At the bottom of the page click on the YouTube link to see the photos.
The last 3 days were a kind of sailing smorgasbord, as the Prinsendam wandered among some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the planet. Islands, little farms with pastures, barns and homes…..every now and then an industrial compound of some type………and everywhere ferries. Another mountain, another fjord! Protected bays and harbors! Quaint fishing villages, secluded coves and anchorages, many of them set in scenery so grand and awesome that it literally takes your breath away.
It was great to just sit and watch the scenery, the water and the clouds. No one bothered me if I didn’t want them too. It’s peaceful and relaxing. That all came to a halt in Molde, where the excursion took us on the number ONE rated road trip in the world – The Atlantic Ocean Road – Atlanterhavsveien, in Norwegian. This fantastic and spectacular road is a very popular tourist attraction, and both locals and visitors use it to go fishing directly from the many bridges.
I love driving adrenaline-pumping “Porsche-roads”, and had rented a car several months ago on the internet. When I checked online 3 days ago, none was available. As a backup, luckily I booked an excursion on the Prinsendam geezer-bus.
(After we docked, I walked over to the rental agency where a rather grouchy, old man opened the cash register and refunded me the money without an explanation. I was fuming with anger. This miserable, washed-out, cranky, old guy didn’t allow me the joy to drive the world famous wild and crazy Atlantic road. Shame on him)!
The bus wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but what we saw blew me away. This zigzagging stretch of a highway goes from island to island right out to where the mainland ends and the ocean begins. It is a stunning piece of engineering that offers unforgettable sights. We stopped in Bud, (yes Bud) a quaint little fishing village surrounded by mountains and of course fjords.
I found it difficult to ride the bus through these amazing sights without stopping when I wanted to, to take pictures. But it might have worked out for the best. Had I waited for the perfect light it would have taken a lifetime to travel in and around Molde. So I just have to keep the images in my memory and keep moving along!
Back in town we saw the same wooden houses and carefully tended gardens as everywhere else in Norway. Same smell of fish, sunscreen and salt in the air. Same $13.00 beer! But what makes Molde different? It lies at the foot of a hill, facing a fjord which opens out on to a magnificent panorama of 87 snow-capped peaks. No, I didn’t count them – sometimes you just have to trust the locals.
While wolfing down that expensive beer I noticed that on “the front line” there are cute, blue-eyed and blond Norwegian gals, and in the back, immigrants cook and clean, mostly from Pakistan and Romania. I guess the tourist season here is short and restaurants and hotels need to scramble like chipmunks to survive the winter. And that must affect the job scene – employees are seasonal. I wonder what they do the other 9 months of the year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OjJ46b7IRQ
Click on the above YouTube link to see the pictures.
The last 3 days were a kind of sailing smorgasbord, as the Prinsendam wandered among some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the planet. Islands, little farms with pastures, barns and homes…..every now and then an industrial compound of some type………and everywhere ferries. Another mountain, another fjord! Protected bays and harbors! Quaint fishing villages, secluded coves and anchorages, many of them set in scenery so grand and awesome that it literally takes your breath away. 
