Eidfjord, Norway
Well, they did tell us it would be colder today. And they were correct. We woke up this morning to find ourselves and the ship within the Hardangerfjord. It is the fifth largest fjord in the world and the second longest in Norway. It stretches 111 miles from the Atlantic Ocean into Norway. The air is so clean and clear here. The scenery was absolutely majestic and breathtaking. We saw several waterfalls right off our balcony. Megan and I grabbed a light bite from the Neptune lounge this morning and some hot tea. Still about the same in our health journey with the runny noses, but that may be a new way of life until we get out of this cold weather. We met our excursion group in the Main Stage at 8:15am today. More passengers are learning the new exiting instructions, and some were downright pushy and rude trying to rush out of the room faster to get “prime” seats on the bus. I think they may need to rethink that strategy. We boarded a bus and took about a 45 minute drive north to a cute little resteraunt where we had waffles and hot beverages. Along the way we climbed up to 3700 feet in elevation. We were above the tree line and all we could see for miles was white. It snowed most of the day as well and it was like being in a winter wonderland. We also had the opportunity to pass through several tunnels that were built using dynamite about 25 years ago. The old road was narrow and sketchy and unable to accommodate buses. We could see it periodically throughout the day. They have no seismic activity here, no earthquakes, no volcanoes. So they build their tunnels here to last a lifetime. One tunnel we passed through was 1.3 miles long and a second one was called a spiral tunnel. This 1550 foot tunnel turns almost completely in a circle within the mountain with a 7% grade. It is quite a marvel of architecture and construction. The longest tunnel in the world is also here Norway and it is 15.2 miles long. Megan and I couldn’t resist all the freshly fallen snow and had the opportunity to have a snowball fight, we were careful not to strike any other passengers. After we left the resteraunt we headed back down the hill. We passed the Sysen dam which is constructed all from stones. The dam is used to hold the water that is used to create hydroelectric electricity. Most everything here in Norway is run off electricity generated this way. They are the greenest countries in the world with about 50% of their population driving electric cars. They are working hard to create an infrastructure here to support 100% clean, green energy by the year 2025. Our last stop was the Voringsfossen Waterfalls. The falls are 600 feet high and they were flowing due to the snow melt that is currently occurring here. We hiked from one vista point and then climbed through the snow to a walking bridge on the far side. Look for the two red asterisks in the photos below. We hiked from one point across to the other. It was exhilarating and only a few passengers took the journey. When we reached the summit my heart rate was 165 BMP. Elevation, climbing and a healthy fear of the heights were all contributing factors. I am proud that I pushed myself to accomplish it. We had a little more time for snow play before we got back on the bus and headed back to the ship. Once we got back Megan ran into the ship to change out of her wet jeans so we could take the short walk into town. We walked through a couple of shops, got our magnet and then found a café so we could enjoy another waffle and a cappuccino. We ate the first ones so fast earlier today we forgot to get a photo, so we had to sacrifice ourselves and get a second amazing one so we could get a picture for you. Then we decided to head to the Burger and Beer house next door where several other passengers were hanging out. Megan and I split a FANTASTIC burger, with fries, an order of mozzarella sticks and included with the burger was a beer so I ‘forced’ myself to drink a tasty Mango IPA. It was a lovely and relaxing end to our visit here in Eidfjord. We got back to the ship around 3pm and headed to the Neptune lounge so I could write my blog and Megan could assemble her Lego Lamborghini that she bought today. We have almost no wi-fi and cellular service currently as we are in the fjord surrounded by mountains. Passengers keep coming into the lounge to complain about the service even though several announcements have been made informing them about the issue. It’s funny how people’s patience seems to be lessening as this trip nears its conclusion. I have seen more couples “bickering” lately as they have been without any time apart in 112 days. Megan and I had a difficult period of about a week about a month ago, but other then that we have been getting along really well. Throwing some snowballs at each other today was probably a good way to relieve some tension too. We had quite the scenic sail out this evening. We headed outside around 4:45pm and spent another hour outside, in the cold, watching the ship pull away from the pier and sail under a suspension bridge and down through the fjord. The scenery was indescribable. So beautiful. After the sail away we headed back to the cabin to thaw, again. Warm tea, hot soup from room service, and cozy sweats and life is good. We are cuddling in for the night and looking forward to our next adventure at our last port in Norway tomorrow. It has been a lovely time visiting here. I look forward to visiting here again someday!
Live Vicariously Through Debra 