Our early morning sail-in to Alesund, Norway reminded us of Rio in many ways. Most notably, the tall, rolling highlands & majestic peaks on both sides of the ship. The difference in location became quickly apparent when we opened our slider…temps in the 40’s, and once some of the rolling clouds exposed the mountain tops, soft blankets of snow wrapped the peaks. Not chilly, but bitter cold. Shortly after docking, a rainstorm blew in to the extent that it was sideways in strength. We hadn’t booked a tour, but instead planned to visit Mount Aksla via Hop-on/Hop-off ourselves. The forecast for the balance of the day was rain…100%...we debated even leaving the ship at that point. Thanks to the Weather Channel, I was able to pull up the local radar and I could see about a 2-hour window of dry conditions (as best I could tell), so off we went…bundled in long underwear with raingear in tow…just in case. I’ve been known to be wrong before – several times if I’m totally honest!
Alesund itself is pretty small – about 45,000 according to locals. The greater urban area adds another 3,000, which includes the neighboring Sula Municipality. There are seven outer islands with residential areas. The second largest island, Ellingsoy, used to be accessible only by boat or by road via Skodje, Skodje Municipality, but the undersea Ellingsoy Tunnel was built in 1987 to make traveling between the island and the town center more convenient. The tunnel is roughly 2 miles long, and they say it was recently upgraded in 2009.
Alesund has the most important fishing harbor in Norway. We learned the town's fishing fleet is one of the most modern in all of Europe. Herring & Cod are the primary fishery business. As well, the area has a large furniture industry. Some well-known household items are manufactured here, though as I write, neither of us can remember what they are. We’ll have to check labels when we get home!
When oil was found in the North Sea in the 1970s, the local fishing fleet ship owners seized the opportunity and rebuilt fishing vessels to serve the infant oil exploration and production industry. Soon they were able to build purpose designed offshore vessels at local shipyards to serve the North Sea oil adventure even better. Today this has become a cornerstone industry in and around the area. In addition, Alesund is a tourist and cruiseship destination, both due to its town center and its proximity to fjords. The Atlanterhavsparken Aquarium is another tourist attraction – we drove past but didn’t go in. In talking with other passengers, most bypassed the facility as well.
Back in 1904, the town was the scene of a huge fire - apparently one of the most terrible of the many infernos to which Norwegian towns, once built largely of wood, have been subjected. Practically the entire town was destroyed during the night, a gale aiding the flames, and the population had to leave the town in the middle of the night with only a few minutes' notice. Only one person died in the fire, but they say about 10,000 folks were left without shelter. After the fire, they sent four warships with materials to build temporary shelters and barracks. After a period of planning, the town was rebuilt in stone, brick, and mortar.
Our primary destination of Mount Aksla, can be reached either by foot or by road. By foot, it’s 418…that’s four-hundred & eighteen…STEPS… straight up to the top, with a few twists along the way! Oh, hell no! Or, you can hop on a comfortable bus and be there at the summit within 20 minutes. You guessed it…the bus it was! I did however, walk down the first 10 steps and take a photo of my shoe on step #408. Just being honest with you. Our last climb was a couple years ago at the Great Wall of China, and we’re still recovering from that! Most of the pics below were taken either enroute to or at the top of Mount Aksla – gorgeous views – would’ve been spectacular on a sunny day, but still very impressive. John Zuerrer, a lifelong friend from Ft. Dodge, Iowa, asked if I’d recommend this trip & destination. Absolutely yes, John. Obviously, this part of the world is unlike any other, as are the people, and we’ve found them all to be very nice in every country. Today, it’s safe, and hopefully it remains nonviolent for the foreseeable future. But pack more wisely than we have – we’re reasonably comfortable, but would’ve both brought more layers in hindsight. The 40’s & 50’s may not sound too bad – but on a ship with high winds & rain, it can get pretty nasty. It’s definitely not your routine Caribbean cruise!
At any rate, we made it back to the ship before the next weather system moved in. We’re now sailing toward Honningsvag, Norway – the northern most city in this part of the world – one of our few remaining bucket list destinations. The Captain says we’re in for more rough weather as we make our way north of the Arctic Circle. And, he says, we can expect nearly 24-hours of sunlight once we arrive…about 48 hours from now. Regardless of weather, once we arrive in Honningsvag, we’ll make our way to the North Cape for photos.
Stay tuned!
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