Kristiansund was a beautiful city, but it was time to say goodbye and hit the road again for our next stop, Ålesund. 

Everywhere in Norway takes twice as long to get to as it does back home: there are no straight roads; you are constantly ascending and descending over the mountains; the speed limits are anywhere between 50 and 80 kph; there are many tunnels to go through (brightly lit, smooth, and well maintained and the longest so far has been 6.8 km) and ferries to take; and if that isn’t enough to slow you down, there are the stunning and beautiful views to stop at and enjoy, if only for a few minutes. 

Today’s trip was fantastic. It was the day we planned to do the Atlantic Road, an 8.3 km stretch of highway located in the western part of Norway, consisting of 8 bridges that connect many small islands. It is considered an engineering marvel due to its challenging construction, which took 6 years. There were as many as 12 hurricanes that occurred during the building process!  We went over it on a beautiful, cloudless day, but on stormy days, the waves can be high enough to crash over it, causing the road to be closed. We stopped at many viewpoints to take pictures and walk on the pathways for lovely views across the water.

A short ferry ride took us across a bay, the water sparkling in the sunlight, and we continued our journey. We quickly stopped at a park to stretch our legs and watch some school kids splash in the ocean on a small beach. A side trip up a narrow mountain road took us to a spectacular view overlooking the town of Molde at the end of the Atlantic Road. Jason climbed further up the treacherous rocks, but I had on sandals. I didn’t think it would be safe, so I enjoyed sitting at a picnic table, enjoying the views and mountain air. Later in the day, it was a warm 26 degrees, and I had to sit in the shade. 

Our final and longest stop was in Andalsnesk, where we wandered through some souvenir shops before walking towards the gondola. I decided not to take it, so Jason went up alone and texted me to come up, saying it was breathtaking. I don’t have internet except at our hotels, but he was hoping that I had connected at the restaurant where I told him I’d meet him, but I didn’t, so I missed out. I won’t do that again! He met up with an elderly man who, through his very broken English, told Jason that he had lived here all his life and, as kids, they would hike to the top all the time, long before there was a gondola. He pointed out the crude man-made steps added in a few spots up the mountain.

I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, so we stopped to pick up something at the grocery store to munch on before supper. I got a crab salad that was like a potato salad with crab in it. I took one mouthful, and it was HORRIBLE! Jason tried it and thought it was ok, so it now sits in our fridge, and he said he’d have it on a bun for lunch tomorrow. A couple hours later, we arrived at our hotel in Ålesund and were surprised to find out that it wasn’t just breakfast that we would get here, but also supper–soup and a bun. We unpacked the car before heading for supper, expecting precisely what the hostess said….soup and buns. Well, it was a little more than that. Many types of bread, meats, cheeses, veggies, juices, and a delicious creamed soup… so good and such a pleasant surprise. I headed to the rooftop deck with my computer to write the blog, and Jason stayed in the room. Another lovely day of memories.