We commence our expedition on National Geographic Explorer in Norway, literally following the water highway north exploring fjords and communities along our way, pausing for spectacular scenery and wildlife.
Norway is perhaps the one country in the world most associated with fjords, and in fact the word fjord is the internationally recognized word for a glacially carved U-shaped valley. Norway’s coastline contains so many fjords, that if you were to follow the edge where the sea meets the land you would have traveled the equivalent distance of halfway around the world. Additionally, if you circumnavigate each of Norway’s many islands you now have traveled the equivalent of one and a half times around the globe.
Early morning found us docking at the small pier near the quaint village of Olden. Local guides shared that there are about 200 inhabitants of this picturesque Norwegian farming community tucked in Briksdalen. There are 22 small farms that still raise cattle and sheep. Winding up the narrow fjord by coach, we passed one of the largest employers in the valley, a water company that bottles water from the glacier and exports it throughout Norway and other countries in Europe.
Surrounded by cliffs towering over 6,000 feet above us, we wound our way to Briksdalsbre Fjellstove and from there started our scenic walk along the river towards the glacier. Water, water everywhere, in all its forms. Mountaintops were covered in snow and ice, the silt-laden, glacier-blue Olden River ran beside us, and misty white clouds mixed with sunshine blanketed the scene. Numerous waterfalls were channels for melting ice and snow to reach the rich and fertile valley floor.
As we approach the Arctic Circle and the summer solstice, the days are growing longer. The land of the midnight sun beckons us.
