Enjoying nature by land and by water
By GRACE HOUSHOLDER
Water is to Norway what sunshine is to Florida.
Norway is Europe's rainiest country, and Bergen, on Norway's west coast, is Europe's rainiest city. People in Bergen have 20 different names for rain.
But on a brighter note, water is more to Norway than rain.
Water was the reason Vikings were able to travel thousands of
miles from Norway. First great warriors and then great traders,
the Vikings traveled by sea as far as England, France, Spain,
Italy, North Africa, Russia, Ireland, Greenland and Newfoundland
(in 1002).
Water is what gives Norway its unparalleled beauty. Waterfalls
cascade from majestic mountaintops, descending into mirror-like
lakes or tranquil fjords. Fjords are narrow inlets of the sea
between cliffs.
Many roads end at a fjord or lake. You drive onto a ferry to
continue your journey. The ferries are relatively inexpensive,
very well maintained, have good food service and are a much more
relaxing way of enjoying the scenery than driving on narrow roads
and navigating "Oh, my gosh!" hairpin turns.
Our most memorable boat ride was around the island of Runde,
near Volda.
Despite its beauty, Volda, an out-of-the-way town on Norway's
west coast, attracts few tourists. We visited Volda because it
happens to be the home of Simon Dankel, a dear friend of our
oldest daughter. (Dolly and Simon met two years ago on the Internet
because of their mutual love for an Irish singing group, The
Cranberries.) Simon's parents, Else, a social worker, and Carl,
a builder for Volda, hosted our family of six and a set of grandparents
in their three-story, century old wooden home high on the mountain
overlooking downtown Volda and its fjord.
Like most Norwegians Carl and Else like nothing better than to
be outdoors, enjoying nature. About an hour from their home is
an island, called Runde, that is Norway's third largest bird
sanctuary. The spectacular cliffs house half a million seabirds
of 32 different species such as brightly-hued parrot-like Puffins,
Gannets, Kittiwakes, gulls, eagles, ravens and ducks. 
The Dankels often enjoy hiking on the island of Runde, climbing
to its several peaks for spectacular views over the land and
water. Some of the climbs are steep; others are through grasslands
dotted with sheep.
But the Dankels had never viewed Runde by boat. So in honor of
our visit, they chartered a fishing boat that would, for a couple
of hours, take us into the waters surrounding Runde and allow
us to view the island's cliffs and even enter bird-filled grottos.
The strong wind, choppy water and breath-taking, bird-covered
cliffs made it an afternoon to remember. Our captain told about
birds, shipwrecks, lost treasure and oil spills.
After a wonderful mid-afternoon meal at Runde Kafe, we spent
several hours hiking nearly 1,000 feet above the deep blue waters
that had borne our tiny boat.
It seemed like we had all the beauty to ourselves ... along with
a few sheep and the birds.
With so much scenery, it's no wonder most of the residents of
the sparsely populated country count their riches not by their
bank accounts but by their ability to enjoy nature.
| Return to the Norway Index |
Copyright Kendallville Publishing Company