The Fjords of Norway

The Most Beautiful Places on Earth

Rose Valley.  Nojoqui.  Qualicum.  All names of recent waterfalls I have hiked to.  My head, these days,  is filled with images of white water plunging over vertical cliffs.  I dream about waterfalls.  I plan trips to waterfalls.  I have discovered a new favorite website:  World of Waterfalls, put together by another rabid traveler.  What, you may ask, is she rambling on about?  I thought this post was about fjords.  Well, where there are fjords, there are waterfalls.

It is at this waterfall in Norway where my travel buddy slipped on a rock and disappeared from my sight.  What seemed like an eternity was probably a mere two seconds.  He jumped back up, turned around, waved, and flashed me a big goofy grin.  "That was close," he yelled.  I did not talk to him for the rest of the day.

I like to think of my life as one long string of trips.  Some of the trips are little ones--weekend road trips; others, are epic.  Our trip to Norway was epic.  From Oslo, we took a train to Bergen.  There, we caught a ferry to Flam and I wrote in my journal:  Further on, the outer fjord became quite barren, probably because of the intense winds, but as we got closer and closer to Flam, the fjords grew in height and the passage narrowed.  There were numerous waterfalls and cameras were clicking left and right.

We stayed overnight in Flam, a small village, surrounded by mountains and jade-colored water.  We picnicked by the sea on a meal of mussels, bread and cheese.  The next day we caught the train to Myrdal and it is here where the train stopped so we passengers could get a closer look at the waterfalls.  It is here where my travel buddy fell.

Dreaming.  Reading.  Planning.  That is what travelers do during their "down" time.  Another epic trip is on the horizon.  We are exploring the possibility of going somewhere in South America, a continent we have not yet set foot on.  And in my dreams?  Iguazu.  Iguazu.  Iguazu.  This magnificent waterfalls is calling me.   This time, however, I will take my buddy's hand and keep it firmly clasped in mine.