1st Time HAL Rotterdam Norse Legends Review 9/9-9/16/23

[FlorenceItaly]

Fantastic review.  Thank you so much for taking the time.  It is greatly appreciated.  Our DS and DIL live in Amsterdam.  We visited after our Zuiderdam TA.  Your pictures and review are bringing back many warm memories of our trip.

[Trish Traveler]

Monday, Sept 11 – Eidfjord/Hardangerfjord,  Norway  7am-3pm           

(We are remembering our USA today, 9.11 Never Forget)

 

GOOD MORNING NORWAY!  A prompt knock at the door at 6:15am brought our lovely tray of breakfast.  A Peek out the window revealed we had arrived at Eidfjord, still slightly dark.  Although we had slept through the sail-in through the Hardangerfjord , it had been dark anyway… we would save that pleasure for our sail out of the fjord later today at 3pm.  We enjoyed our proper continental breakfast as we readied for our first port of call in Norway.  Early meeting time of 7:15am in the World Stage Theatre.

We had booked the HAL Waterfall & Nature Tour using our included HIA $100 shorex credit pp, but still needing to add money to that amount to cover the $164.95 pp cost.  We generally explore on our own or book independent tours, but decided to use our credit and get an early start, as we really wanted to see the Voringsfossen Waterfall as our main goal for Eidfjord.  It was booked as a 3.5 hour tour with 3 stops: Voringsfossen Waterfall, Sysen Dam and the Hardangervidda Nature & Wildlife Center.  About a week from departure, we received an email from HAL indicating that our tour had been modified due to “operational considerations” The duration had been reduced from 3.5 to 3 hours, and one stop at the Sysen Dam had been eliminated.  I called Shorex to see if there would be any reduction in price, but was told no.  A really odd thing about this email was that it also said, “If you have booked multiple excursions in Puerto Limon, please visit…  LOL  I believe Puerto Limon is in Costa Rica not Norway!  FYI  - from my research I had learned from the Tourist Board that there is a shuttle bus that you can purchase a ticket for from the TI in town if you are looking for a more reasonable DIY way to see the waterfall.  Of course, as with all cruises, you always need to remember that if you are not on a ship-sponsored  tour and you don’t return in time for the ship to sail, they will need to leave you behind.

 

Anyway, the weather for the whole fjord area of Norway showed lots of rain this week, so we prepared with our rain gear.  It was drizzling in the morning, but at least everything wasn’t fogged over.  We didn’t have to wait long in the theatre to be called to board our bus for the tour.  Very comfortable bus with a knowledgeable tour guide.  It was a sleepy, rainy view of the small town of Eidfjord as we headed out.  We were glad to hear we were going to the Nature center first, as possibly the rain might let up by the time we got to the waterfall.  Very pretty ride through the mountains and tunnels.  The first thing we did at the Nature Center was view a fantastic film about Norway.  It was a bit like an IMAX with a wide screen and outstanding, clear crisp drone footage.  It was like taking an expensive helicopter ride over Norway.  Loved it.  We then walked through the small nature center which has mostly taxidermy animals, like reindeer, moose and fox etc.  There were live fish in a tank.  It was interesting, but the highlight for us was definitely the film.  Across the street was a very crowded, but nice gift shop.  The roof is grass where a goat normally grazes, but he was sheltering from the rain in his little house on top.  Beautiful setting even with the rain.

 

Onward to the highlight: the Voringsfossen Waterfall.  The rain was letting up (YAY) and when we arrived with a view of the waterfalls, the guide let us know that the tour the day before did not see them due to fog.  We quickly, but carefully headed off to the main overlooks of this stupendous waterfall which is one of the most visited in Norway.  Our guide advised not going down the dirt/rock trail to the bridge for viewing of the waterfall (letting us know the nearest hospital was one hour away).  We were disappointed that we were so limited on time here, I think it was only about 25 minutes total.  BUT, we were thrilled to have a clear view of the waterfalls!  And the nature center was good use of our time during the heavier rain, so that was a plus.  Overall, we were glad we took the tour (based on our shorex credit price). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd Monday, Sept 11 – Eidfjord/Hardangerfjord, Norway  7am-3pm 

 

Back into town about 10:30am to begin our exploration on foot of this adorable town.  I knew from prior research that there are some walking tour maps available online, but we headed to the Tourist Info office right at the dock area to get a paper copy. Although we didn’t hike it, the yellow trail which leads to a beach on Lake Eidfjord (we saw from the bus) also has Viking Burial Mounds on that route! 

