Fjords, Fjords, Fjords

In an issue of National Geographic Traveler, the magazine rated all of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites (mentioned above). Several prestigious panelists were asked to rate the best destinations in the world based on environmental/ecological quality, cultural integrity, the current state of man-made structures and general aesthetics. Of the 115 rated, one Site came out on top:

Norway's Fjords.

Now I know why.

First off, these things are everywhere--the nation, and particularly the southwest coast, is riddled with fjords. But it's not just the quantity, it's the absurd, hulking magntitude. Since my time was very limited, I explored several of them via train and boat on a tour quaintly called Norway in a Nutshell. I don't really like tours--things feel a little too spoonfed--but this was the best way to see them in the short time I had.

Ever literally been stopped in your tracks? That happened a couple of times on the tour, as I literally gawked at the grandeur around me. Once I almost ran into a wall (although lack of sleep left me a bit mentally stunted, which may have contributed to this episode).

Some of the mountains reach up to 1,800 meters, or 1.1 miles. That's four Empire State Buildings stacked on top of one another. Some of the mountain faces are exposed rocks, others are verdant green, and most are veined with waterfalls--little alpine tear tracks making their way down to the water below.

Some of the waterfalls were larger than others--on the Flam Railway (one of the steepest rail lines in the world--it climbs nearly 3000 feet over 12 miles) we stopped along side a waterfall with a freefall of almost 400 feet.

And there were small villages intersperse throughout... only about a dozen or so buildings in each. Against the massive walls of the fjords, they look so small, they almost look like they are on a train set.

I have never seen so much natural splendor in such a short amount of time. My neck hurt from constant upturn, my photo trigger finger practically ached from constant use.

Speaking of photos, I understand that they would help here. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to upload yet. Soon. Very soon. But even then, it won't do the scenery justice. The overwhelming scale seems to lose its teeth in the digital translation.