We land in Alesund Norway and travel straight to Klippfiskakademiet, a culinary institute/aquarium where we are given a brief tutorial on the barabcoa – a Norwegian white fish that can be salted and dried and basically tucked away under your bed and forgotten for several years, but revived with water and consumed. I remain unconvinced. But lunch is delicious and the aquarium oddly has some adorable penguins (shipped in from South Pole but thriving,) and other creatures.

Then it’s a 2 plus hour drive and a ferry to the hotel Union Geiranger on the fjord. Our guide explains points of interest, like where the last witch was burned, and has funny colloquialisms like “he was an easy one to make a monkey bird” which I think means make a fool of.

We prowl through the hotel, which has an amazing collection of old autos in the basement – cars that the hotel used to retrieve guests form the cruise ships back in the 20s. The entire property was occupied by nazis in WWII and the cars confiscated. But they were later recovered and the few that hadn’t been destroyed or cannibalized for bits and parts restored to their former glory.

The property also has a multi tiered outdoor stairwell outside that runs alongside a stunning waterfall offering views of the fjord with its steep sheer walls formed by glacier. 

The next day we get up early to kayak. The water is smooth and easy to navigate, even with the occasionally passing ferry, and the day warm and sunny. We pass a farm on the shore, where goats roam freely, and are told there is no danger of them jumping into the fjord as goats fear water because they are not ‘water tight’ and in fact water will drown them through their anus – which sounds improbable, but we’ve also heard a bit about trolls and witches since we’ve been in this country, so not arguing.

Later that afternoon we take a pretty walk in the local mountains and see a lot of goats and some llamas and breathtaking views. Norway is all about spectacular scenery and it seems around every bend are greener mountains or more dramatic falls or more reflective fjords.

The hotel has a lovely spa and I get a foot massage while Kevin enjoys the pool. That evening we are treated to an outdoor cocktail hour with some of the best berries I’ve ever had,

followed by some sweet/humorous folk dancing performance by local octogenarians 

and then a dinner served in a traditional dirt/weed roofed cottage. We’ve seen these traditional cottages all over the landscape and apparently it was an early form of insulation – or something else.

Not sure what you can believe in Norway.