The ship’s horn blasted and we are sailing out of Kristiansund. This was our last port of call in Norway. The ship’s coordinates are set for Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. We have really enjoyed Norway. It is such a beautiful country. The people are very nice and we have felt welcomed in every port. I would not rule out a return trip to this country of fjords, mountains, oceans, and incomparable scenery at every turn. I think it is so interesting that we share the great Atlantic Ocean with this tiny country of only five million inhabitants. Our side of the Atlantic seems so different than theirs.

With all the water and mountains, Norway has an extensive network of bridges and tunnels. One of the engineering marvels of which they are most proud is the Atlantic Ocean Road, or Atlanterhavsvegen. We went out to see this masterpiece this morning. It was constructed between 1983 and 1989. During the construction, the crew endured twelve hurricanes. The weather out there can be very harsh and sometimes the road must be closed because cars have been swept off the bridges in bad storms. Here are a few pictures of one of the more dramatic and beautiful of the eight bridges along the Atlanterhavsvegen.