Cruising the Hardangarfjord out of Alesund, Norway

On our Norwegian fjord cruise on Holland America's Rotterdam, I found the excursions to be quite pricey. So we needed to pick one or two excursions to splurge on and then do some stops on our own. When looking at excursions for our stop in Alesund, Norway, Mr. UR had decided that he wanted to go on a fjord excursion. I wasn't as sure as he was. We would be sailing on two fjords during the cruise and I thought that was probably enough. But upon further review I decided that I agreed - we would probably only be taking one Norway fjord cruise, so let's see those world famous fjords.

On the morning of our excursion we walked to the pier next to our cruise ship and boarded a sightseeing boat that would take us on a leisurely cruise down the Hardangerfjord, from Alesund to Oye. Hardangerfjord is the neighbor fjord to the famous Geraingerfjord (which we would be visiting the next day) The day was misty, gray, overcast and the boat was filled to capacity. We managed to find a seat on the outside deck right before we took off. There was a snack bar on board, restrooms and a narrator/historian who would give commentary on what we were seeing. 

At this point, I wasn't sure if the whole thing was such a good idea. The rain started coming down and the fog was obscuring the views. But the narrator was an excellent touch - he gave commentary on some of the customs of people who live on the fjords or have a boat house here. It wasn't long until we started seeing the scenery that I had pictured before my visit to Norway. 

Our guide told us the boat house owners hold a big party every September when they pull the pots up

And all of a sudden we were deep into the fjord. It managed to stop raining enough that we could go out on the open air deck and take in the views. Then it seemed like a good idea. And a very enjoyable one at that. 

The clouds and rain made for moody photos

 Hardangarfjord is 20 miles long and some of the mountain peaks rise up to 5000 feet. The fjord splits the Sunnmore Alps in two with small villages along both sides of the fjord, some without any road connection.When traveling on the fjord one can really feel small under such towering peaks!

Our trip narrator told us some folk tales from the fjords - and this one in particular. Legend has it that the peaks of the mountains are trolls turned to stone. Today you may have a glimpse of the trolls faces among the rock peaks. (There are more than 200 places, mountains or areas in Norway that start with the word Troll) 

Can you see the Troll's face in the rock?

It turned out to be such a fantastic excursion. Despite the weather, I truly enjoyed a magical time on a sightseeing boat cruising down a lesser known Norwegian fjord. I'm really glad that Mr. UR talked me into going. And I'd love to go back someday and see the fjord in all its glory in the sunshine!

How about you? Have you cruised a Norwegian fjord before?

Linking up with: My Corner of the World at Photographing New Zealand!