Being Tourists

This weekend, Emily, Jon, Sam and I went on a trip to one of the biggest tourist attractions in Norway:  Geiranger.  It is a town famous for it fjord, with mountain rising up all around it.  We did not however, visit during the high season.  During the summer, a massive cruise ship brings people to the tiny town, dependent on its summer guests for survival.  We saw the old 1927 Buick that the fancy hotel used to use to pick up the passengers from the boat and bring them into town.  But we seemed to be the only guests and it was hard to imagine a big cruise ship in the little fjord.  The mountains shoot out of the water to great heights but the width of the fjord is not so great.  It was another fantastic trip and we weren't shy about being tourists.  We wound up with a lot of photos from this weekend!

We rented a car and took off from Trondheim.  It was not long before snow started falling. 

 

The car in the snow.

Me, Emily, Jon

We had not planned a place to stay but we were lucky

and found one in our favorite town, Lom.  

The rooms were in the place where we usually get tacos and pizza with Bodil.

Relieved, we had some tea and hot chocolate in the cozy hotel.

Breakfast in the morning at our hotel.

Jon and I enjoying a snowy Lom morning.

Why are we always in Lom??  Don't know.  But its a cute town.

Beginning to feel like home.

We started our drive to Geiranger.  Things were pretty tame until the buildings started thinning and we found ourselves surrounded by snow covered mountains.  

We got out to enjoy the view.  It was a bit windy.

Sam, Jon and Emily

The road that lay ahead of us.

Emily and Sam

Emily enjoying the view, the sunshine and the wind.

Windy road.

We started dropping below the snow line.  

Me, Sam, Jon.  We are standing on the old road that people traveled until

1989!

Jon, Sam, Emily and I

Then we set about exploring the area.

Sam, next to the tourist building.  We showed up a little late

to go inside.  It closed in September.

Jon and Sam above the town.

Me, Emily and Sam

We found some post cards of Geiranger and we kept trying to find where the pictures on them were taken.  We never managed to figure it out so we just took a lot of other pictures to make up for it.  

Me

Jon, Me, Sam and Emily above the fjord.

Emily, Sam and I

I'm petting the little horses.  They were friendly and came over to say hello.

Me, Emily and Jon

Me, Emily, and Sam.  "Does that look like the post card??"

I think I see where they took the post card from from... just down there!

wrong again - too many trees in the way.

Sam

The town with its Fjord.

Relaxing in the grass.

Hanging out with Snowplow Peter.

  

Snacking and looking back at Geiranger from across the fjord.

Sam and I.  Geiranger can be seen in the distance.  Goodbye!

Behind me are the seven sisters, seven thin waterfalls side-by-side.

Sam and Jon

VW - Let it take you on a tour of its natural environment.

At every turn, we were met by more breathtaking moutains.

We wait for the first of the four ferries we were to take during the entire trip.

Me, Emily

Emily, Me, Sam

Waiting on the docks.

It looks kind of late.  It was 3:00

On the boat.

Waiting for the next one.

And we found our cabin in Christiansund.  We did alright on lodging considering we didn't have much of a plan.  Two good spots!  We woke up early, ready to hit the road.  Unfortunately, it was Sunday and Norway doesn't really run on Sundays so we couldn't pay until ten o'clock.  We drove around town, checking out the boats and the islands it was time to pay and to catch the next ferry.

I peak out from a playhouse near our cabin.  I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland

when Alice eats the cake that makes her grow too big in the White Rabbit's house.

Cruising along the coast of Christiansund as the sun comes up.

The sun shines as we go under the bridge on our final ferry trip and 

head towards the Atlantic Route, away from Christainsund.

The famous bridge on the Atlantic Route.

Emily and sam

Doing my favorite activity.  Was this water at Mere Point recently?

Emily

Sam and I

Emily and Jon

Sam is going to join them.

The crew in front of the bridge.

Emily and Jon plan our next move.

Emily, Jon, Sam and I on the other side of the bridge.

Jon decided to pull over at a nature observation spot.  

I am checking out the geese.

Emily balancing on one of the rocks making up a massive spiral.

We are not sure what it was doing there.

Another really fun weekend exploring Norway.  Time seems to fly by here.  I can't believe I only have less than a month to go.  They have already been selling Jul Brus in stores for a month now!