Day off in Geiranger

Today the rain has gone and it’s mostly sunny and warm. After breakfast we wander around the water-front taking in our new surroundings. We have planned a day off, and having heard of an outfit that runs downhill mountain-rides “From Sky to Fjord” – we find the store – it has several flat screens showing the highlights of the trip – only problem is – there’s no one here! We give them an hour to show, but nothing doing – so, thwarted again, we turn our attention elsewhere. To a walk around the fjord, then we see the Hurtigruten Ferry hove into sight. Originally we had thought of taking the Hurtigruten boat overnight from Bergen to Alesund and into the Geirangerfjord as today’s arrival has done, but alas, we considered the cost to be prohibitive (~ Can$ 450 vs $85 - that yesterday’s journey saved us, not to mention the extra fare back to Bergen from Balestrand that would have been necessary).
We set out up above the town to the Hotel Union for some “refreshment” – we pause in the churchyard of the Geiranger Kircke, noting the large numbers of the Marak family buried here – We are staying at Marak Hyttle. The view is stupendous from here - We bid goodbye to the Hurtigruten Steamer as it reverses its course, and we head on up the hill. The hotel seems quiet, and we reflect that we have seen very few Brits or North Americans, and even Australians are notably conspicuous by their absence this year! Back down the hill to our cabin, and some time to get lost in our books and listen to several editions of “The Trans-Continental” that pertain to our trip. [The Transcontinental was the longest running radio programme on CBC Radio. Hosted by Otto Lowy for 22 years it was a weekly musical journey through various Countries and Cities in Europe, very well researched and inimitably hosted, providing added value to our experience – 2 programmes, for instance, were solely dedicated to the life and music of Edvard Grieg]
Tomorrow we head out by bus again - this time for Andalsnes via The Trollstigen Highway