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Map showing GPS track of the Grand
Princess (turquoise) |
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an overnight passage from Bergen
the ship sailed 60 nm inland on the
Storfjord to visit Hellesylt and
Geiranger, Norway. This was a
very scenic fjord cruise.
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Old Norse Farms |
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There were many old farms
hanging on the steep slopes
of the fjord. Hay grown on
the green patches was stored
to feed cattle in the
winter. Some are now
weekend retreats for urban
dwellers. |
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Water Fall |
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are countless waterfalls into the
fjord. Much, if not most, of
the flow is from glacier melt.
The small
ship is a Norwegian ferry. |
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Sailing Easterly On the Fjord |
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A
camping resort with cabins
and RV spaces.
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Geiranger, Norway |
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The ship is anchored at the end of
the fjord, some 60 nm inland.
Geiranger has about 250 permanent
residents. The main business
is tourism. It is UNESCO World
Heritage Site. |
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Anchored at Geiranger |
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Passengers were taken ashore
by tenders, which are the
orange boats in the photo. |
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Ashore at Geiranger |
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walked along the fjord on the road
and an adjacent trail.
My maternal grandparents were born
in the Alesund area. They
emigrated to America about 1880 and
settled in Minnesota. I can
see how 160 acres of level land at
no cost (for
homesteading) would have been very
attractive to farmers with an acre
or two on this steep country.
And
they were used to cold weather.
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Sailing Westerly On the Fjord |
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Switchbacks on the road to
Alesund. Some tours
from Geiranger went up this
road to a vista point and a
glacier.
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Sailing Westerly On the Fjord |
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Another waterfall. Note how
narrow the fjord is.
Fortunately, with bow and stern
thrusters the ship is very
maneuverable.
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Sailing Westerly On the Fjord |
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One passenger volunteered
that until this visit he was
convinced that Yosemite
Valley was the most
beautiful spot on Earth, but
he had changed his mind. |
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Sailing Westerly On the Fjord |
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Sailing Back Into the Main Fjord
At Dusk |
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Still about 39 nm inland.
Unfortunately, it was dark
both ways when we sailed by
Alesund at the mouth of the
fjord.
The next port is
Torshavn, Faeroe Islands, two nights and a days
sail away at 16+ kts.. |
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