Skjolden, Fjords, and Stave churches

Our final port stop in Norway was Skjolden in Sognefjord. We had a nice, long sail in this morning to enjoy the beauty of the mountains around the fjord. Sognefjord is the longest and deepest of all Norwegian fjords and Skjolden is located at the very end of the fjord. We arrived at noon and had a tour to drive the fjord and visit Urnes stave church, built in 1130. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is a wooden church and you can see the Viking pagen carvings.

We then continued around thr fjord and took a ferry across. We visited the tiny villages that have been here for centuries. We saw huge trees that looked like they were out of Christmas fantasies. Once we arrived back at the ship, rain settled in and we headed to our cabin for a nap. Norway has been a joy and I hope to return again some day. We have two days of cruising before we get to Southampton and a few days to enjoy England. I will post again there.

Trolls and Andalsnes

On Saturday, we arrived in Andalsnes. The sailed though a nice fjord and arrived early in the morning. We booked a tour that drove us up the Troll Road (Trollstigen), took in a beautiful viewpoint, and then onto the Troll Wall (Trollveggen). The drive up was steep with lots of switchbacks, but we ha an excellent driver. The viewpoints took a little walking, but were totally worth it.

We then drove back down and stopped at the Troll Wall. This is a large vertical wall that is famous for rock climbing and base jumping. We were very fortunate with the weather and were able to view the entire height of the wall, which is usually obscured by some clouds.

Once we got back to port, we had just enough time to take the Romsdalen gondola up to the top of the nearby mountain for a beer and a look around. We could not have asked for a more beautiful day or location.

Trondheim and the Martnan Festival

On Friday, we arrived in Trondheim, the 3rd largest city in Norway. We were lucky to be there during the Martnan Festival celebrating Mid Sommer. We started our day as part of a tour group with Princess that took us to visit Kristiansted Fortress. The fortress from 1684 was constructed to defend against Sweden, but was never used in battle. Today is provides beautiful views of the city.

We then continued on the Nidaros Cathedral which was founded in 1152. It is known for containing the bones of St. Olav, Norway's patron saint. In Norway, most structures were made of wood. This large stone cathedral is rare, but was built here because Trondheim used to be the capital of Norway.

Next we walked next door to the Archbishop's Palace. It was built in the 12th century and served as the residence for the Catholic bishops until the Reformation. We were able to view the crown jewels of Norway and see some artifacts from the Palace and the cathedral.

After this, we left the tour and stayed in Trondheim to visit the Martnan festival. There were lots of food stalls, crafts, and local groups represented. It was fun getting to mingle with the locals and try some new foods. It was surprising how multi-cultural the city is. We say Thai food, sushi, churros, doner, shwarma, local meats and cheeses, and Italian olives. The samples were better than Costco. We even tried reindeer and whale!!

Chef‘s Table on Island Princess

On our sea day, we were lucky enough to be part of Chef's Table. Twelve people from our Cruise Critic group were chosen to participate in a multi course meal prepared and presented by the chef. It was a 3 hour, perfectly prepared meal paired with specifically chosen wines. Each course was wonderful, but the main course of beef tenderloin and lobster tail was the star. Austin describe the beef as "meat butter" because it was so tender. By the end, I was so full it was hard to walk. Truly the best meal I have ever had. I understand that these types of meals are becoming more rare because they are such a challenge to prepare, but if you get a chance, please give it a try.