Touring day in Molde

Friday we ventured out about an hour north of Molde to experience the Atlantic Ocean Road. The road is a 5 mile stretch of islands and bridges right at the edge of an unsheltered section of the Norwegian sea. Storms can cause waves to crash over the road making it treacherous to drive. We chose a day with milder weather, although we heard it can change quickly. The most dramatic part of the drive is the Storseisundet Bridge which from some angles appears to drop off into the ocean below. We drove the length of the road and back, stopping at a few of the viewpoints and overlooks. On the way back to Molde, we chose a scenic road that followed the coastline to the town of Bud, then headed inland to get back to Molde.

Morning view from hotel room balcony

Morning view from hotel room balcony

Starting onto the Atlantic Road

Footpath to view point

Water under the bridge

Scary bridge

Rugged coastline

Another footpath

More rugged coastline

Storseisundet Bridge

Scary looking view of the bridg

Fjord farmland along the scenic coastal drive

In Molde we visited the Domkirke or Molde Cathedral and were able to go inside. The cathedral is known for its free standing bell tower.

Church and bell tower

Church Nave

Stained glass windows

Rose window

Near the cathedral was one of many rose gardens that can be found around Molde. This one was actually on top of the Molde Town Hall which we also visited to see the bronze statue of the Rose Maiden symbolizing the "City of Roses". We walked around downtown Molde a bit and went back to the hotel when it started to rain.

Rose beds

Rose beds

Rose beds

Rose Maiden

Downtown Molde

It was dinner time when we got back to the hotel. Neither of us was interested in another hotel dinner so we chose to go to McDonald's for a taste of the U.S. Our McDinner tasted good and they got the order right too.

McDonalds

Sometimes you just get hungry for a taste of home

After dinner we decided to drive up to the Varden viewpoint. A spot high on the slopes behind Molde that offers a panoramic view overlooking the city. On a clear day you can see many mountain peaks on the opposite side of the fjord.

View from Varden

View from Varden

Panoramic view

We returned to the hotel and went to the Sky Bar on the top floor for a drink. Janet enjoyed her usual sparkling wine but I sampled a traditional Scandinavian liquor called Aquavit. It has a strong flavor similar to the Brennivin I tried in Iceland. I liked it.

Drinks in the bar

Bar view

Sunset view