It’s hard to believe that we have been in Norway 3 weeks –

But not for the reason you might imagine.  Usually when days just fly by and a month or 2 has passed, it’s because you’re in the zone and without even noticing, the time has gone.  I feel that way with Jacks childhood.  I have no idea where the past 13 years have gone and when I look at him sometimes, Im shocked to see a young man staring back at me.  Every once in awhile, Ill just stare at him trying to find the baby features that I once gazed for hours to memorize.  But that isn’t the disbelief I feel now, rather I feel wonder that with all we have seen, experienced and enjoyed, we have managed it in just 3 weeks rather than 3 months.  

We arrived in Bergen a mere 2 days before Kelly arrived.  Typically we like to arrive several days if not a week prior to ensure that groceries are stocked, there have been no last minute hiccups with our passage, and to tidy Gratitude and prepare everything for a stress free and relaxing vacation for everyone.  

Still, even with reduced time to shop and prepare, all went to perfect plan and we were standing outside of the customs hall, signs and flowers in hand, to welcome our most loyal and dedicated guest.  

It is not lost on us what is required to come visit us.  We understand the sacrifice of time, money and travel hassle involved, and we try very hard to make it a fun time for everyone.  

Of all of the people who come to visit, Kelly is the least likely to enjoy hanging on the anchor with a book in one hand, beer in the other.  Knowing that will help you to appreciate that we were not the most miserable hosts in the world doing all of this with her!  

The first thing we always do when Aunt Kelly comes to visit is dive into all of the candy that only an Auntie can provide.  Several pounds of the allotted checked luggage is dedicated to sweets and treats that we can’t get over here so Jack watched patiently for the treats to emerge from the bag.  Also in these early moments we celebrate Christmas, birthdays and every other event which we missed since we last enjoyed time together.  One would think after 24 hours of travel that Kelly would be in the bunk, lights out but she always powers through.  We try to keep the first day a gentle stroll and home baked treats which is exactly what we did.  

Bergen, Norway enjoys approximately 260 days a year of rainfall – likely due to the 7 surrounding mountains,  so it was no surprise that each our days in Bergen, it rained.  Not deterred, we still enjoyed Norways 2nd largest city  (Oslo is the largest)  immensely.   It has a small village feel, probably owing to the charming Byrggen quays which are now a Unesco heritage site.  The remnants of the storied trade history –  Bergen was once the exclusive trading authority with the rest of Europe in its Hanseatic days, are evident all along the waterfront.  Highlights of our time in Bergen are the fish market which enticed Alec and Me to suspend temporarily our “no seafood” position ever since we watched SeaSpiracy.   The lobster, the crab…. OMG. Incredible.  So Jack, having zero interest left us to go on date night and we enjoyed the freshest and most delicious locally caught lobster and crab ever.  Kelly, Alec and Jack all tasted reindeer and moose meat, Jack even tasted whale which I would never have allowed him to purchase but “when in Rome” and when offered as a free taste, I permitted it.    

The town of Bergen boasts tons of delicious restaurants and fortunately also a way to turn that food into energy.  The mountains surround the town and each has a hiking route down to the town center.  We enjoyed one such hike down from Mount Floyen after a stroll through the troll forest.  We saw waterfalls everywhere and the hike was over improved trails.  Despite the drizzling rain, we had a great view of the town from the top and a fun walk back to the boat.  Once we arrived back on board we enjoyed hot tea and freshly baked donuts purchased in town.  

One can’t come to Norway and miss seeing the awe inspiring fjords. While fjords are present in many high latitude countries, Norway has the most with an impressive 1,190!  Traveling by boat affords us the opportunity to duck in and meander when we see something we like and the fjords are a memorable highlight of our time here.  With Kelly we traveled extensively down the Hardangerfjord, the 5th longest in the world and the 2nd longest fjord in Norway.  Branching off in every direction are additional smaller fjords which we had the opportunity to cruise through on Gratitude, then again on Takk, our tender.  Incidentally, Takk means thanks in Norwegian and though she has been named Takk since we bought Gratitude, this is the first time we have been able to use her name on a daily basis in our life. 

