Originally we planned to celebrate Luisa's birthday in Bergen as she had a lot to do there with the playground and the exciting fish and crabs at the fish market. However, we didn't want to visit Bergen in bad weather either, so we celebrated her birthday two days later at the Sognefjord. As a highlight - after a slightly failed birthday cake from the Omnia - we went to a small swimming pool in Høyanger. It was a very nice afternoon and Luisa was as happy as a snow queen. Then we decided to go again at night.
In the Hardangervidda we got to know a family from Amsterdam who was also traveling north and who drove a bit further while we were still spending time in Bergen. The advantage here in the north is that it is also light at night and you can really enjoy the landscape because the children are usually asleep. Our route went via Førde, along Jølstravatnet and all the way to Stryn.
From there we continued on the E15 to Hjelle and a little later, after the first switchbacks, we turned onto a smaller mountain road that led us over Strynefjell. Strynefjell is a plateau similar to Hardangervidda, but a little more barren. There was still a lot of snow here and sometimes only the gravel road on which we drove had been milled metres deep through the snow. It was quite dark that night due to the bad overcast weather, but the snow brightened it up a bit. Nevertheless, we were glad to be driving at night, because we had no traffic at all - with oncoming traffic on the narrow gravel road you certainly don't have so much fun anymore.
In Grotli we kept left and initially followed the E15 again and later the FV63 to Geiranger. Fortunately, we had a lot of peace and quiet here in the middle of the night and were able to enjoy the impressive fjord landscape. A little later on the way to Eidsdal we looked for a place to sleep for the night at a tunnel bypass.
The following day we went to Eidsdal, then by ferry across the Geirangerfjord and then over the Longfjell to the Trollstigen. The Trollstigen and the vantage point at the upper end were totally overcrowded and would actually have been something for the night. But you can't always drive at night 😉 It was still very impressive, but the best for me was still waiting. So we tormented Zacharias again down a number of steep switchbacks and didn't keep left towards Åndalsnes but right along the Rauma. Because the mighty Trollveggen, english Trollwall, was waiting there. A wall like no other in Scandinavia. It rises 1700 m above the valley and offers a 1000 m high vertical (partly overhanging) part. That would be another project...
After being baffled and taking photos, we drove a few minutes to the Romsdalsfjord and met the people of Amsterdam again. Luisa and Jonathan were very happy to have playmates and had the whole afternoon and the next morning to play with the dutch. We stayed one more day to recover from the many kilometers while the others continued towards Lofoten. After that we also continued to a small island called Vågøya. Here I took over a bit with a mountain run on the nearby Jendemsfjellet (633 m), a bit too much altitude and too much distance afterwards back to the bus with totally broken legs.
For the onward journey to Trondheim we decided again for a night stage because it worked so well last time. At the ferry terminal in Kanestraum while waiting for the ferry I caught a cod and a mackerel and on the other side of the fjord in Halsa another big cod and a second mackerel. Thus, two more evening meals were secured. Unfortunately, part of the E39, which we were now on, was closed not far from Trondheim, so we were able to enjoy the Norwegian gravel roads again. Except for a fox, we didn't see much and ended the stage near Børsa before Trondheim.
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