Norway Fjords cruise – first stop Alesund, Norway

Eric and I are cruising the Norwegian Fjords! This is Eric’s dream trip. He has wanted to see the Fjords for many years. I think I would of wanted to for all these years, if I had any idea how breathtakingly majestic they would be.  Every turn was more beauty, more awe!  Our cameras did not catch the magic of the Fjords in any way.  Seeing them in person was something I will never forget.  It was like seeing a movie where you can’t believe the scenery.  Below we share a few of our experiences through photography as we made our stops along the way of our cruise on the Norwegian Jade from our favorite spot on the ship, our balcony.  Also, the port stops were fun and quaint.  How I would love to live in Norway if it wasn’t so cold half the year! I’m usually not at a lost for words to describe places, but for Norway I am.  Just beautiful!

Our first port stop is Alesund, Norway. Alesund is at the beginning of the Fjord, and is also named Norway’s most beautiful town. We toured the stunning town and Art Nouveau architecture  on board the City Train Tour.  It was both fun and informative of the town history and culture. It took us to all the spots we wanted to see, and told of spots we wish we could of traveled to.  As we traveled through our first Fjord, we both were stunned by how picturesque and gorgeous Norway is!  As I said above, the photos just don’t do it justice, and since we were there during a rainy week, I’m sure sunny photos might help with sharing how just magnificent this country really is.  How green the mountains, and how blue the water was.

CityTrain Tour
A drop in guest as we enjoy the Fjords from our Balcony
So Stunning!
The shoreline of Alesund
Words fail me!

 

The streets of Alesund and the many Art Nouveau buildings
Alesund, Norway
Eric takes my photo by the waterways of Alesund
Sailing through the Fjord
Sun breaks through the clouds, as we approach Alesund
Norwegian Jade
Sitting in the train, waiting for our tour of Alesund
View from the top of the Troll Mountain or Fjellstua
Our first glance at the city below – Alesund
City Train Tour!
Down on the street in Alesund
Everyone walking around the city on a rainy day
Us pinching ourselves, that we made it to Norway
Alesund coastline
Clouds are here to stay I think
My husband really enjoying his trip!
Sailing in the Fjord
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FOGGY SUMMER, WELCOME TO MORRO BAY

When the summer hits our Central Valley in California, one of the best places to travel to, is the Central Coast.   Temperatures drop from the high 90’s to the high 50’s in just a few short hours as you travel to the Coast.

Eric and I decided to jump in the car and travel to Morro Bay, California to spend some time at the Beach.   The foggy beach day is just what we needed to escape the heat during the summer months in Fresno.  Our first stop was the Morro Rock.   It is iconic for the coastline in California.   The beach is really nice and nothing beats the sound of crashing waves on the shore as you walk along picking up shells and sand-dollars.  We enjoyed it very much and worked up an appetite.

Shoreline @ Morro Bay
Sand dollar
Walking on the Foggy Beach
Seagull enjoying the day
Sand dollars in the sand
Stack of Dollars
dinner time

Lunch was seafood, of course.  We had a glass of Pinot Noir (I’m sure Grigio is more appropriate with seafood, but we like red!) with our cups of Clam Chowder and shared a dinner of Fish, Shrimp and Calamari, while sitting next to the glass window and looking out at the Morro Bay.  It was a delightful time and the sea otters in the bay seem to be enjoying their dinner also, as they floated by the window.  The only down side is you start thinking about moving to the coast so you can enjoy this daily, which would be expensive and who likes moving?  Not me.  🙂

Welcome to Morro Bay
Lunch spot

After lunch we did a little shopping in the near by shops and then decided to drive south towards Avila Beach to see if we could find some sunshine to watch the sunset over the coast.  This is one of our favorite pastimes whenever we are near the beach.  It is just too beautiful to take in and luck was on our side that day.   We found a great spot a few hours later as we ate some delicious ice cream and snapped pictures of the golden sunset.  Retirement is on the horizon for us, and these moments make us beyond excited for the traveling and sights to come.  We feel very blessed to live in a State that offers so much beauty and nature for us to soak up.   Where will we end up next?   Can’t wait to find out!

We found a spot to take it in!
Searching the coast for sunshine
Day at the Ocean