Eidfjord, Norway - 29 Aug 2001 My photo album of Eidfjord
	The weather was a sunny 60º when we arrived in Eidfjord at 1.30pm. Very picturesque too. A larger town, but only 1,050 people in 1502km², that's 0.6 people per sq km. Spacious if you want to live in isolation:) A tender port again. This time Beverley and I were going off on a tour, to Hardangervidda Nature Centre, to view the Jøkulen Glacier and to see the Vøringsfossen Waterfall at Fossli. The Fjord was a Millpond Hardangervidda is Norway's largest national park. The nature centre is about 20 minutes away along route 7 through the Måbødalen Valley. The old mountain road is now only used for cyclists, walkers and a 'Troll' train which runs to various tourist spots. Måbø Valley Top Reindeer in the Hardangervidda Nature Centre In the nature centre there is a super-videograph panoramic cinema which takes one on a journey over the fjords, mountains and waterfalls. It is excellent. The rest of the centre includes various displays and hands-on activities explaining how the landscape was formed and outlining the Norwegian wildlife, and an aquarium. At 750 metres (2,460 feet) above sea level, we reach Hardangervidda - the largest mountain plateau in Europe, and a hiker's paradise. Here all wildlife is protected, and some 15,000 reindeer roam, but they are shy and you won't see them. In late summer, the much sought-after cloudberry is to be found - considered a delicacy and used for festive occasions. Camping in Måbø Valley Top Next was Sysendam, one of Norway's biggest stone-filled dams. From here you can see the HardangerJøkulen Glacier, the highest point of which is 1,876m above sea level. The glacier is still a good 5 hr hike from here. Lots of pretty and interesting rocks along the lake's edge. All the water from the lakes and waterfalls is used in generating power at the Sima power plant. A big display board shows how the water is collected and diverted to the plant. Braemar in Eidfjord SysenDam is one of four dams supplying Sima Hydro-Electric Plant. The dam itself is an 80 metre (260 feet) high wall built from natural stone and gravel. Much effort has been put into trying to minimise the damage to nature, and a large sum of money spent on a scheme to hatch and breed young fish for restocking the streams. Top Falls at Fossli Next stop is at Vøringfossen, Norway's most famous waterfall. Total fall 182m. The falls used to have 6 times the volume of water flowing over them, the rest has now been diverted to the power plant and only 12.8 cubic m per sec of water was flowing over on our visit. It is guaranteed that no less than 12 will pass through. Due to the disappearance of a lot of Norway's waterfalls by the over diverting by hydro electric plants, no new ones are allowed to be built unless it can be guaranteed no water will be diverted from falls/rivers etc. The falls themselves were lovely and every bit as worth seeing as Niagara. Not the volume of water or power, but the height and way the waters tumble is lovely to stand and watch. No 'over tourism' here either. A hotel with a gift shop and car park, that's it. A stone viewing platform overlooking one sections of the falls, but to see it all, you walk along a path\3 foot wide, no railings, muddy and slippery. I wonder how many tourists never return each year:) Then back into Eidfjord, about 20 mins along the road, which passed through a few tunnels, one of which was 2 km long. Not many of the homes we passed are lived in any longer as the valley doesn't get any sunlight for 3 months of the year. It was our tablemates' 30th anniversary today and they got the 'Congratulations' treatment along with a lovely cake, which was tasty too. 'Best of British' with Déjà Vu and company tonight, very good. Dover's Pilot Launch By midnight we were still passing throught the fjords and very narrow some of them were too, with villages/towns all alight, very pretty. Also passed a number of vessels going the other way. We entered the narrow channel up to Haugesund Havn then at 00.21 under the bridge of Salhus, off to Dover. Top At 12.17pm the following day, 30 August, we passed starboard to starboard with Black Prince at a distance of 0.33NM [556m]. She was heading to Alesund

	The Itinerary
	The Ship
	Cruise Intro
	Photographs