Geirangerfjord.

We departed Alesund in the early hours of the morning to make the short trip to Geiranger. Following the meandering Geirangerfjord, the ship slowly made it’s way past waterfalls and towering mountain peaks. It is no wonder that this part of Norway has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. As daylight broke we opened the balcony to watch this stunning scenery pass the window. Sylvia couldn’t resist the temptation to go up on deck to view the scene in all its magnificence. I on the other hand stayed in bed.

The small town of Geiranger sits at the end of the fjord and has a population of only 300, but during the summer months will see around 160 cruise ships bringing some 600,000 visitors. 

Unlike yesterday the sky was overcast with the threat of rain at anytime. As a tender was required to reach the shore we decided to stay on the ship until the crowds had disembarked, enjoying a leisurely breakfast while taking in the sights. We were joined by Victoria as Poppy and Oliver had gone kayaking and Joey was in the kid’s club.

Leaving Victoria onboard Sylvia and I went ashore at around 11.30 and passing the tourist shops on the quayside made our way to a large waterfall just outside the town.

A series of steps alongside the waterfall lead to various viewing platforms and although there were fewer steps than yesterday’s climb it was still quite arduous. The photo stops on the way up making it more manageable.

Once at the top we gained magnificent views across the fjord with the mountains beyond dwarfing our ship.

Returning to the ship just before the rain started, we had a leisurely afternoon relaxing in our cabin. The children paid us a visit to show us the latest cuddly toys they had bought.

We pulled anchor and slowly moved down the fjord at around 4.00pm passing deserted farmhouses on the hillsides and more cascading waterfalls.

The captain stopped the ship in the narrowest part of the fjord and performed a 180 degree turn so that we could all see the view in all its glory. Of special note was the waterfall known as the Seven Sisters although due to lack of recent rainfall not all of them could be made out.

Tonight we make our way down the coast towards our final Norwegian port of call, Bergen.