Welcome to Olden!
I left the ship right after breakfast today and headed to the tour guys on the pier.
There were several options I was considering. I could have taken the little tourist train,
the red open top glacier sightseeing bus, or the blue bus to the Loen Skylift. Combo tickets were also available and since I'm only here once this summer I went with the Skylift/glacier sightseeing combo.
First up, the Loen Skylift.
Loen is just a few minutes away from Olden.
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| Even the view from the Skylift parking lot was pretty |
The Loen Skylift is considered one of the steepest cable cars in the world, taking you from sea level to the top of the 1,011 meter (3,317 feet) Mt. Hoven in just 5 minutes. The ride was so fast my ears popped more than once.
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| I'm heading all the way to the top |
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| Thankfully the cars are enclosed! |
The views from the top were simply spectacular.
People were taking advantage of the hiking trails all around the area.
The mountain was also popular with paragliders. I was lucky enough to watch some in action. Talk about a bird's-eye view of Norway!
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| Run |
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| Run some more |
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| Run and jump |
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| And he's off |
Not too long ago I had watched a cooking show about kanelbullar, a type of cinnamon bun with pearl sugar. I had completely forgotten about them until I stumbled upon some warm ones in the cafe. I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to enjoy the tasty treat while basking in the sun, surrounded by Norwegian fjords.
Since I went up early it was relatively quiet but by the time I left each car coming up was full of people.
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| Glad my car wasn't crowded like this one |
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| Ready to head back down in a nearly empty car. Front row seat for me! |
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| Found some sheep on the way |
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| Getting closer |
At the bottom I caught the blue bus back to the port where I then hopped the red open top glacier sightseeing bus. I climbed my way up to the top level again (yay me) and found it most definitely was the best place to be on a day like today.
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| So much to see in all directions |
Now, I've traveled quite a bit in my lifetime and I have to say today's views were some of the best. Clear waters reflecting glaciers where you can't tell where one begins and the other ends. A variety of homes and farms and shades of green. And, well...I'll just let the pictures tell the story of the beauty of Norway. I have no words.
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| The glacier part of the tour |
Tomorrow is a sea day but if we have Internet I'll be back as it's the Most Traveled Guest Luncheon. Otherwise, see you on Saturday in Tromso!