We also stopped in the grocery store coop to buy a famous Hardanger apple and some chocolate.  The apple we chose was just average, but an enjoyable healthy snack.  We also bring sealed bags of trail mix from home to snack on for port days.  Norway uses the Norwegian Kroner NOK, but is almost all cashless/card, so we did not exchange money for any NOK.  We were even able to use USD a few times in Norway at stores, and we did tip tour guides in USD.  Eidfjord is such a charming town even in the drizzle rain.  A few souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants as well as the beautiful Voringfoss Hotel.  It’s amazing how beautiful the town, fjord and mountains can look even without a blue sky.  The low clouds and light fog add an ethereal depth to the scene and photos.  And it really makes the colored buildings pop out in contrast. Everything was so green and lush, with many flowers still blooming.   We were in awe of the beauty around us.  Don’t miss the Knitted Trees which are along the waterfront to the right of where you would come off the ship past the TI and shops there.  We met the first of many trolls we would see in Norway.  To the left of the ship as you come off, you will find a park that has one large swing and a #eidfjord picture frame for photo ops.  I also snapped a photo of the kayak tour near the Rotterdam.

 

One of my favorites...Love the bright red contrast of the foggy fjord!

 

 

Row of knitted trees:

 

#eidfjord

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd Monday, Sept 11 – Eidfjord/Hardangerfjord, Norway  7am-3pm 

We walked the town crossing a pedestrian bridge over the river following part of the dark blue route seeing the Eidfjord Old Church/cemetery which you can take a peek in.  The little train tour arrived while we were in this area.  We also saw the New Church (closed) and the Trebua workshop $.  Nice walk, a little hilly but downhill towards the ship.  We mailed a postcard in town and decided our energy was waning and we were hungry, so decided to head back on the ship.

Eidfjord Old Church:

Trebua Woodshop:

New Church:

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd Monday, Sept 11 – Eidfjord/Hardangerfjord, Norway  7am-3pm 

Refreshed and energized for the sailaway which would include going under the expansive Hardanger Bridge 30 minutes after departure.  The cruise director did a narration of fjord/bridge info for the first 30 minutes that could be heard in many locations.  It was rainy on/off and guests were vying for good viewing positions everywhere.  They even opened the bow for viewing.  We started inside due to the rain, but moved outside to actually go under the bridge. On each side of the bridge, the road goes directly into a tunnel through the mountain.   It is a very small clearance between the top of the ship and the bottom of the bridge (I forgot what the distance was?)  Another exciting event!  Most everyone darted inside after the bridge.

Almost touching!

We relaxed, bundled up under the provided HAL orange/blue lap blankets on our balcony which was mostly covered sipping wine (probably should have been hot cocoa with Baileys)  We loved seeing the ribbon waterfalls, mountainside farms and just the majestic splendor of the fjord.  This balcony was definitely worth it and we now truly understood the hype of the Norway Fjord sailings.

Dinner in the MDR (very short wait with no reservation) included Caesar Salad, French Onion Soup (perfect chilly night for this) Roasted Chicken, Port to Table North Sea Cod, and we shared an order of the Orecchietie Pasta just to try it. Everything was delicious including my husband’s Hot Fudge Sundae!  Sorry for the blurry menus - I snap those quick!

We enjoyed an after dinner cocktail at BB Kings while watching some of the Majority Rules Game Show.  Last up was the 9:30pm performance of Vocalist Stephen Barry on the World Stage.  He was not only a great singer, but a funny storyteller.   We both really enjoyed that show.

I'm pretty sure this was the tasty Hemingway Special:

BB King's Drink Menu:

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Tuesday, Sept 12 - Alesund - 8am-6pm (original itin said 5pm, but at some point it changed without me seeing it)

 

Arrival into the charming, colorful town of Alesund.  A beautiful morning with some blue sky peeking through, yet still with a chance of rain. It is known for its Art Noveau style of architecture after most of it was rebuilt following a 1904 fire.  We had a plan for a DIY walking tour today.  But first breakfast in the buffet, where we were so close to the town, we had an amazing view of the buildings.  I literally gasped in delight as we walked into the buffet with the first views of Alesund from the port side! 

