Aalesund and Its Islands (July 2, 2011)



Aalesund, Norway

 At last we are getting more securely into this time zone. I managed to sleep until 5:00AM this day and Mike slept even another hour. We were passing through choppy seas this morning as we came further north up Norway's west coast toward today's port of Aalesund. The captain had warned us last night that we would be sailing into winds that would rock us a bit more and suggested that we secure our belongings before going to bed. Though there was a good bit of pitching and rolling, it was not enough to make anything fall over. I did see one low-slung ship off our starboard side that seemed to be wallowing in the waves rather more than I would like to experience.

The coast here is rocky and somewhat wilder looking than we've seen thus far. It reminds me of the Scottish coast somewhat and, then again, of Alaska. As we came into the islands, the more protected waters are calmer and the mountains rise into the clouds above narrow lowlands along the shore. These hills initially showed fewer of the steeprocky faces we've seen, with more thickly wooded slopes, though without the really tall trees we saw in the valleys around Flaam. Though a cloudy day is predicted, the sun peeped out occasionally as the day began.

No walk this morning, but we expect to do a lot of walking throughout the day in this area. The Sojourn has the best room service ever, arriving with our tea within ten minutes of our phone call this morning. We have found the service and quality of food and beverage to be very good and the staff is always pleasant and eager to help with whatever we want. Last night our cabin stewardess, Mihaela, left us a towel shaped to resemble a little dog--she's really sweet and was excited that we appreciated her efforts.



Godoey Light

 In fact, there was not so much walking, but as we visited the islands of Giske (pronounced Yees-ka) and Godoey, there was ample opportunity for exercise. I climbed the lighthouse on Godoey.  The light sits atop a small wooden building with several flights of stairs, more like a ladder, that took me up to an outer deck where the ferocious winds blew me against the side of the building. The steps were so narrow and there were no handrails on the upper stories, so coming down was actually more daunting than going up. I would say that the view was worth the effort, but, in truth, the island was so flat and the lighthouse so small that there was little difference in the view from the top, only the joy (?) of having abused myself to get up there.  Then there was the moment when I rounded the upper deck and thought for just a moment that I would be blown over the rail!

The lighthouse was a morning tea stop for us where we were served pancakes and chocolate cake. (No worries here about too many carbs, it seems.)  Tourism is keeping the historic lighthouse maintained.  The arts and crafts sold here are quite expensive as a part of the effort to preserve the structure. Postcards were priced at $5 each!

This is really a beautiful, if windswept, place on Norway's coast. Aalesund spreads across seven islands connected by a series of bridges and tunnels. The tunnels go deep beneath the fjord through the rock of undersea mountains. Because of the weather here, especially the fierce winds coming in from the sea, tunnels are better for cars than bridges. One bridge still in use must sometimes be closed due to bad weather. One can easily imagine how precipitous a crossing it would be over the low bridge in blowing snow with high waves crashing over the roadway!  Norwegians live in a part of the world where nature is not always kind. They have cleverly adjusted to their environment, finding ways to make the most of the natural beauty without risking more danger than is good for them.

Giske Church

We visited a small church on Giske. It is made of marble, but the exterior has been covered over to protect it. We couldn't go inside because the interior is being repaired. The islands have, since they have become more accessible through the tunnels, become popular spots for commuters, but land and housing on them are expensive.

The town of Aalesund has, our guide tells us, been voted by Norwegians as "the most beautiful city in Norway."  Devastated by a fire in 1904 when most of its buildings were wooden, the city was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style. Its buildings, therefore, are beautifully decorated, both with designs on facades and around windows and doors and with wrought iron balconies. One hotel has onion domes on its corners. Some of the buildings are painted colorfully and their reflections in the water below are like rainbows.

Rainbow of Colored Houses

In one beautiful neighborhood overlooking the water, we stopped to photograph a traditional Norwegian home roofed with turf. This particular place is being protected for its historic significance, so the people who live in it are not allowed to make any changes without permission. It's a charming place, but the guide indicated that the residents have to be willing to do without many modern conveniences to live there.

We spent some time at an overlook where it's easier to appreciate the charms of this place. It is difficult to get oriented here because the roads wind through tunnels and many times we were doubling back and twisting around the hills to get from one place to another. The hilltop park around the overlook is very popular with locals who exercise on its paths.  Then there are the tourists (like us) who flock here in summer. I found less expensive postcards at the shop there.  Portions of the German fortifications from World War II remain in the park, a grim reminder of the Nazi occupation. Norwegians are proud of their resistance movement during the Occupation.
We were tired when we returned to the ship from our tour, so opted to relax on board the ship rather than wander around town on our own. The evening was just warm enough so that we could enjoy dinner on the pool deck as we began sailing away from Aalesund. We struck up a conversation with a Belgian couple, first talking of sports and laughing when our Belgian friend said that football is not so popular in his country, but that their national sport is "tax evasion."

We traded stories with Dirk and Christine for awhile, discovering that they once owned a condo in Florida and came to the U.S. often. When it got too cool outside, we went up to the enclosed Observation Bar (one deck above the bridge) for drinks. As the captain had warned us, the wind was strong and there was a lot of motion from the waves. Fortunately, none of us were bothered, so we enjoyed the evening.

Island Marina

                                                                           All photos by Mike Lumpkin