I thought this was our best port visit in Norway. Olden is a small, quaint picturesque village about 60 miles deep into the Nordfjorden. The population is only around 666.
Our 3½ tour in Olden was to take another bus ride to the town of Stryn where we would ride another sky lift to the top of Hovan mountain to see a beautiful view of the Nordfjord. Once we got on the bus, we learned that the town of Stryn was only 10 minutes away from where the ship docked. So why was the tour 3½ hours you might ask? Well, the sky lift wasn’t open when we left early in the morning. So, we took a pointless 45-minute bus ride along and around the fjord to a nice grassy area overlooking the water where we got out of the bus to take pictures. Then our bus would turn around and head back to ship stopping in Stryn. By the time we arrived back in Stryn, the sky lift would be open.
What made the whole thing worse was that I drank several cups of coffee that morning and at the end of our 45-minute ride to grassy picture spot, nature was calling. I brought up the issue with our guide and the bus driver and they both seemed stumped. I’m thinking how can they drag all these old people (including me) far away in the morning with no toilet? The driver and guide started talking to each other in Norwegian and, after a lengthy discussion, they told me there were no bathroom facilities nearby. They said the bus would stop about 20 minutes in to our 45-minute drive back.
Now there is usually a bathroom on the tour buses in Europe that the driver does NOT want tourists to use, and this bus was no exception. As you enter up the stairs in the middle of the bus, the small bathroom is hidden on the right side below the seats. While neither the driver nor guide offered the bathroom to me, I took it upon myself to slip into the small toilet space while everyone was standing out on the grass taking pictures and smoking. Problem solved. I don’t think they knew. And yes, the bus did stop 20 minutes later at a store which had a bathroom—and EVERYONE got off the bus to pee, except me.
We finally made it to Stryn and rode the sky lift to the top of Mt. Hoven. The view of the Nordfjord at the top of Mt. Hoven was spectacular. The most stunning of the trip thus far.
We met a couple from New Zealand at the top of Mt. Hoven. They live on New Zealand’s south island, which is where we are headed in November this year. They gave us great tips on the best sites to visit.
Meeting other tourists who come from places that we intend to visit has happened before. Many years ago, while on a tour in Malta in April, we met a couple from Interlaken, Switzerland, which was where we were headed the following October. We were sitting at a table eating lunch and Rebecca had he man from Switzerland yodeling before lunch was over. We immediately became friends. I kind of jokingly said that we would come and visit them in October, they said that it was fine. When we visited them the following October, they picked us up, took us out to dinner, and invited us to their house. We have visited them several times over the years. In fact, on our last visit, they told us how much they loved line dancing. A Swiss couple that loves line dancing! And we’re from Texas. Go figure.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this bit of Norwegian history yet.
The Vikings ruled between 800 and 1100. Between 1100 and 1814, Norway was part of Denmark. From 1814 to 1905, Norway was part of Sweden. Norway has been an independent country since 1905. So Norway is a very new country. Since my grandfather was 100% Danish and my grandmother was 100% Swedish, I think it’s likely that there is some Norwegian in me.
1 thought on “Olden – Day 19 of 55”
lol, you are sneaky going in that bathroom!!
My grandmother was 100% Swedish! I should go visit.