Best of Norway

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Geo: 61.8338, 6.80933

Finally, sunshine. It took a while for the morning mist to clear, but once it did we were treated to blue skies and sunshine for our day in Olden. This was to be my favorite stop in Norway. The port was by far the smallest, but the weather, scenery and adventures of the day made for some great experiences and some already fond memories. Today marked our last shore excursion and early start for this cruise. Up a bit after 7, wolfing down a quick buffet breakfast, and meeting our tour group at 8.15am. Getting off the ship, we could see there really was no port. Olden has a population of 14,000 spread out in homes all over the mountainside, overlooking a lake. Its a picturesque setting, mist cloaking the tips of the mountains around us, dotted with snow.Our destination today was Briksdalen Glacier, the largest and most famous in the Western Fjords of Norway. It was a good 45 minutes drive, but the whole journey was part of the experience. The sunshine helped make the already spectacular more lush, green and clearer. There seemed countless waterfalls trickling down the mountainsides as we drove through valleys. The road wound around crystal clear turquoise blue lakes and country homes and farms before we finally arrived in the vicinity of the glacier. The bus stopped in a beautiful spot by a cafe. Stepping off we were in awe of the waterfall before us. It must have been a couple hundred metres high, originating from a mountaintop above us. The thing is, to my knowledge this grand waterfall was unnamed. Unofficial, not special. Put anywhere in Australia or most countries, it would be a major attraction. Here, it just happens to be one of many spots water or melted snow runs off the mountain. Despite being mostly sunny, mist, maybe even cloud still hides the peaks of some mountains. The sheer enormity of it all is inspiring. We had been looking forward to a good hike. This was nice, but fairly easy, about an hour each way from the bus stop. Half way there, we got our first glimpse of the glacier. Its magnificence was almost otherworldly. The glacier was a aquamarine blue, a large chunk of ice in a crevice in the mountain face, looming over a lake. Its not just ice, its size and colour made it different from anything Id seen before. The colour is attributed to the density of the ice of the glacier. The freezing cold compacts so much to only allow the light to reflect as a brilliant blue. When we reached the end of the track we were within 100 metres of the glacier, by the lake. What a peaceful and calming place. The lake itself was full of floating chunks of ice. You could reach in and grab them. If youre quiet enough, you can stop and listen to the creaking of the glacier, the giant ice cluster which is also moving. We were told 80% of Norways glaciers are in Svalbard, so we will see that soon enough.After a time, we returned back to the cafe by the bus for a quick morning tea included in our tour. It basically included a hot drink and huge variety of delicious cakes on offer. Leaving the area, we headed back towards Olden. Not without delay however, the bus slowly faltering before breaking down in the countryside. By then, the sun was shining brightly, and our unplanned stop merely allowed us a further stroll without any significant inconvenience. Another scenic drive had us back in the vicinity of Olden, the tour leader offering us the option of being dropped at the Old Church for a walk back to the ship. The church was nice enough, and to avoid high costs decided to grab a snack from a supermarket rather than cafe. The Norwegian chocolate bar and local beer can I chose were both delicious, we sat and enjoyed the view of the bay before returning to the ship. We decided to make the most of the weather and lay out on the deck of the ship as we left the port, waving to locals on the shoreline who replied by waving Norwegian flags. More than anywhere so far, I really felt substantial sorrow about leaving Olden behind. I loved this place as much as any i had seen before. Such a beautiful, wild, peaceful and relaxed place, shrouded among incredible mountains and scenery. I hope some day, I will be able to return.

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