Before breakfast, National Geographic Orion entered the stunning landscape of Nordfjord. Coastal Norway is filled with a myriad of gorgeous fjords, and this certainly is one of the most dramatic. The sun broke through the clouds, exposing high peaks with waterfalls cascading down as far as one could see. We made it to the end of the fjord, and divided to explore for the morning.
We deployed our fleet of kayaks for a quiet paddle. Others decided on a Zodiac cruise. And we all were able to go ashore as well, for either a steep boulder hike or a challenging bushwhack—both got the blood flowing in the sunshine. No matter what one did, it was easy to be stunned by the beauty. An ice sheet up high led to hanging glaciers, all with massive waterfalls plunging down. In fact, it was impossible to look around without seeing a waterfall. All these waterfalls led down to a raging river working its way into the ocean. Surrounding the shore was a carpet of flowers. This is part of Svartisen National Park and in the rest of the world a national park of this quality would be swarming with people. Here, we were all by ourselves.
As we left the fjord, our Captain took us to approach a waterfall. And approach we did! Many of us got out onto the bow and enjoyed a pristine shower! From there we continued down the fjord, all in preparation for a very special cocktail hour. We went ashore on a tiny island, right on the Arctic Circle. Here, the hotel crew provided champagne and appetizers and the super talented Jaimie serenaded us. What a great way to “cross” the Arctic Circle.
