They called it "Norway in Miniature"

I am beginning to understand why I like Iceland and the north of Norway and I think its down to three things;

1. We've moved above the Arctic Circle and therefore the tree line.

2. The geology and weather are very different.

3. The light is so very different it gives the impression it's a different sun to that which shines further south.

I can understand why so many artists go there to look and then fail to return to their original home. It has a quality which, unless you experience, you just can't appreciate. 

If I was much younger and could work and therefore make a living I would be sorely tempted by Alta or Honningsvåg. The harshness of the weather creates a group of people who just say it as it is and I like that.

So, to today and our final trip out.

It was interesting to see this part of Norway and to travel the New Atlantic Road ( signified here by a cup and saucer). 

Halfway along there's a cafe and the island it sits on has a metal pathway which circumnavigates it. It was extremely beautiful here. 

Not far away were two sea eagles and a fat heron stood patiently in the rock pool. Some of the 'wild' sheep had been spotted in the area and two deer made a dash for it in front of our bus. I wondered if they were playing chicken but the bus was rather far away. 

We drove all the way round a fjord and she was proud to point out all the fish farms. 

Ironically I'd just finished reading some research which shows the incidence of sea lice amongst farmed fish is epidemic and they're having to add vast quantities of antibiotics to the fish food to combat it. There is growing resistance to antibiotics in the sea lice and sadly many fish escape; does make me wonder what happens to the wild populations. 

Anyway, back to the tour. 

I was sitting on the left if the bus so enjoyed mountains (up close),  small fields, trees and the occasional houses. The right hand side of the bus enjoyed fjord panoramas, what she was talking about and up and coming places.

What's it they say, wrong time, wrong queue? That's me but hey ho.

We also stopped at a stave church one of the oldest known. It's made using a series of trees trunk which are buried into the ground so the stand up, then timbers are cut into them to act as horizontal runners. The building is the constructed on top of this. Presumably this keeps the wood off the ground for the most part and explains why such an old church building, made of wood and built around 1630 - 1633 is as whole as it is.

I have some pictures of it and will post them when I get home. The inside was mist interesting.

So mad scramble for lunch which they held open for us thank goodness and now I'm finishing this missive ready to proof read then post. (done)

We set sail at 4pm which is in about 30 mins so no time to look around on this trip ... maybe when I come back.

Now it's time to settle back for two more days at sea, then home.

As a post script I went onto the balcony to take some photographs and saw this:

Says it all really 😏😊