Our trip to Trollstigen ("Troll's Ladder") on June 1, 2023, was the most memorable day of our cruise. The guidebook described the route as "a stunning feat of road building, spiraling up the mountainside through 11 hairpin turns...After heavy rain, waterfalls cascade down the mountainside, drenching cars as they pass. To add to the thrill, much of the road is single lane, meaning trafffic jams as part of the hair-raising experience." We docked at the coastal city of Alesund and then took a tour bus cross-country to the Trollstigen.
We had a charming guide (red parka), who told jokes mixed with his commentary, and who sang lullabyes to put us to sleep as we drove the last leg of the journey back to our cruise ship!
Trolls are part of Norwegian folklore. According to my guidebook, they represent the forces of nature that oppose gods and humans. They can be huge or tiny, and are often slow and dim-witted, but always evil. Our guide told us that we were entering "troll country" where some rural people still believe in trolls. At the entrance to the national park, there was a troll statue.
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The mountain views were spectacular, even before we started up the Troll Ladder.
Despite its short growing season, Norway has beautiful flowers. After cold, dark winters, the Scandinavians love the flowers' brightness.
This Volkswagen Beetle police car hardly seemed up to the job of keeping the bad guys out!
As we drove up the Troll Ladder, we passed spectacular waterfalls.
The view from the top, down the valley, was also spectacular
The plateau above the Troll Ladder was covered with snow.
As we circled back to Alesund, we passed traditional houses with sod growing on the roof.
We stopped at a picturesque bridge with a river underneath.
We stopped for a Norwegian lunch buffet.
The desserts included the cream cake that I have made for my Norwegian dinners--cake layered with berries and cream.
I never tired of the houses with sod on their roofs.
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