Early this morning the Pearl entered the Storfjord making a quick stop at Hellesylt to drop off an overland tour to Geiranger. Personally I think they have made a mistake as today the weather is too beautiful for bus travel. At 9am we are all invited to the top decks as we pass though the UNESCO site and the Seven Sister & Bridal Veil waterfalls. Wow!
The snow is still topping the mountains and the air is crisp and clear. Its just heaven on earth. You can also tell where people are from based on how they are dressed. Once again there are only a handful of British people on board. The rest are mainly American or Australian (most of whom tell us Norway's June weather is colder than their average winter. In fact its a very pleasant 20 degrees C) - we are also told the guests onboard this ship amount to over 60 nationalities.
Rainbows on the Knivsflafossen
The Seven Sister Falls (Knivsflåfossen) consists of seven separate streams, and the tallest of the seven has a free fall of 250 metres (820 ft). The mountains themselves topping a whopping 1700metres (5577 feet). That's a mile high!
Geiranger like Flam sits at the end of a fjord - our Captain decides to spin the ship 180 degrees for a smooth exit.
Unlike Flam the water is too shallow alongside the little port so like Nynashamn (for Stockholm, Sweden) a Seawalk snakes its way out to us. The Seawalk can only handle one ship, so you may need to tender at Geiranger if multiple ships are in port.
We are going to follow the fast flowing Storfossen up to the viewing platform. Its a nice well laid out hike that involves a lot of stairs and probably getting wet.
Simply breathtaking views as you climb higher and higher out of the town.
Jack's clinging on with white knuckles as heights are not her thing.
The power and force of the water is simply breathtaking.
The temperature of the water will also take your breath away!
That evening we had an early dinner in the MDR; tonight we will pass over the top of the Shetlands and then have a relaxing break at sea for the next day.
Day 8 - At sea
A second day to relax at sea - and to be honest, not a moment to soon. Lots of reading, a few walks around the promenade deck, and a most excellent lunch in the MDR allows us to regain some energy. Tonight we will point South and head towards Ireland taking a route between the Western Scottish Highlands and Lewis and Harris (if you haven't yet read the Peter May Lewis Trilogy then you really should).
This evening we dine in the Italian restaurant La Cucina. A first for us but I have to admit these were the best fish dishes we had on the entire cruise. A Sea Bass in broth for Jack and a beautiful Red Snapper dish for myself. Service was slightly below par compared to Bistro or Cagneys but the food was excellent - as was the wine. You can also just step straight outside for glorious top deck views of the many Scottish Highland Islands we are currently passing. Stunning stuff.
Oh! and did I mention the desserts are not bad either. Tomorrow Belfast - Northern Ireland.
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