The Atlantic Ocean Road

On July 1st, we docked in the town of Molde which is known as the “City of Roses” where beautiful fjord views, rolling hills and over 200 mountain peaks create a spectacular natural setting.  Molde was a main cruise port in the western fjords of Norway from the start as Kaiser Wilhelm II visited Molde every year and called the pleasant small town “Nice of the North”.  Today, the town is most interesting because of its superb location on a south slope overlooking the great Moldefjord/Romsdalsfjord and the Romsdal alps around Andalsnes.  This view, the Molde Panorama, includes as much as 222 alpine summits, many of these reach more than 1000 meters above sea level.  The wide Modesfjord/Romsdalsfjord with its many islands and surrounded by alpine summits and little bays and smaller fjords is Norwegian landscape on a grand scale.  During the Norwegian campaign (April 1040) Molde was heavily shelled and most of the town burned down.  The King, cabinet, the general staff, foreign diplomats and Norway’s gold holdings escaped via Molde during the German invasion. 

Some of the many peaks surrounding the town I could see from my veranda

The tour I'd booked with an independent company, Norway Excursions, was called The Adventurous Atlantic Ocean Road.  The Atlantic Ocean Road or the Atlantic Road is an 8.3-kilometer long section of County Road 64 that runs through an archipelago that crosses Hustadvika Municipality and Averøy Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county.  We were bused through countryside which looked a lot like Canada, especially Newfoundland – fitting, I guess, as it was Canada Day.  After just over an hour, we reached the famous bridge on this highway.  We were given about ½ hour to wander around and take photos.  It really is a stunningly beautiful area.  One of the coves there was filled with jellyfish.  

On the way back, we stopped at a fishing village called Bud where the Germans had built a fortress during WWII anticipating an Allied invasion there.  I chose not to visit the hill where the fortress is and, instead, walked along the pier which was very photogenic.

That evening, I wore red and white to dinner for Canada Day.  Luckily, all the people seated around me were Canadians so we had an enjoyable evening.  I didn't make up to the Living Room, the bar on Deck 10 which was apparently decorated with Canadian flags.

Around 3:15, I woke up and looked out my window to see the sun starting to rise; 1/2 hour later, it was stunning.  We were somewhere between Molde and Alesund, our next stop.