Actually stealing a bit from a plot!... 'The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy', pertinent in so many ways really!
For today it's about the fjords of Norway! In the TV show back in the 80's slartibartfast was a designer of worlds! And yes he designed the earth and won an award for the Norwegian fjords!
And so he should they're bloody awesome even in the rain!
Another lazy start and I still managed to get to the meeting point for today!
I'm off on a cruise.... Yep it's grey and raining! But I made the right choice of boat.... I'm in an enclosed catamaran! With a bar!
it does have open decks front and back, this is so much better than the Rib (ridged open boat) that another group was getting into.... With wearing glasses and the rain I wouldn't have seen a thing!
For this tour it became rather magical in the rain!
Today they extended their vaffeldagen (waffle day or feast of the annunciation)festivities for us! Sharing loads of free waffles and coffee!
Following the Hagsfjordan past Tingholmen where the unification of Norway was written into law!
hence 'Ting' the Norwegian 'Thing' aka mee'ting'! I love how many links you find in words throughout Europe!
Along the fjord banks are hundreds of holiday homes.... Not sold of to foreigners but held onto by the locals as they should be! and used heavily rather than once or twice a year.... Sensible people here. Under a large single span bridge
and we're in the Lysefyorden! Sheer rock faces of hundreds of meters wall the fjord
with one I can only call it a crevice that the pilot of the boat managed to squeeze us into!
pictures don't do it justice, you really had to crane your neck too look up!
Looking across the fyord the spectral layers of cloud hang over the far bank
as we make our way to pulpit rock, which you couldn't see through the cloud but we were assured was up there!
that may require a trip back in the summer!.. . Well a summer!
Further along the pilot again showed his skill/familiarity by getting the prow of the boat within a meter of Hengjanefossen a rather beautiful water fall
Yep glad I was wearing my waterproof!
Here the tour turns back following the terrain on the other bank, pulling into a small bay at Helleren
there's a story of a troll who failed to teach his cave before daylight leaving his heart fossilized in the rock!
we do love a bit of folk law!
From here back along the fjord to Stavanger passing what we're probably cormorants on low rock islands
before entering the harbour and back into the town, a really nice tour and 63 euros was a good price I think!
I did manage to stand unwittingly blocking the road catching a picture of a compass rose pointing due north along the harbour not realising it was a roundabout !!
a pretty fair mistake to make I think!
A warm coffee called at the coffee shop after I'd dropped in to reserve my seat for tomorrow's train, before one again getting food and finishing the day chilled out at the hostel.
