PINING FOR THE FIORDS AT PULPIT ROCK

Pulpit Rock from the waters of Lysefjord

No visit to Stavanger would be complete without a cruise along Lysefjord to Pulpit Rock.  This unusually shaped rock lies atop a steep wall of granite rising vertically 2000 feet above the waters of the Fjord. 

The unique shape of the summit of the cliff face was formed during the Ice Age when water from a glacier froze in the crevices of the mountainside.  Over time large blocks of rock broke away and what was left behind was the odd angular plateau which became known as Pulpit Rock. 

From a poster seen in town

The summit is popular with hikers, thrill seekers and, occasionally, those who have decided to end it all.  From our vantage point on the water we felt we had selected the right choice as we craned our necks to study the summit.  

Our stomachs turned as we spotted people walking along the edge of Pulpit Rock.  There are no guard rails and one step too close to the edge could be one's last.

We cruised back to Stavanger enjoying the scenery on either side of the Fjord as it changed from steep cliffs to rolling farmland.

The colourful old town

Norway’s fourth city is made up of a series of islands connected by a network of bridges.  Located on Norway’s southwestern coast, the scenery is spectacular.  The area has also benefited from a robust local oil industry. 

Gamle Stavanger homes

Stavanger is a pedestrian-friendly city with narrow streets that wind past interesting buildings although many of the chains are well represented in town which takes away from the charm of some of the one of a kind businesses.  

However, old Stavanger or Gamle Stavanger boasts an interesting area made up of 18^th and 19^th Century era wooden heritage buildings. A walk along the winding cobble stoned laneways of this part of town took us to another world. 

The white buildings with their red-tiled roofs are decorated with window boxes, pots and baskets that cascade a riot of colour.  

Residents were taking in the sunshine making use of attractive seating areas in their community while artists used their watercolours to capture the landscape.  

This was our final port of call in Norway and what has been a fascinating journey to the Land of the Midnight Sun. Thanks to the friends we met along the way, especially those who came with us.

Table 45 soaking up the views

Such a great trip!

We guessed we would be pining for the fiords for the next little while and would possibly be a little Norwegian blue (with apologies to Monty Python).