All a-fjord in Norway
Beautiful Scandinavian countryside
Honestly! What were we thinking? Ditching the sunscreen, shorts and sunglasses for hats, gloves and waterproofs felt pretty risky as we swapped our annual winter-sun break for a Norwegian cruise. Our bravery paid off.
On our way north, a quick stopover in Amsterdam let us enjoy a day in the pretty cobbled city, including a trip to Keukenhof (kitchen garden), home to more than seven million flower bulbs, including 800 different tulip varieties.
A lazy day at sea followed. We enjoyed catching up on some reading, taking part in a craft lesson, having pre-dinner cocktails and overindulging at the Waldorf restaurant before finally falling into bed.
Our first port of call in Norway was the ancient village of Eidfjord, gateway to the Hardangervidda, the largest mountain plateau in Europe and one of Norway’s many stunning national parks.
On to Flåm. With fewer than 500 locals, the village nestles at the head of
Aurlandsfjord, part of the mighty Sognefjord. Hopping on board a small electric boat, we threaded our way through dramatically beautiful waterways to the Viking village in Gudvangen, where we tried archery and axe throwing.
After lunch, we left the water for a trip on the Flåmsbana Railway and journeyed up to Myrdal. Still on dry land, we travelled to Olden and then tackled a 700-metre hike up to the Briksdal Glacier. Standing on the side of a glacier overlooking a turquoise lake was truly a breathtaking experience.
The most romantic part of the cruise was a stop at Yrineset in Oldedalen, where owners Magne Andre Yri and Mariann Hilde have created an almost mythical Lord Of The Rings experience at their lakeside mountain lodge. There was great storytelling around a roaring log fire before we were invited to ‘fish’ for beers on the lake. I’ll leave you to find out what that is for yourselves, but there’s no fishing involved and you don’t get wet!
Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Columbus (cruiseandmaritime.com) follows a similar route from Tilbury on 22 July 2019, from £559pp for six nights. Alternatively, Magellan sails from Newcastle on 18 May 2019, from £869pp for seven nights. Drinks and excursions extra.