We started our morning by sailing down Nordfjord, the sixth longest fjord in Norway, all the way to the village of Loen, which lies 66 miles away at the end of the fjord. It was a slightly overcast day, but we spotted patches of blue sky in the distance while slightly more ominous clouds loomed in the other direction. We used the Zodiacs to reach the dock and split into two groups.
The first group headed towards the Briksdal Glacier, passing through the village of Olden and deep into the valley. They passed a number of beautiful mountains and lakes full of reflections of the landscape. The group enjoyed a wonderful walk up a gravel path, passing waterfalls and streams in the serene birch forest. They arrived to the hanging glacier of Briksdal that now streams down the mountainside into a small glacial lake. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful view of the glacier before returning to the lodge for cakes and coffee.
The second group was off for an adventure to the Kjenndal Glacier. After a short bus ride, they took a wonderful boat trip across Lovatnet Lake. After a short walk, everyone could see the lovely Kjenndal Glacier off in the distance. The group returned by bus and made a few more stops along the way.
Back at the pier, both groups had time to head to the top of Mt. Hoven on the skylift. We took in beautiful views of the entire fjord and mountains in the area. Back onboard, we enjoyed an enlightening presentation by naturalist Clara Fuquen on Nordic Shipbuilding and another presentation by Todd Gipstein, National Geographic photographer. It was our final full day onboard. Many guests took advantage of the afternoon to soak in the views of fjordic Norway.
