Friday 24 April 2015

Our day at Eidfjord & Ullensvang

Fram arrived at the second stop of the trip yesterday morning at 08:00 AM. With a population of 550, the village of Eidfjord is the largest settlement in the municipality of Eidfjord and a perfect spot for disembarkation.

The Expedition Team started the morning by preparing the Kayak´s and bringing them on land so they were ready for the challenging activity. 7 passengers joined the 1½ hour adventure in the waters around the ship and the village and enjoyed the scenery while battling the elements. 
Then it was time for us to start the Historical footprints & the Eidfjord Church walk. We left the ship at 09:30 AM and headed into the village to see the Church from the outside and inside. The Old Eidfjord Church was built in Eidfjord in 1309. It was in continuous use until 198 when the new Eidfjord Church was built just north-west of the old church.
We continued our hike along the Eio River through a peaceful wooded area towards the Eidfjordvatnet Lake. This moraine-dammed lake is located immediately south-east of the village and has little stone beaches that offer stunning views. After a high viewing point, a few horses and cows we made it back on the ship for lunch buffet.

In the beginning of the afternoon, Fram left Eidfjord and headed to a municipality with 3,369 inhabitants: Ullensvang. Two members of the Expedition Team prepared a bright new activity: The walk along the fruit trail.
This could not be more appropriate as this municipality is the epicentre of Norwegian apple production. Apart from different species of apple trees, there are also (amongst others) Plum trees and cherry trees. Even though the weather was not in our favour, passengers were motivated and exited to go ashore to explore the area and do the hike(s). Their enthusiasm made their day a great success and we are all looking forward to the rest of the trip!