions other sections of the waterfall as it came down the hillside and under the road, some sections spraying water out onto the road. At the town we strolled along looking at the shops but everything is so expensive that we didn’t consider for a moment buying anything. When we got to the quay a tender was there and ready to go.
We found it quite amusing that when we got on board they sprayed our hands as usual to prevent taking infections on board but didn’t bother about our muddy shoes which we trailed over their carpets. Later we saw one of the cleaners out with a machine to shampoo the carpets, I don’t know if it was routine or because of people like us trailing mud on board. For some reason they decided to give a commentary on the sights and things to note as we sailed from Geiranger. I don’t know whether there had been complaints or if it was just that the section along Geiranger fjord was particularly interesting. Anyway it turned out to be a case of overkill as the woman instead of just indicating where to look and what it was called gave a long winded history of every item until we reached the open sea. The other problem was that the PA system isn’t very good at the buffet section and it was difficult to make out at times what she was saying. Otherwise it was a memorable part of the voyage, and though a repeat of this morning with all the magnificent waterfalls, the mist had gone and the views were much clearer and gave sharper photographs. After we left the Geiranger Fjord and into the wider Sunnylvsfjord we settled down to have dinner. It wasn’t long until the ship reached the North Sea again and it was now heading south to our next port of call, Bergen.
In the morning when we got on deck we were coming along the fjord to Bergen. It was a big city and the suburbs spread a long way out. We came under two big suspension bridges joining communities on either side of the fjord and to an island. It wasn’t long before the engines slowed and the manoeuvring into place at the pier to tie up began. We walked into the city centre along the water front where the old houses made of wood and with brightly coloured fronts; this was the Bryggen, one of the attractions of Bergen. We walked behind and through the narrow backstreets with the precariously looking sloping buildings. A lot of reconstruction and refurbishing work was going on with scaffolding and builder’s trucks spoiling any photographs.
Further on we came to the fish market with numerous stalls selling every variety of fish. Some gave samples to taste and I tried some smoked whale which was a bit like smoked haddock, and some pink caviar similar in taste to cod roe. From the market we strolled up the main shopping precinct which was a pedestrian mall where we spotted a big church on top of a hill high above the shopping area. It was Johannes Kirken or St Johns, and was quite large with a tall steeple. Inside it was plain and austere with only striking feature being the high curved wooden vaulted ceiling. We examined our map and found that the cathedral was on the other side of the city centre and decide to have a look at it. We made our way down to a pond, Lille Lungegardsvann, with an attractive fountain in the middle that seems to be a central point of the city and from there made our way to the Cathedral. It in some ways it looked Catholic with paintings of previous priests in ornate robes and statues but there wasn’t the usual Stations of the Cross. This church also had the attractive high curved wooden ceiling and had some nice stained glass windows.
Our next destination Mount Floyen and its funicular railway. We found the station which was near the Cathedral but walked up the road to the top instead. It was a steady climb and the road soon became a track winding round many hairpin bends through the trees. There a lot of people on the trail, some walking, some running and plenty of mothers pushing prams, though most of those were on the way down, having probably having taken the funicular up. We couldn’t see the route of the funicular and only came across the track running below at one small opening in the trees. At mid-day there was cannon fire that we thought was the time signal for shipping but the bangs went on after twelve and Moira counted 21. We decided that it was a ‘Twenty-one gun salute’ for American Independence Day; it was the 4th of July.
When we got to the top, there was a restaurant, a souvenir shop and crowds of people who had used the funicular. The view was breath taking, a panorama of the city and harbour surrounded by hills and further behind the hills the islands and headlands before the North Sea. At the station we now got a good view of the track and the funicular as it left on its way down and later another arriving. We sat down on a bench at the front to have our lunch and could see the Ocean Countess pulling away from its berth and making its way just round a point to fill up with diesel. We had a wander round the souvenir shop but it was trashy ornaments and the Norwegian monstrosity the ‘Troll’, and all very expensive.
There were signposts indicating a number of walking trails and we later saw from the ship that the station wasn’t the top of the mountain which appeared to be about a couple of hundred metres higher. We didn’t have a map for any of these routes and didn’t know their distances, and not wanting to get lost we took the safe option and headed back down. We stopped off at the fort, Haakon’s Hall and Rosenkrantz Tower; and climbed to a view point of the harbour to see if the ship had returned from refuelling. There was a number of people from the cruise there watching as well but there was no sign of the ship. It was after 5:00 when I spotted her coming round the point and everybody began to make their way down to the wharf. We had our dinner in the buffet and once sailing again it wasn’t long before we were under the city’s bridges and soon out into the North Sea with Norway fading in the distance as we headed for the Shetland Islands.