 

Whoa!  We are literally in the town of Alesund!!

 

We like to start early and get a jump on the crowds (we can always nap later if needed).  We checked in with the Tourist Info right near the port and got a paper map to show more clearly where to find the city park to begin the climb up to Mount Aksla.  Our path took us right past the beautiful colored buildings on the water which looked lovely in the morning light.  We looked slightly confused at one point, and a very nice local woman walked with us one more block to show us the correct place to turn to reach the park.

 

View of the zig-zag stair path to the Aksla Fjellstua Viewpoint:

 

Good Morning Alesund Trolls:

 

 

Once in the park, we saw Rollon the Viking and a sign to direct us to the 418 steps leading to the Fjellstua Overlook on Mt.Aksla.  A photo I took later showed the zig-zag trail to the top.  Since it was early it was not too crowded yet.  They do have some railings and a few landings along the way to rest.  This hike up was a bit challenging for this gal from the flat Midwest!  It started to drizzle along the way.  I might mention also that you can still get a decent view of the city from right above the tree line, if you find you can’t make it all the way up.  However, the top views are outstanding!  This is a town made for photographing.  We had some blue skies mixed with the clouds and rain.  We could see the Rotterdam as well as the Costa Firenze in port with us today. We saw both the HOHO bus and the Little Train Tours up here also if you want an option other that the 418 steps.  The restaurant up top was not opened yet.  We enjoyed the various viewpoints for a while before heading back down.  At one point we turned a corner and saw the most amazing double rainbow over the town of Alesund.  Thank you rain and sun for that special treat!  The stairs were more crowded going down as they are not very wide at points for the two way traffic.  And naturally, people like me need to stop to catch their breath and take photos.

 

 

View from partway there:

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

2 hours ago, FlorenceItaly said:

Fantastic review.  Thank you so much for taking the time.  It is greatly appreciated.  Our DS and DIL live in Amsterdam.  We visited after our Zuiderdam TA.  Your pictures and review are bringing back many warm memories of our trip.

Thank you!  I'm glad you're enjoying the memories.

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd Tuesday, Sept 12 - Alesund - 8am-6pm 

 

Map from tourist Information who drew a path from the port to the Aksla Park Fjellstua stairway:

 

City Train Tour map which shows main Alesund highlights:

 

 

We then spent some time on a scenic street (Kongensgate?) with shops and cafes and bought a few souvenirs in the Fjordbuda store.  We saw more trolls, the Newspaper Boy statue, and an awesome phone booth/book sharing library!

 

 

We cut over to the inlet waterway (name?) to enjoy all the awesome views as we worked our way back.  We saw a lighthouse, more statues, kayakers and even a group of young adults who decided to take a “polar plunge” into the frigid water (sorry no photo).  They had planned this as they had on bathing suits and brought towels with.  Oh to be young again!

 

Winding back to the bustling “main” street, we saw the famous Fisher Boy and other statues.  Popular area for photos. 

[maggieq]

6 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

Wonderful pictures of Amsterdam. We were there before our Norwegian Fjords cruise in June. We really liked Pancakes Amsterdam !!!

 

 

mac_tlc

@mac_tlc  loving this   review, however, we recently booked a jewel cruise artic circle and I think you went on a similar one this year.  Would you mind posting the link to your review?  Thanks!

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd Tuesday, Sept 12 - Alesund - 8am-6pm

We crossed the bridge to explore more streets and to make our way to the Alesund Church.  It clouded up and began to rain again.  Although, HAL provides nice large orange umbrellas (which we saw everywhere), we bring our own because they are small and slip into the backpack easily.  The church charges a small fee and they do take a credit card swipe.  They give you a description sheet which said this current stone church, rebuilt in 1909 after a fire, designed by Sverre Knudsen is in the Romanesque style. There is a ship hanging in the church called "Thalatta" a gift from Captain Alfred Viken and his wife. A ship hanging in the church is common for the churches of Norway, on the coast where fishing is the main occupation.  Peaceful place to take time to reflect on our blessings.  There is a cemetery adjacent with a very sad WWII memorial sculpture.  We made our way back to the ship as we were getting very tired and hungry.  There was plenty more we could have seen in the surrounding area, but felt we had thoroughly enjoyed our DIY affordable day here in the picturesque Alesund. 

