Mental Detours: Driving Adventures

Saturday we left Molde and drove to Skjolden. The drive started with a ferry from Molde to Vestnes. This was our second ferry of the trip. I was unfamiliar with the ferry loading and ticketing process on the first one, but this time I knew what I was doing. The ferry ride was about 45 minutes across the Romsdalsfjord. Our route to Lom took us through many tunnels, along rushing streams, and beside and across fjords. We stopped for lunch an a scenic restaurant overlooking Stor fjord at Kokarstein. There was some kind of stone monument there.

Ferrying away from Molde

Restaurant with scenic view

Stone monument

Continuing on we made another ferry crossing at Eidsdal, then noticed that we were gradually ascending as we drove along route 63. When we reached the maximum we were amazed when we came out at the top of the Ørnesvingen-eagle Road high above the Geirangerfjord. We stopped at the lookout and were astounded by the grandeur of the fjord below. After snapping some pictures we began to descend the road that takes you through 11 sometimes narrow, sometimes steep hairpin turns all the way to the town of Geiranger at sea level below. But that wasn't the end. Once we were through the town we began a climb up a similar winding road that passed streams and waterfalls from the glaciers above.

Geirangerfjord

Cruise ship in the fjord

Looking back at Geiranger on the way out

We eventually made it to the town of Lom, which contained the only planned point of interest on our route today. Lom has a stave church originally dating to the 12th century, but reconstructed several times since.

Stave church at Lom

Stave church detail

We left Lom and turned on to a stretch of route 55 that is called the Sognefjellet National Tourist Route. The road took us along a scenic river valley, then began to climb until at the highest level the outside temperature dropped to 3°C, and there were patches of unmelted snow around. Another descent on winding narrow hairpin turns finally brought us to our final stop at the Skjolden Hotel. We checked in and had fish & chips for dinner followed by a drink in the bar.