Approximately 60% of the archipelago is covered in glaciers so we embraced the opportunity to hike on one! Arriving on Gratitude in Jondal, this was the perfect place to get to the Folgefonna Glacier.  Arranged by Melanie, our yacht agent with BWA, this hike will remain very high on our highlight reel of amazing life experiences.  We had 2 outstanding and qualified guides who took us out on the glacier, taught us how to remain safe, and showed us some of the most enchanting ice sculpted by nature we have ever seen.   We were given gear to supplement what we brought with us and we hiked in a place few are privileged enough to see.  Sometimes I marvel at how fortunate (blessed, lucky) we are and this is one example.  I obliviously signed up for a hike with people I had done no research about and with a company I had never heard of, but only after the hike did I learn of the dozens of questions I should have taken the time to ask.  I really didnt consider before we left that these glaciers melt unevenly and snow bridges can collapse without warning.  I never considered that hiking on a glacier where we were out in the middle of nowhere by ourselves we could seriously never be heard from again if we had attempted such a thing by ourselves or with unqualified guides.  There is no regulation for this type of thing here.  People are expected to use their good judgement when it comes to nature.  Lucky for us, our yacht agent did ask the right questions and booked us with an incredibly professional and kind couple of guides.  Rasmussen Klock has the highest qualification one can achieve for glacier hiking.  Maria Winther is also a very accomplished hiker and both of these professionals provided the safest, and most enjoyable experience we could ever ask for!  If you are considering taking a trip such as this to the Folgefonna National Park Glacier, contact Folgefonni Breforarias AS at:

 post@folgefonni-breforarlag.no  Ask for Rasmus Klok or Maria Winther and you will not be disappointed!  

This is a wonderful opportunity to give yet another shout out to BWA Yacht Services.  We have used yacht agents off and on and with mixed results as I have written about on the blog and even in published magazine articles.  But Melanie, our yacht agent has been a dream!!!    She has booked us into marinas, handled tour reservations, and even suggested a stop to make on our trip.  She has worked on the weekends and after hours and just been an overall Godsend!  I can not say enough about her and BWA for all that they have done to make our summer cruise so spectacular.  I can not say this enough… If you are a cruiser, hiring a yacht agent is worth every penny.  And honestly, it has probably saved us as much as we have spent.  Certainly in terms of inconvenience and government non-compliance this has been a lifesaver!  

Continuing with Kellys vacation, we had a day of hiking Jondal and enjoyed a spectacular hike to the top of the mountain where we found a public cabin and a pretty hardcore, though ranking intermediate, hike back down.  As Americans we sometimes chuckle at how few warning signs and safety rails there are to prevent a person from plummeting to their death. 

We departed Jondal and next cruised across the fjord to Norheimsund.  A super charming village, we wanted to see the famed waterfalls here and do some hiking.  Since this is on the side of the fjord closer to Bergen, this was also a perfect place from which to return Kelly to the airport.    

The Steinsdalsfossen which is visible from miles around is one of the most popular and famous in Norway.  Caused due to the redirection of water flowing from 2 lakes of which Myklavatnet (alt. 860 m) is the biggest.  One of the coolest elements is that one can appreciate the falls from both the front and behind them.   

Im partial to enjoying nature without the shops and concrete but I must confess to buying a coffee and a new jacket at the small gift shop at the falls.  But equally enjoyable was the walk from the marina to the falls.  2 miles of gorgeous farmland was the perfect way to get there and once we arrived the first time, finding too many people to bother with the line to see the falls from behind, we decided to come back the following morning before the first busses arrived.  That was a brilliant idea as the next day visit was the best as these photos will attest. 

All good things…. 

It was with very heavy hearts that we said so long to Kelly.  I joined Kelly on the bus ride back to Bergen trying to squeeze every last moment out of the time we had together.  As always, we felt so happy to have had the opportunity to be together in a way that is unique and special.  Knowing that we will be together soon when we travel back to the US for our niece Kellys wedding to Kyle made this parting easier to manage. 

Ill leave it here for now but stay tuned for more of our Norway summer!