 

 

 

 

DH liked this fishing supply store!

 

That's a lot of trolls for sale!

[maggieq]

@Trish Traveler amazing pictures and review.  We are finally booked on an arctic circle and Norway cruise next year and this is full of terrific information.   Thanks for taking the time to post.  😊 

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd Tuesday, Sept 12 - Alesund - 8am-6pm

Back onboard for some buffet fish & chips and burgers from the Dive-In.  It’s nice to be able to use the additional table areas in the Lido, since the roof was closed in there.  It gives you another option when the buffet area seating is full.  After, with a drink in hand, we enjoyed a soak in one of the aft hot tubs.  Even though it was cool outside, it was great to be in the warm water (not too hot) while viewing Alesund.  I even tried the pool, which also had nice temperature water!  We had brought along our robes from the cabin.  That felt really good on our aching bodies.  I will say though that those are the smallest cruise ship hot tubs I have seen in a while.  They each really only comfortably seat 2 people unless you want to be touching stranger’s legs with 4 people. Luckily, we were able to enjoy it with just the two of us.  There are 2 more small and one large hot tub at the main Lido pool area, which we never used.  Prior to sailaway, the Captain announced that we would have a delayed departure due to a medical reason for a crew member, but it would not affect our arrival into Geirangerfjord the next morning.  Hope all turned out well for them.

 

This self-serve beer tap was not open all week?🤷‍♂️

 

 

Tonight was our HIA included specialty dining that we reserved for 7PM at the Pinnacle Grill. But first before dinner we had cocktails at the Half Moon Bar:  Lemon Drop Martini and Old Fashioned – perfectly prepared! 

The ambiance was very nice and quiet in the Pinnacle Grill.  There were so many good choices for appetizers that we could not decide and each ordered two: Lump Crab Cakes, Lobster Bisque, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail and the “eye candy” which was the guilty pleasure Clothesline Candied Bacon!  I can’t remember if my DH had the NY Strip or the Boneless Rib Eye, and I had the Seared Jumbo Scallops.  So together we had Surf & Turf as we share a bit with each other.  Most everything was excellent (except for the asparagus which was overcooked and wilted, and the potato) and we finished it all, even leaving room for dessert.   A very decadent and crispy Crème Brulet and the best we’ve ever tasted Key Lime Pie, which are both two of our favorite desserts!  We were also served the special chef’s treat of tasty bon-bons.  The service was great and we had a leisurely meal lasting about 90 minutes.  That was a very nice treat as we don’t usually eat in Specialty Restaurants unless they are included in our cruise package. 

We then listened to some piano music at Billboard Onboard which is really fun, although DH missed the RS Rock Band as they were off this evening.  We tried for a seat in the theatre for the Step One Dance Company Musicology but it was completely full (granted, we didn’t get there early enough – probably 20-30 minutes is best).  We were definitely focused on the ports this cruise, and were really tired from continued jet lag and all the walking so we turned in for the night, knowing we wanted to be up early again  for Geirangerfjord, where a chance of snow is in the forecast!

[Trish Traveler]

19 minutes ago, maggieq said:

@Trish Traveler amazing pictures and review.  We are finally booked on an arctic circle and Norway cruise next year and this is full of terrific information.   Thanks for taking the time to post.  😊 

Thank you!  Have a great time planning, you will love it!

[Trish Traveler]

To be continued...  Hope to finish the review tomorrow. 

[mac_tlc]

1 hour ago, maggieq said:

@mac_tlc  loving this   review, however, we recently booked a jewel cruise artic circle and I think you went on a similar one this year.  Would you mind posting the link to your review?  Thanks!

Sure thing, here you go.

 

 

[Erekosse]

Thanks for the wonderful detail and pictures!

[Trish Traveler]

14 hours ago, Erekosse said:

Thanks for the wonderful detail and pictures!

You're welcome!  Enjoy!

