Top of Norway

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As this is being written we've been at Jorpeland (a few miles north of the Pulpit Rock) a couple of hours following our 575 km trek from Oslo. So yeah that number of km only transfers to 357 miles, so about a five or six hour drive, right? Well no, it was a little under eleven. We left Oslo on a limited access four lane and made great time-Google maps must be wrong with the time we concluded. About an hour later the fun began, only two or even one lane roads with the one laners intended to carry traffic both ways. Shades of Lake Como Batman! Yes Gary and Lu, you too will experience the fun of Como roads.

Some of the most difficult driving was crossing the highest points (top of Norway). Folks stop to let someone pass, which we did often as we trembled. Yet the fjord areas refused to be out done. Here we find the narrow roads directly adjacent to fjords and varying in width as the solid rock allows. While all of Norway has tunnels (they eschew simply blasting the earth), this area is replete with them. Actually we often anticipated tunnels as the road was wider.Yet even with the blue knuckled driving the scenery compensates, as we will demonstrate. We even "got" to ride on an actual Norway ferry, our first of many.

Bit of a postscript; we had intended to include Preikestolen in this post-no way. This may be the most amazing land feature we have ever seen. At this point we intend on one post covering the trek-over four miles and one devoted to the rock itself.

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Photos

Voringsfossen
Our first Norwegian waterfall. It was a thunderous child falling just under 600 feet. HP wanted to include a picture of the area to the right, but Bird said too many already. Okay!!

Svandelsfossen
The most unique waterfall of the day. Two falls passing under the roadway. What happens in winter with the spray forming ice on the road. We don't know but perhaps the roadway is heated. There were a ton of other waterfalls that we happened upon, but again that scrooge Bird exclaimed too many, so only these two.

Farm
Look closely to the lower left where you will notice a small relatively flat area adjacent to the fjord. Norwegians colonized these areas even before the Vikings to eke out a substance living. Well, not so much subsistence today.

Lake Country
As we traversed the top of Norway we passed innumerable small lakes and ponds. This is one. Cute. This and the next two pictures are at the top of Norway.

Mary Kate's Sweater?
A ton of sheep were at the top of the drive, wandering free beside and on the road as well as the mountainsides. Bird wonders if MK can locate a Norwegian sweater made from their clippings.

Norwegian Vacation
Norwegian business close down in July, and we think part of August, to visit their summer cabins like this one. Looks idyllic, yet it is an enormous distance from anywhere and, as far as we could discern, no power.

Real Ferry
Recall the ferry from Sweden to Denmark with shopping areas and restaurants? Well this is the real thing in Norway. We will be on many. BTW, notice the old Cadillac in front of Bird and our car. We don't know where he is from, not Norway, but he is the first person we have encountered who does not speak Queen's English better than most Americans.

Jorpeland
View off our balcony, a six minute drive from the Pulpit Rock. Here only one night-big mistake.