A touristy day out, and another waterfall.

We returned to the inner reaches of Hardangerfjord, to Eidfjord again, by car.   Quite a different experience.   

There was also the realisation today that there were two different prices for travellers in Norway. There was the one experienced by caravenners, motorhomers and campers, who paid very little, or nothing to camp, purchased food at the local supermarkets and were generally self sufficient.   They even paid less for the smaller cruise boats on the fjords.   

Then there were the travellers who who have come to Norway on cruise ships or were part of a bus tour. They appeared to pay high prices for everything, as we found out today, when we travelled the same route as the bus tours.

The road along the edge of Hardangerfjord changed as soon as we approached this lovely new bridge, built to bring the bus tours from Bergen to Eidfjord, no doubt. But to be fair, it was also part of a main road east that trucks also use.    

 

The approach to the bridge went through a tunnel, and there was a roundabout in the centre, with three roads leading off it.  But make a mistake here, and you end up going across the bridge, instead of to Eidfjord, tolls there and back, and they are not cheap.   This happened to one of our fellow campers.

We then continued along a beautifully wide, and well sealed road, until we came to Eidfjord, and there loomed a cruise ship.   A busy day ahead, no doubt.  We noticed all the souvenier shops were open too.   A good day for businesses.

 After Eidfjord we continued along the road, and started climbing steeply towards the Hardangervidda plateau.   And what a climb.   The road turned like a corkscrew through a number of long tunnels.   Imagine the task for the engineers to plan, and then build such twisting and steep tunnels.  It was very impressive, but a little scary because you knew that your destination was going to be very high.   Of course there were plenty of tourist buses, motorhomes, cars with caravans behind and trucks who were also travelling up and down this road.

Finally, we arrived at the parking area, and joined all the other tourists who were there to see the Voringsfossen.   The best known waterfall in Norway apparently.   There were a few crosses and flowers where people have either accidently or purposefully fallen over the edge.   As a person who hates heights, I was a little daunted by it all I must admit.    Hardangervidda plateau and the national park is a wonderful place for walkers apparently, as long as one stays away from the edges.  

 A kind Japanese man offered to take this photograph of me.   I am not sure why I am smiling, probably to please the kind man.   Walter had disappeared to the toilets, where he queued, together with a long line of female tourists, for a turn to use the one toilet.   It took him nearly half an hour.

 A view down into the valley below the falls.

 When Walter finally returned we walked along the path towards the tunnel entrance,

and not far from the vehicle entrance, there was another tunnel, which led onto the bicycle and walking path, that went to Eidfjord.   It was very well maintained.    Once in the tunnel we realised that it was the old road up to the plateau.

 I would not want to travel in a car up this road, or ride down on a bicycle.   There was a long drop over the edge of the road, and no barrier to speak of.

 There were also two holes in the side of the tunnel.   I did not bother to look out of them.

 We then drove back down the steep and twisty road, to the Hardangerfjord Nature Centre, where we parted with a quite considerable amount of money, both in the cafe, for coffee, and to enter the nature centre.   Advertised widely as a must see attraction, it was definitely set up for the people on bus and cruise tours.

 The twenty minute panoramic film was quite enthralling, and the displays interesting, but all in all, the place was a bit of a rip off really.   I came away feeling a little deflated.

A tank of fish, now I am not sure of the variety.  But we decided at that point that we would have fish for dinner that night.  A pity, I could have put my hand in the tank and taken one of these.   But then I would have had to kill it, skin it and fillet it.   Too much trouble.

 The deer were decidedly dead!

 We drove back along the flash wide road, past the entrance to the bridge, and then onto the familiar narrow, and slightly uneven road, back to our campsite.

As we turned into our road, there was a museum village.  The buildings open in summer, and weekends only, but people are free to go in and wander among the buildings at any time.

 The small barns.   Most of the roofs were 'living roofs', meaning that they were covered in soil, grass, moss, lichen and in some cases, small trees.

 Walter standing in front of one old houses.

 There were even goats grazing in the small field.

 We ate fresh salmon, from Norway, for dinner, bought from the local supermarket, and cooked in the oven.   It was delicious, and so much better than the farmed salmon from Scotland.

My walk this evening, took me up to another level above the orchards.   It was part of the walk up into the forests above, but of course too late in the evening to go much further.  Someone had very kindly installed a park bench at this point, so I was able to sit and admire the view.   Apparently there was a glacier on the range opposite, which you can see well from Lofthus, but as there was so much snow it was difficult to work out which is the glacier.

As I finish this blog, I look out of the window and see the other campers preparing for bed.   It is 10 to 11, and the sun has not set completely.  We are surrounded by tents at the moment.   At least it is not as cold as last night.   They are very organised, these people with tents.  I do admire them.