Day 12 - Eidfjord

Today has two things going for it already: 1) we are in a new town, Eidfjord, and 2) the sun is out.

Wiki: Eidfjord is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. The municipality is located in the traditional district of Hardanger. The town of Eidfjord sits at the end of one of the Hardangerfjord fingers. It is a slow-moving town, known primarily for it's access to Hardangervidda National Park and the Vøringsfossen – a stunning waterfall that falls 597 ft.

Unfortunately, the waterfall is not on the tour. Maybe other cool stuff will be.

Pics from the ship before we go anywhere.

Wiki: In Norway, electricity is primarily generated through hydropower, which utilizes the natural topography of the country's mountainous landscape and numerous lakes to create large reservoirs behind dams; when water is released from these reservoirs, it flows through turbines, generating electricity at hydroelectric power plants, effectively turning the potential energy of the water into usable electricity.

Norway is not in the EU but does trade energy with the EU.

We are driving around the fjord lake so you’re going to get pics of the drive.

There are roundabouts within tunnels! Come on.

Some pics of the Hardangerfjord.

This may be the steepest cemetery in Norway. It slopes up behind a white, wooden church.

More lake pics.

Voss, Norway is a farming community as well as a sport destination: skiing, hiking, cross country skiing, extreme sports. You can try everything from skydiving to rafting. Voss is also known worldwide for Jazz.

Wiki: Voss, Norway has won 98 medals at the Olympics and World Championships, which is more medals per capita than any other place in the world. The small village is home to some of Norway's best athletes and has a rich history of sports and skiing.

Wiki: Voss Church is a parish church in Voss municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vossevangen. The church is part of the Voss parish in the Hardanger og Voss deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The stone church was built in 1277 and it seats about 500 people.

Strangely, churches are closed on Sunday. Congregations are declining in size in Norway, but the guide said people go in on other days.

I caught a picture of the steeple in the fog when we were coming down the gondola.

Martha skipped the church in search of Ritz crackers for me. It was a quick stop and she made it back with one minute to spare. Sure enough the next stop the bus made was right across the street from the Esso station she found down the road. She was not happy about that; but her fitness tracker loved it.

Then, we went up the gondola to ski slopes. We have Northern Europe's largest and most modern gondola lift. It has nine cabins with room for 35 passengers in each cabin. The gondola runs continuously, so waiting time is minimal. 

It was gorgeous and we caught some sun at the top.

There was a bunny slope with a baby ski jump for little kid learners (and maybe big kids too).

Pics from the top and the way down before it got too foggy. We brought clamp-on shoe cleats from Martha’s days of trudging through the snow in DC. But once our trips to Tromso and Alto were cancelled, she packed them away with the Arctic clothes. We didn’t think about the top of the mountain. So, slow and steady wins the race.

The fog on the way back to the ship was crazy thick. Elizabeth, the guide, called it porridge and said she hadn’t seen it this thick in months.

That’s a wrap from Eidfjord. We are back in the Explorer Lounge with wine. I side tripped to the massive hot tub pool on the way.