Today’s stop aboard the Celebrity Apex is Olden Norway.  Boris and I are actually going on an excursion together.  The two-hour sail in through the fjord on our way to Olden was breathtaking.  Why would anyone want to take a cruise to Norway?  Because there is natural beauty everywhere.  You are surrounded by it.

Olden is a picturesque town featuring many historical sites.  It sits at the tip of the Nordfjord.  You can wander around the town a bit seeing the mix of old and new, maybe making a stop at the Old Church built in 1759 on the site of the original stave church that had sat on that site since the 14^thcentury.  You can also visit the home of American painter William Singer in Olden.

We are using the city as a jumping off point to visit the beautiful area around Lake Stryn.  We had an early departure after our sit-down breakfast.  We passed through Olden and traversed between rugged peaks.  The scenery was amazing.  There were lovely towns and villages, even the boathouses on the lake were charming.  All along the drive were spectacular waterfalls from the melting glacier ice.

One of the things I noted was that many of the structures had a live roof. There was turf, grass, moss or other plantings on top instead of the shingles I am used to.

We made a stop at the Jostedalsbreen National Park Center.  There were fabulous views of the lake, a local church, and in the distance, the glacier.  One of the most wonderful gifts of nature was the mist created by the humidity in the area.  The fog or low-lying clouds made for the most wonderful pictures.

Inside the park center we were treated to the national delicacy, the Norwegian pancake.  It is served with sour cream and jam, rather than the butter and syrup I would see at home.  After enjoying our pancake with coffee or tea, we watched a video about the glacier, the largest in mainland north Europe.  It was made 20 years ago and while much of the information is still accurate, the glacier itself has receded quite a bit in the last two decades.

After leaving the park center behind, we continued up the winding road to a spectacular waterfall and had a photo stop so we could get pictures.  We had been teased with views of the waterfall along the switchback road leading to it.

Our return trip to the ship took us back along the same road.  A lovely couple from Vancouver that sat across from us asked what our ticket read on the way back.  They had paid for view of Lake Stryn from the Loen Skylift in Olden and had been given the wrong tour sticker and had been directed to the wrong bus.  I felt really bad for them, although I had enjoyed their company along the way.  Chris and Stella were a charming couple.  All of us encouraged them to go by guest relations and seek a refund and even a ride to the skylift for an afternoon run up the mountain.

We made it back to the ship and enjoyed a late lunch on the magic carpet that was positioned at deck 14 right by the Mast Grill; think burgers and hotdogs.  After food and drinks on the carpet, we wandered into the solarium and I noted the larger size, the availability of seats, and the amazing views out the two-story windows.  I went back to the cabin and immediately put on my swimsuit and headed back up to deck 14.  The air in the solarium was warm enough to feel comfortable in the suit.  Boris even joined me, and we read while enjoying the view until it was time to get ready for dinner.  We want to get to dinner early so we can get a table by the window and enjoy the sail out along the fjord.

Tonight is the first big production show in the theater.  It is called Crystalize.  It was a strange production featuring singers, dancers, and aerialists.  I am not sure you could say there was a story, and the music was not recognizable, but it was clear the whole show was designed to showcase the new production abilities of the theater from a large, frosted cylinder that descended to the stage (an aerialist performed inside) to the giant screen that created the mood for the set.  I am not sure I could say I liked the show, but it was innovative.  I was impressed by the theater and the performances of the aerialists, particularly the couple.

Tomorrow, we dock in Flam Norway.  This includes another beautiful sail in through a fjord.  The excursion I am most looking forward to is in Flam, a trip up the mountain on their famous railway.  Boris and I are splitting up again.  He wants to go a Viking village.

Until tomorrow…Natasha