This morning we were scheduled to go for a two hour hike to a glacier. When I woke,I checked the weather. 

9C and a huge chance of rain and snow. This photo was taken when the bus stopped for 5 minutes to enable us to take photos of the snow. I was chatting with Liga on WhatsApp and she thought that was hilarious.

I was regarding the hike with grim foreboding. I hate being rained on. 

The water from the glacier retains a blue tint for quite a while after it melts. 

When we got there, I asked Jan how steep the hike was.

“It’s only steep at the start, then it’s flat,” he replied.

I decided to do the walk and not take the train. How bad could it be?

Bonsais on top of the rock, just like in Japan!

Fortunate Frogdancer struck again. As soon as the bus pulled up, the rain stopped.

When we reached the glacier, the clouds lifted.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. First we had to get there.

That path was STEEP. There were only two good things about it. There was only one section with steps, and at least the scenery was beautiful. 

This waterfall was making the most of its freedom. Imagine being frozen for hundreds, if not thousands of years? Each water molecule was going nuts.

I almost wished that I was here in the 1700’s. It would have meant that the walk would be over now… I continued the uphill climb.

At the turn off to the railway I saw Jan standing there, fresh as a daisy. He’d taken the train up! 

Livid, I was. 

“I thought you said it was only steep at the beginning?” I said.

He laughed and waved his arm forward. “It’s flat from now on.”

A few steps further, and we saw our first glimpse of Briksdal Glacier.

Thank goodness I brought Wanda. I needed a drink. That path was steep. But Jan was correct – it was easy from that point on.

This glacier has definitely shrunk.

I thought this was the end point. I made it!

However, it turned out that we still had a bit to go. Off I set again.

I told Mum I’d take a photo of Dad’s Riley hat in the snow, and I figured a glacier was close enough. For those not in the know, Riley cars were made in England for decades, finally finishing up in the late 60’s.

Look at this wonderful place. On the left, directly below where the glacier ends, is a waterfall. The blue of the pool of water below made me happy. And yes, I am in this photo. I made it. This time for real.

Blue ice again! How lucky can one woman be?

This is the view when I swung around to see what the glacier would see, if it had eyes.

We stayed here for around 10 minutes, then we headed back down to the bus. We have a ferry to catch.

The views coming down the hill were just as good as the ones going up.

Then it was off for a 2 hour bus ride to the ferry. As soon as we got in the bus, the rain began again.

Ten minutes before we reached the ferry, Jan warned us that we could only eat food on the ferry that was bought there. So I quickly unwrapped the sandwich I’d made at breakfast and ate it, and a hard boiled egg, on the bus. Prices for food are still pretty high. Ready- made sandwiches cost anywhere from $16 – $20, so I’ve been making lunch from our breakfast buffets.

When we reached the ferry stop, I bought the girls’ Christmas presents. I like buying souvenirs, but I don’t want to fill up my house with a lot of crap. Buying Christmas and birthday presents scratches that itch, and kills two birds with one stone.

This ferry crossing wasn’t as pretty as the last one. The rain didn’t help.

This waterfall is called The Seven Sisters. Every time I counted, I got a different number of sisters.

Ferry directly in front of a waterfall.

Then we were on the road again, heading for Alesund.

We stopped by the side of the road to take this photo. We weren’t the only ones.

Alesund. I went out looking for a supermarket and bumped into Jan and an older couple. They asked if I wanted to go for a beer or wine. Well, they mentioned the W word, so I was in.

Interesting couple. The guy was very like Dad, in that he constantly watches WWII documentaries and refuses to hand over the remote control, AND he’s also a collector. Dad collected cars and watches. This guy collects guns.

Yikes.

He has over 300 weapons. In Australia.

The supermarket was closed while were were in the pub, so I went out to dinner with them. This meal and tiny wine cost $90 AUD.

Dad joke of the day: