Days of the waterfalls

We now know where the word 'single' comes from. It must be a Scandinavian word. Single = free (or still available). The not yet full huts or campsites are marked accordingly.
After the incredibly great experiences, we slowed down the pace a bit. That's why our blog was a bit quieter. But everything in order...

06/03/2023 Saturday
We followed road No. 13 to Odda. Our destination was Rosendal. Rosendal is located on the Hardangerfjord. The Hardangerfjord is known for its orchards. At the moment, the trees are just blooming and have many similarities to Lake Lucerne, just a few sizes larger. We almost felt at home. The parking space in Rosendal was completely overcrowded, so we retreated to the mountains and found a great, lonely place with a view of the lake. Could enjoy the sun until 9:45 p.m.

06/04/2023 Sunday
We stayed one more night. We wanted to explore the area a bit, but we couldn't find any circular routes. We decided to walk along the road to the next valley, where we encountered another reservoir. We simply enjoyed the day and were able to have dinner in shorts.

06/05/2023
The weather forecast for this day was promising. Reality looked different... It was cloudy and cool. Nevertheless, we did our short hike in Rosendal. We were quite fast on the way. After the hike, we drove along road No. 13 and 7 again. The destination was a campsite between Eidfjord and the Voringsfossen waterfalls, which is beautifully located by a lake.

06/06/2023
Today we were planning a hike on the adjoining Hardangervidda. First we visited the very impressive Voringsfossen waterfalls. Then we hiked for 4 hours through marsh areas once again. Currently, a lot of meltwater is coming from the mountains, which made the trails in the higher areas quite muddy. But it makes the rushing streams and rivers all the more interesting and impressive. Our hiking shoes were thoroughly washed inside and out. They probably need to be waterproofed. Reto was only wearing trekking shoes and no waterproofing would help because the water ran into the shoes from above.

06/07/2023
We enjoyed the beautiful Route No. 7 along the Hardangerfjord once again. The similarity to Lake Lucerne is really astonishing. So that we could still see the Hardangerfjord from above, we took a short hike to Alm Klepp. The view was fabulous.
Then we continued towards Bergen.

06/08/2023
Bergen, the city of rain, we fortunately visited in sunshine. And an absolute record so far on our trip, we spent a full 5 hours in a city :-) (we are not city people). Bergen offers a lot. First we took a funicular up to the viewpoint Floyen. We really liked the visit to Bryggen (old town). The souvenir shops probably drove away the locals. At the famous fish market, we stocked up on smoked salmon and mackerel for our dinner. Bergen is recommended, we really liked the city.
The subsequent search for an overnight spot was a bit difficult. We eventually found one - next to a manure barrel - but we didn't care. However, the persistent unpleasant smell surprised us and upon closer inspection, we found a manure silo 20 meters further down (somewhat hidden). But this didn't really surprise us, as we both grew up on a farm.

06/09/2023
We continued our journey to the famous hotel via Stahlheim, which offers an incredibly beautiful view into the narrow valley. From Stahlheim, we drove along the longest (205 kilometers) and deepest (1,303 meters) fjord, the Sognefjord. It branches out into many smaller arms, such as the Auferlandsfjord, which we also visited on the same day.
First, our journey took us to Flam. Flam is known for one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. We decided not to take it and instead enjoyed the fjord and the small village.
We continued to Auerland and did not drive through the longest tunnel in the world (24.5 kilometers), but took the pass road Auerlandsvegen. Above the viewpoint Stegastein, we found a quiet and cozy spot.

06/10/2023
Today we put on our hiking shoes again and hoped for a mud-free hike. The goal was a great viewpoint on the Auerlandsfjord, Royrgrind. We were able to have lunch at our beautiful spot and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun and the peace and quiet. Occasionally, sheep visited us.

06/11/2023
Today's drive took us over the Gamleauerlandsvegen. We saw many impressive waterfalls. The next destination was the oldest and still preserved stave church in Borgund, including a visitor center. Here we learned more about the history of stave churches. Afterward, we drove back to Laerdal, where we took the ferry and headed towards Leikanger. There we found a small, pretty campsite.

06/12/2023
After many beautiful and warm days (up to 27 degrees), it was cloudy and slightly rainy again today. We continued on FV613 to Forde. Despite the cloudy and partially humid weather, we still went for a short walk to the Likholefossen waterfalls. Norwegian for beginners: Fossen are waterfalls.
We spent the next night on a parking lot by a lake, as an exception.

06/13/2023
Today, we had two goals: 1. buying wine in Sandane, 2. being at Geirangerfjord as early as possible. In Norway, wine and spirits can only be bought in special alcohol shops.
Before buying wine, we visited Triffelskogen, which is a hiking and recreation area with various waterfalls and a Vita Parcours-like activity course. We didn't do the Vita Parcours, but the hike with around 1,000 steps.
After buying wine, we drove on VF60 and road No. 15 over the passes to reach Geirangerfjord. On the way, we also visited the summer ski resort Stryn, where a chairlift is still in operation and skiing is still possible. At an elevation of 1,060 meters above sea level.
We drove up to the viewpoint Dalsnibba in Geiranger, for which we paid 300 NOK road tolls (about 25 CHF). The view of Geirangerfjord and the surroundings was unique.
In Geiranger, we managed to secure one of the last spots at the campsite. We were lucky that a huge cruise ship 'Mein Schiff 1' was stationed in the harbor and also set sail in the evening (about 4,000 people on board, including 1,000 crew members, almost 316 meters long and 61 meters above water with a draught of 8.5 meters). It was very impressive to see such a colossus sail out in this setting.

06/14/2023
We quickly grabbed the front spot at the campsite and extended our stay for two more nights. We used the day to clean Oski and to take a fast boat safari to admire the impressive backdrop of Geirangerfjord. Including the waterfalls of the 7 Sisters, which can only be seen with so much water for a few weeks a year. After that, we took a little village walk and visited the Geiranger waterfalls. On the way back, we could admire the Austin Healey vintage cars. The 6th European meeting took place in Geiranger, where Swiss people were also present. We enjoyed the sun and the warm temperatures on our beautiful and unique spot until 9:45 p.m.

06/15/2023
Today, we went on a 4-hour hike to be able to admire Geirangerfjord and its surroundings from a different perspective. The ascent in blazing sun made us sweat quite a bit.

06/16/2023
Instead of taking the ferry for the onward journey as originally planned, we decided to drive over the Trollstigen Pass to the vicinity of Andalsnes. Here we parked Oski for 2 nights.