This is the main north-south highway in western Norway - Route 39. Some parts of it are more narrow than this. The road department, Statens Veivessen, doesn't bother painting the yellow lines on the really narrow parts. Our drive to Ålesund (OH - luh - soond) took about 9 hours but we really enjoyed the beauty of the steep walled valleys and fjords.
The mountains, especially the Romsdal Alps, together with the blues of lake and fjord and the greens of fields and forests made the long day behind the wheel seem shorter.
Our day was made longer than planned by way of four ferries, three of which we "just missed." We had to wait for each missed ferry a half an hour or so. The day was clear, blue, and warm as it gets in Norway so we soaked up a little vitamin D sunshine and stretched our legs on deck.
This is where my college geology class should have gone to study the effects of glaciers.
We got to town in time to fix the Elders a nice dinner. One of the reasons we took the trip was to check on the missionaries, their apartment, and the teaching center that they maintain. It was deep clean inspection time for them. By the way, they must be the two best housekeepers in the mission. Everything was spotless! After dinner we went visiting with the Elders and later we took a walk. First stop was where I used to live; just 44 short years ago. The white house just to the right of the State Church used to be bright pink when I lived there. It was my home for about five months and I loved it.
Much about the look of Ålesund has not changed but the city has been transformed by tourism. It used to be just a fishing and business center near some magnificent fjords. Now it is a stopover for gigantic cruise ships from all over the world. Two boats mostly filled with Italians were in town while we were there. There were also British, German, French and even an occasional American wandering around. In 1968 we were visited by one cruise ship that entire summer.
The old warehouses along side the inner harbor have almost all been converted to fancy hotels as have many of the other buildings in the old city. The grocery stores, bakeries, and other businesses are now mostly restaurants and shops catering to touists.
All Ålesund burned in a terrible fire that broke out on a windy night in 1904. 10,000 people were left homeless in the January cold. The city was rebuilt with much international help. Many of the buildings have 1905 or 1906 dates on them. A great deal of help was sent from Kaiser Wilhelm II - the German leader. The Art Nouveau style is done in stone and morter buildings as natural fire proofing.
The old town is built at the foot of a little mountain. A walkway leads from the city park to the top of Aksla mountain. Hearty souls take the several hundred uneven steps almost straight up for a fantastic view. There is also a road to the top from the other side of town.
...367, 368, 369...
The view of my old street is even better from up on top.
Everything looks so orderly and Germanic. However, I only see one yard in the whole place. Your front door opens right onto the sidewalk.
The old city is made up of three islands with the small inner harbor between two of them. The round mountain just left of center on the back most island is called Sukkertoppen (Sugartop) and in the winter it often looks like it is sprinkled with sugar.
On warm sunny summer day Ålesund has got to be the prettiest little city in Norway.
Looking back toward the Fjord country----that will be the subject of part II.
The view out into the North Atlantic Ocean. We used to visit people out on those outer islands.
The abandoned German-built bunkers and gun placements are still a part of the coastal scenery from the five year occupation during WW II. Readers of this blog who were missionaries or former residents in Norway probably crawled around and through these kinds of tunnels, lookout posts and buildings back in the day. I did. So, Shanna and I went into this bunker up on Aksla.
The steel doors and mounting brackets are still in place.
Like the lookouts of old you can spy incoming air and ship traffic.
More steps into the past.
Free enterprise at work - Tourists take the little choo - choo up from the middle of town to get a view of the city.
Rollon was also known as Rolf before he moved from Ålesund and settled on what would later be called the Normandy Penninsula. This statue, a gift from France, celebrates the Normans' roots.
We enjoyed our time touring around but on Friday we had to be back in Bergen. We found a faster route home with two fewer ferries and more magnificent glaciated valleys like this one. Next time we will share a couple of must see Norwegian vistas.
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