When planning this trip, we made a list of things we might like to see, containing over 130 attractions. Jason has been keeping his eye on one of the tours we wanted, but it kept saying it wouldn’t be open until closer to June 1st, so we had pretty much given up on it. Yesterday, he checked again, and suddenly, they offered a couple earlier days, as the weather has been so lovely. Jason grabbed us 2 tickets, and we jumped on a bus to the pier where our boat to Grip Island would be leaving. 

We arrived early and walked down the main road, but nothing was open except a grocery store, so we got snacks and drinks for the road. We were waiting to board at the pier when a tour operator approached us and offered us a free personal tour of the island. There was a group of about 20 Norwegian-speaking schoolchildren on our boat, and he said he’d do the tour with them first and then take just the two of us after. Bonus, because we didn’t want to go with 20 overactive kids! Once boarded, we quickly got going, moving swiftly through the open waters. 

As we approached Grip, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that we were getting a little bonus today… a side trip to the tallest lighthouse in Norway (at 45 meters tall). He said the water isn’t usually this calm, so they rarely take people to see it. We got a little history lesson while we floated slowly beside it, taking in the full magnificence of it up close. A few minutes later, we docked and were greeted by hundreds of squawking seagulls. 

We leisurely strolled the grounds of this lovely island. Situated just 14 km NW of Kristiansund, in the Atlantic Ocean, it once was a busy centre for international trade. Many years ago, cod fishing was a massive part of life for the locals from February until May. These days, it’s just 44 summer homes that have been restored and are very well maintained, housing about 150-250 part-time residents. We chatted briefly with one of the friendly owners, who was outside sweeping his walkway. 

There was a small museum on the island, but everything was in Norwegian, so we couldn’t read it (although we are learning a lot of the language). 

There were so many photo opportunities here, and it was so peaceful to just wander. 

Back at the boat, we met our tour guide, who shared stories of island life from when the first settlers came in 1470 until modern times. The town has been destroyed many times, either by fire (there is now a volunteer fire station) or horrendous storms that would bring massive waves crashing over the buildings, decimating them. They now have huge breakwaters built to help with that problem. 

We were on the tour for almost 3 1/2 hours. Afterward, we decided to return to the hotel to pick up our car and explore further. There was a free water taxi right next to where we docked, so we hopped on and were dropped off just a short block from our hotel. We jumped in the car and headed towards an old boatyard that still operates but is now also an outdoor museum. It was fascinating to see old boat parts and trade tools from years ago.

Next, we drove to a park, where we walked up the hill to Varden Tower at the top. I’m so glad I got my legs stronger before we left, or I would never have been able to do all the walking and climbing that I’ve done. Once we got to the tower, we had to climb the stairs inside. But it was worth it. The climb presented us with a spectacular 360-degree view of Kristiansund. 

There are so many hidden gems in this city that can be found by searching. Jason is good at finding them. 

It was supper time, and we stopped on the harbourfront for fish and chips. Of course, the seagulls were hanging around for leftovers, and once I was done, I folded my container and set it aside, waiting for Jason to finish. A large gull landed on our table and slowly stepped forward toward me. Suddenly, he lunged and grabbed my container of leftovers, and everything went flying! French fries were everywhere, and I jumped in surprise. He gobbled up as many fries as he could, and another small bird came over and grabbed a few for himself. I tried my best to swoosh them away while cleaning up the mess. That bird had a lot of “gull” to take my food, but I was a little bird-brained to let him do it!

Back at the hotel, we ended the day by watching some TV. Surprisingly, there were quite a few English-speaking channels.

This has been my favourite day so far. I’m not sure how it can get any better.