The weather was looking very nice plenty of blue sky as we arrived in the Shetland Islands and it felt a lot warmer than Norway, but being Scotland when we went ashore we took our lightweight waterproofs, just in case. Where the cruise vessels were berthed was about a mile from the town centre, they had a shuttle bus to take the people into town and back but we walked. Before we left the ship Moira had gone back to pick up our bus passes, so when we came to a bus stop on the esplanade we waited and took the first bus that came along, Moira told the driver that we just wanted a round trip on the bus. Once out at the other end of Lerwick the bus climbed up into desolate moorland with the road in front sweeping down through a wide valley with breaks of the neatly cut green grass of a golf course. The road began to drop again to sea level and the town of Scalloway which was the previous capital of the islands. This was a beautiful place with houses all painted in bright colours beside an inlet from the sea. The sky line was dominated by the remains of an old castle which though just a shell stood tall over the harbour. We got off the bus in the town and checked the time table at the stop; we had an hour to walk around before having to return.
We walked along the front of the natural harbour making our way to the castle. The excursion buses from the ship were arriving and the passengers were getting off for a trip round the castle, we joined their tour. The inside was very well preserved and you could see the lay out of all the rooms and the great hall but without all the decorations and furnishings of the times gone by. The castle was built in 1600 for Patrick Stewart a relation of James VI. We were very pleased that we had got here and had a free tour round the castle while the others had paid at least £40 for the pleasure. The bus back was quite busy with people making for Lerwick, probably to Tesco for the weekly shop. It was about 15 minutes and we were getting off at the esplanade again.
We walked to Fort Charlotte, built in 1665 as a coastal defence over Bressay Sound during the Second Dutch War. There wasn’t much to see other than a series of canons along the fort walls and pointed out over the Sound. From the fort we made our way up a hill to the town hall. The guide book said that the stained glass windows were exceptional. When we got there we could see from the outside that the top floor was all decorated windows and on the front a magnificent rose window. There was a sign saying visitors welcome but not today; they had been painting and varnishing. In the Council Chamber downstairs there were smaller attractive stained windows, one depicting the ‘Up-Helly-A’ festival that my father once took part in and enacts the burning of a Viking ship. They had a DVD running and showing the facilities available for parties and weddings. On it views of the windows upstairs that we were missing could be seen, and we had missed a treat. This is a very good reason for returning to the Shetlands some time in the future. We made our way back to the ship now as it was an early sailing at noon.
When we got on board we found our seat at the stern free and settled to watch the departure and have our lunch. There was a pilot on board to guide us out the short distance from the harbour to open sea. I examined the small islands and rocky coast through the binoculars for bird life, in particular puffins but didn’t see anything. Soon we were out in the North Sea and heading on the last leg of our trip back to Newcastle. With not much to see now that we were out in the North Sea we decided after dinner to go to the entertainment centre in the evening. The show was called ‘Venetian Nights’ and was Italian music and songs. It was the only show we had gone to and was quite good.
In the morning it was a lot warmer now as we were further south and the sky had large patches of blue. Just after 9:00 we turned into the Tyne and by 10:00 we were safely tied up at the wharf where we started last week. The next part was the first disorganized part of the trip as we didn’t eventually get ashore until mid-day. They had groups going ashore in relays, first those that had put their names down as being in a hurry, and then it was batches depending on the coloured tag on your luggage. I think the different colours depended on how much you paid for your cabin and trip, and as we were in the cheap seats we were last. We weren’t in any particular hurry so sat and drank tea which was still available and read. There was a woman who was travel alone that sat at our table and Moira had her usual gossip with her. She asked how we enjoyed the shows and entertainments, and was astounded when Moira told her that we had only gone to the last one yesterday. Some people aren’t really interested where these cruises go, it is just a means get away, have your food served and be entertained, a Butlin’s afloat.
When we got ashore the cases were laid out in the colour coded sections and we found them easily. We took a taxi into the bus station in Newcastle where we managed to get an earlier bus to Edinburgh and home. It was now back to the normal routine and
Moira made a chicken curry for dinner and we have started to cut back on our eating now we are home.