[Trish Traveler]

Wed. Sept. 13 - Geiranger – 7am-5pm  Tender Port

Oh darn, I forgot to put out a doorknob card last night to order room service breakfast.  We awoke already anchored in Geirangerfjord!  And the weather looked promising, although the balcony was wet and it was quite brisk outside. But, so far it looked pretty clear – not fogged over (although I know that can change quickly in the mountains).  There was already a Rotterdam lifeboat lowered into the water that would serve as one of the tender boats for this port.  There is a fairly new cool SeaWalk floating pier system here, but the Aida Perla would be using that later this morning.  This port was definitely the “star” of this itinerary in my mind from all the research and reviews I had read.  Gierangerfjord is on the UNESCO exclusive World Heritage list, and considered by many as the most beautiful fjord in Norway.  And as the sail-in through the fjord was in the dark, we would have that treat to look forward to after sail-away.  The excitement was really building as we quickly dressed and headed up to buffet breakfast.

Bundled up with warm clothes and rain gear, we headed down to the BB Kings Blues Bar where they were handing out tender tickets for those going independently ashore.  We were #4 and waited less than 10 minutes to be called.  I’m always concerned about long waits for tenders, which is why we try to get off early.  I have no idea how long the wait was later in the morning.  As most of you probably know, generally when you are on a ship sponsored tour they have you meet elsewhere and give you priority for tenders to be able to start your tour.  As I showed earlier, they were using the ship’s lifeboats as tenders and it was a quick ride to the dock. 

Good Morning Geiranger!  It was very empty this early, and the air was refreshingly crisp.   The first thing we did was greet the giant troll.  We then walked over to the Tourist Info building which was already open.  As I said earlier, we originally waitlisted the HAL tour to see the 3 main overlooks here, but when it became available onboard, we declined as the weather forecast still looked bad and we didn’t want to pay a lot and not see anything if it was foggy.  We knew that we would have an opportunity to purchase a tour the day of if the TI had availability, which is what we did.  We chose the Panorama Exclusive Bus, 3 hours/3 stops:  Dalsnibba/Skywalk – Flydalsjuvet – Eaglebend  for 595NOK pp (about $30USD) using CC.  We had plenty of time to explore the little port as the tour wasn’t until 9:30am.  Luckily, the couple of gift shops right there were already opened. 

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd. Wed. Sept. 13 - Geiranger – 7am-5pm  Tender Port

Promptly, our very funny and interesting tour guide/driver Andre arrived to begin our 9:30am tour on a large, comfortable bus.  We passed through the town of Geiranger slowly waking up.  It didn’t take too long to get to our first overlook stop of Flydalsjuvet, which was already bustling, as many tourists also travel overland in Norway to these same sites naturally.  Fantastic clear views of the fjord below, with the Rotterdam and the Aida Perla just sailing in.  We even had some patches of blue sky and sun!  We only had 15 minutes here:  main overlook where the bus parked, a little down the hill for restrooms and another overlook where you will find the Queen’s Chair sculpture aka Fjord Seat (depending on the line, you might have time for a photo).

View from the bus on the road out of town:

 

Views from Flydalsjuvet Viewpoint:

 

 

Back on the bus, we learned that we wouldn’t be visiting the highest, and probably the most popular overlook of Dalsnibba due to the snow that had occurred last night. 🙁 They hadn’t cleared the winding road up there yet.  We were definitely disappointed, but understood that’s nature.  We did continue higher up the very winding road with gorgeous scenery to Djupvasshyita where the terrain is rugged, but with awesome views of the new snow covered mountaintop.  Andre said there is a glacier there, but the new light snow covered the blue hue you would normally see.  There was also a beautiful mountain lake up here.  The road crew told Andre the road to Dalsnibba would probably be open in an hour, but that wouldn’t help us, maybe the later tours were successful in reaching that overlook. 

 

 

 

Fresh snow on top:

 

Heading back down, the road was more crowded and a little tricky for the big busses on a narrow highway.  But Andre was skillful.  I was a little worried about motion sickness, as I can be prone to it.  However, we were promptly in line at the start of the tour to get a front seat and I was okay, with a little ginger candy for backup.  Yay! 

