Bronnie's Travels: nd August 2011 Geiranger and Hellesyit

^nd August 2011 Geiranger and Hellesyit

An early start to the day, looking outside ,the view is spectacular, steep cliffs rising from the black sea, not a breathe of wind. It is a dramatic sight to behold!

I leave Suzie behind in bed as I take off to go kayaking in the fiord. This is renown as the worlds most beautiful fiord so Im really looking forward to this little adventure.

We go in the tender to the tiny charming town and walk around the village to where the kayaks are moored and here we are given instructions and paired up.

As luck would have it I am paired with a divine Japanese guy who is travelling with his parents who are so stylish and he is too. Susie and I had noted them early on the trip!!

He has a very English accent and was educated in England, went to boarding school but now has lived in New York for 20 years. He is in industrial design. His Dad lives in Hong Kong and his mum in Japan which is interesting. He catches up with them once a year and does a trip which is really lovely. How old he is not sure!! Maybe late 30s or early 40s!

Luckily Manchu has done this before so I let him sit in the back with the peddles and do the rudder, while I sit in the front and set the pace!

About 20 of us I guess as we have 10 kayaks. It is stunning the water is black , the silence only broken with the noise of the paddles hitting the water, the mist over the fiord creating an errie ambience.

This is troll weather so our guide tells us, this is where trolls live, sometimes being stones during the day watching us and when night falls coming out!! Most live underground and they look after the environment!!

Trolls are all over Scandanavia!

Manchou and I have a great time and was very lucky to have been paired with him as neither of us got wet as some got very wet! I think we were a great paddling team!!!

At last now I understand why I was doing trip. The scenery is breathtaking and it continues all day. For 2.5 hours we paddled and believe me my arms are killing me, and I must admit I did start to complain to Manchu as we got closer to home!

We see the magnificent 7 sister waterfalls , and goats who spend the summer on these high mountains, how they climb them is hard to believe!

The farmer lives in a tiny wooden hut by the water and when summer ends the goats come down and he puts them in a boat and brings them back to where Im not sure!!

Back to the ship a couple of drinks poolside as the weather is warm at long last while the ship meanders through spectacular scenery to our next destination of Hellesylt.

As we are heading there another small ship heads towards us, can you believe it is the Discovery the ship John and I spent 67 days on, I feel quite nostalgic in seeing it and wonder if our Mate Captain Derrick is on board!

We moor in the fiord and take the tender ,the sun is shining and we wander around the tiny quaint village of Hellesylt, walking up the hill to look at the beautiful wooden church built around 1850.

A lazy afternoon in the sun! Perfect!!!

Back to the ship

Drink at the bar and Roger the “gentleman host” introduces himself and has a drink then asks if he can join us for dinner. Ok we say and at this point I can tell I think he has a soft spot for Suzie!!!

He is so boring and Susie is being so pleasant and kind to him, Im being a little obnoxious so hope he doesn’t get to interested in us as there are only a few singles on boards and we are the youngest!!! 13 days to go and we don’t want him tagging us!!