Cruising back to normality
The cruise industry is getting shipshape, ready to set sail again after the coronavirus crisis. NIGEL HEATH says a fjörd focus is an ideal introduction
WE’VE been cooped up in our homes for what already seems an eternity – and we’re yearning for Mother Nature’s wide open spaces.
And although cruising will be a different experience when voyages return, it offers an ever-changing view of the world’s wonders.
Before the pandemic struck, we cast off from Dover on a passage of discovery, that would include visiting a bar full of ice sculptures inspired by international artists.
But first we had a 500-mile North Sea voyage to Bergen onboard the classic Fred Olsen cruise ship MV Boudicca.
Surrounded by mountains, this small coastal city is the gateway to Norway’s famous fjörds, which my wife Jenny and I had never visited.
It would be fun to plunge into sub-zero temperatures in that ice bar I mused while relaxing by the pool on a blisteringly hot afternoon.
But our port talk host sounded a note of warning when he mentioned that Bergen, being so close to the mountains, has an average 240 days annual rainfall – it’s the only city in the world where he’s seen a vending machine for umbrellas!
And it was raining when we arrived, but now in holiday mode, there was no way we were going let a drop of water dampen our spirits.
It was a short waterfront walk to the town centre where we were amused to find a café handing out free plastic ponchos to customers.
We sampled cod fishcakes, a local delicacy, in the quayside fish market, served up in a greaseproof bag and looking for all the world like mini-crumpets.
Then it was on to that ice bar to admire the carved sculptures while sipping a highly alcoholic drink, made from wild strawberries, out of goblets – made of ice, of course.
An overnight voyage found us sailing towards the small village of Hellesylt, a UNESCO World Heritage site at the head of Sunnylvsfjörden. Stepping out onto the deck, it seemed as if I had been transported back to an earlier voyage through New Zealand’s spectacular Doubtful Sound with its waterfalls and towering peaks shrouded in low cloud – Norwegian fjördland in truly atmospheric mode.
We joined other early risers on the curved deck above the bows, watching the mountainous scenery unfold before us as MV Boudicca nosed her way slowly up the narrow waterway.
Hellesylt, dominated by a spectacular waterfall, was the starting point for our scenic drive through forest and farmland to the Stranda Mountain Resort.
Here we took a cable car to gain stunning views over the neighbouring Storfjörd and Sunnmore Alps, and feasted on waffles topped with sour cream and strawberry jam.
The sun burst through the clouds on our return to reward us with a glorious afternoon but we sailed away from Hellesylt with some gloomy news.
The forces of nature, it seemed, were slowly conspiring to sweep away this tiny community and neighbouring villages.
A deep fault is developing in a nearby mountain that will cause it to slide into the fjörd in around a hundred years, causing a giant tsunami, we were told.
We spotted a tiny monitoring station high above us while dining alfresco beside the pool as we sailed back along the fjörd, passing the spectacular Seven Sisters waterfall, bound for the open sea.
Arriving in the small town of Olden the following morning, another spectacular experience was in store with a scenic valley drive beside sparkling turquoise meltwater lakes towards the Briksdal Glacier and national park.
This ice sheet is just one small arm of the mighty Jostedal Glacier, the largest in Europe.
We parked in woodland and took a stunning 45-minute climb on a good path beside a raging white water river with its thundering roar in our ears and spray dampening our waterproofs.
Emerging through the trees, we found a small meltwater lake with the glacier perched high up on the rocks in front of us – but this was not to be the big photo opportunity.
For the high mountain views and sunlit rainbows now dancing in the spray from the roaring river and waterfalls made an equally stunning spectacle as we retraced our steps to the visitor centre with time for coffee and cakes.
Back at the ship, we lunched beside the pool and spent the rest of the day and entertainment-filled evening in relaxation mode.
After another overnight voyage we arrived at the tiny picturesque town of Flåm at the end of the
Aurlandsfjord, and to yet another memorable highlight of our cruise.
For this is the start of the Flåm Mountain Railway, rising some 3,000 feet via 20 tunnels through some of Norway’s most spectacular mountain and fjördland scenery, and said to be one of the world’s top 10 railway rides.
More excitement was in store when we cast off again in the early evening to cruise through Norway’s narrowest fjörd the Naeroyfjörd on our way to Stavanger, our penultimate port of call.
Here, we moored opposite the old quarter with its picturesque wooden houses, so quaint that some tourists have adopted the annoying habit of peering through people’s windows and even walking into private flower filled gardens.
All too soon, it was time for our final fjörd cruise to Eidfjörd and another spectacular morning’s drive up onto the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, the largest in Europe, and to enjoy more breathtaking views over the Halne Lake.
On the way we called in at The Fossli Hotel, where Edvard Grieg stayed several times, and fourth generation family owner Erik Garen showed us the piano used by Norway’s most famous composer.
Then it was back to the ship to begin our day-and-a-half’s return voyage to Dover, with ample time to relax and reflect on a most memorable holiday.