Beautiful ribbons of waterfalls:

 

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd. Wed. Sept. 13 - Geiranger – 7am-5pm  Tender Port

We had to pass back through town to go back up on the other side for the next viewpoint.  Wow, it was really bustling now with passengers from two cruise ships.  Up the Eagle Bend Road which has 11 hairpin turns up to the Ornesvingen Viewpoint which is a great view of the fjord and a glimpse of the Seven Sisters Waterfall (which we would see later in all their glory). You can also see some of the Rib Boat tours in the photos.  You also have a view of the cruise ships and town from the opposite side than our first overlook, Flydalsjuvet.  Another outstanding view despite the fact that it was a combo of sunny glare/haze/and a little drizzle (but no fog!)  Once again, the clouds add such a cool dimension to photos.

 

This is actually a photo of the zig-zag Eaglebend Road taken from the ship later: 

From the Viewpoint:

Natural Shower near the parking lot:

Andre then let us know that since we had a little extra time due to missing Dalsnibba, he would continue on and take us to see another beautiful mountain lake: Eidsvatnet.  Through a tunnel and it leveled off more to reveal lush green farms before we arrived at the idyllic lake.  Our bus was the only one there and it was a lovely place to reflect on the overwhelming beauty that was all around us in the Norwegian Fjords.  Back to Gieranger where we thanked/tipped Andre for this amazing tour.  Even though we missed Dalsnibba, we still were thrilled to have seen so much more of this area of Norway.  Again, we know that the area can be fogged over or drenched in rain, so we counted this as another big win to have such a beautiful day here.

 

 

These grass roofs are so cool!

AIDAperla using the SeaWalk floating pier:

Whoa, the port area was really crowded.  Two cruise ships is probably one too many for this small town.  Especially considering there are many overland tourists also visiting.  I have read that they have a plan to only allow zero emission cruise ships by 2026 to help preserve the nature of the fjord.  I don’t pretend to know all the details, you can google for exact info.  I tried to search the “News” section here on CC but was unable to find any articles, although there are some discussions in various threads on the boards. Norway has many electric vehicles – I believe our bus was electric. Here’s one Forbes article  https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2023/03/16/why-norwegian-fjords-cruises-will-soon-change/?sh=7684a292341d

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd. Wed. Sept. 13 - Geiranger – 7am-5pm  Tender Port

I forgot to include this photo from the Eaglebend viewpoint toward Geiranger, but as you can see it wasn't very good with the glare from the angle of the sun at this time of daay.

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd. Wed. Sept. 13 - Geiranger – 7am-5pm  Tender Port

Next up for us was the hike from town to climb the 327 steps adjacent to the glorious Fossevandering Waterfall which cascades from further up somewhere all the way down into the fjord.  Not far from port, you will find some cute shops and a campground where you cross over a bridge and follow the path that will lead you to the stairs.  Hear that roar that increases as you climb.  The power of water and gravity is astounding.  The steps are literally right next to the cascading levels of this waterfall as it surges toward the fjord.  So many outstanding photo ops.  It was getting pretty crowded but there are some larger areas and a few landings to stop and rest a bit.  We even saw some “love locks” although I’m not sure that is encouraged in a natural setting.  It’s so wonderful that this just happens to be right in town, so no shore excursion (or emissions) are required  There is a larger viewing ledge near the top, and further up you will find the Norsk Fjordsenter $, a café, and the Union Hotel across the road. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This boulder has a face looking at us looking at him!

Love locks:

Fantastic Views!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Cont'd. Wed. Sept. 13 - Geiranger – 7am-5pm  Tender Port

 

We relaxed and caught our breath before heading a short distance down the road (be very careful, you are sharing it with lots of vehicles) to reach the charming white, wooden octagonal Geiranger Church (1842).  It was not open, but the views from here are also stunning.  What a scenic place to worship.  Back up the road, we saw apple trees and some of those cute electric rental cars (which I personally would never rent on those roads with buses, trucks and cars), and a view of the floating pier next to the Aida Ship.

 

 

 

 

eMobility Rental Cars:

 

 

 

All stocked up with their winter wood supply!

Back down the 327 steps, for more enjoyment of the falls.  At the bottom there is a little road you can take to a large field where we saw many goats grazing.  I wanna be a goat in Geiranger – what a life!  At this point it started raining requiring our umbrellas so we strolled back to the port.  We were able to quickly get on a tender back to the ship about 3pm for a late lunch.  We were delighted that we had seen so much and in good weather today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[57redbird]

WOW!!!

 

[Bizziecruzer]

Really enjoying your journey. Excellent review.