Welcome to Skjolden, a stop great for those adventure seekers. This stop offered us the opportunity to kayak or take a bike and hike tour; we opted for the later. One thing I observed is that Norwegians are very fit. There are not too many cars in these smaller towns and people seem to get around by walking or biking. One thing I wished we considered when we signed up for the hike and bike tour. It was a great activity, but man did it tire us and the group out. Of course it didn’t seem to phase our local guide! All in all we biked about 4 miles round trip and gained 1,000ft in elevation on a one mile hike to a magnificent waterfall. Our guide, thankfully, surprised us with snacks at the top of the hike. In Norway fashion it was an assortment of meat, cheese, and crackers.
Oh, by they way, one thing to remember is the weather in Norway is very unpredictable. You may start your day with sunshine, but it can very quickly turn to rain! Always have a backpack with you that contains extra layers and a rain coat. On our way back to the ship we ran into an unexpected rain storm. Thankfully, I am married to a planner and a prepper who packed warm weather gear for this exact scenario. It seems most places shut down on Sundays, so there wasn't much to see in town, other than say hello to a few friendly alpacas by a roadside fence. As an animal lover, I stop almost every chance I get to make a furry friend. My daily ritual as become do an excursion, sit in the hot tub, eat dinner, sleep. Today was no different especially with the chill from our surprise rain shower.
