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July 5, 2013
Norway’s many views
Kosher cruises provide an ideal way to travel.
MASADA SIEGEL
"Come on, wake-up.” I nudged my friend Matreetta at 4 a.m. She pulled the blanket over her head but, moments later, she rose from her bed shaking her head and sleepily grinning at me. We both pulled clothing on over our pajamas and walked to one of the high decks of Holland America’s Eurodam ship to see the majestic Norwegian fjords.
Norway is filled with spectacular scenery, including waterfalls crashing down out of skyscraper-tall mountains capped with snow. Floating through the fjords was phenomenal and a challenge, as it is hard to know where to look first. I felt privileged to see the magnificence unfold before me. Luckily, one of the ship’s photographers informed me that the best time to see the fjords is early in the morning when the water is still.
Our adventure began in Amsterdam, where I couldn’t help but notice a large group of religious Jews boarding the ship. I was puzzled and pleasantly surprised, since when I travel I always try to find a Jewish connection and because Norway has an extremely small Jewish population, I had no idea where to even start.
So, the Jewish connection found me. A lovely British couple (along with their four children) told me that they were traveling with Kosherica (kosherica.com) and Eddie’s Kosher Travel (koshertravelers.com). The tour operator and the travel agency booked a portion of the rooms on the ship for their guests, where they had a kosher kitchen, prayer services, a Torah and even expert speakers (scholars in residence). In addition to Holland America’s endless options for activities, they had a variety of Jewish-related options as well as glatt kosher meals. As we cruised through the calm waters, I met many lovely Jews, from the French family who invited me to spend Shabbat with them in Paris to the owners of Kosherica, who asked us to join them for an elegant evening meal.
Holland America cruises are an ideal way to travel through Norway. Our ship, the Eurodam, was cozy and intimate. The food was plentiful and there is a selection of onboard restaurants, such as the Asian-inspired Tamarind and the Pinnacle Grill. There is also an explorer lounge filled with books, a coffee bar, fitness centre and the all-important spa. I highly recommend experiencing any treatment, as they are all exceptionally relaxing. Holland America also offers shore excursions as varied as city tours to kayaking through a fjord.
Traveling in Norway is all about doing your homework or, in my case, interviewing the tour manager about the best types of trips. I was looking for scenic places for photography, culture, some guided tours and some independent ones.
On our first stop was Ålesund, home to 45,000 inhabitants. About two-thirds of its 1,040 wooden houses were destroyed in a fire in 1904. In the rush to shelter the 10,000 homeless victims, Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II, who often vacationed there, rebuilt the town and merged German art nouveau with Viking features, creating one of the few art-nouveau cities in the world.
After wandering through Ålesund, we again boarded a boat, but this one was a private vessel and we toured the 20-mile-long Hjorundfjord. The weather couldn’t have been better, sunny and bright as we cruised into a storybook setting. I watched the Norwegian flag flutter as we cruised by tiny towns built on the sides of green mountains with snow-covered peaks.
Norway was full of surprises, and each day was more exquisite than the next. I was mesmerized on that 4 a.m. morning as the ship cruised through the Geirangerfjord; in the distance, through the mist, I saw a small boat with two men fishing, their reflections visible in the water. Still sleepy, I wasn’t quite sure if I was dreaming this heavenly scene or if it was real. I steadied my camera and took a few photos, just to be sure I wasn’t seeing apparitions.
Turns out I was awake, and many people must have agreed with my assessment – in 2005, the Geirangerfjord became a UNESCO World Heritage location. It is one of the best-known fjords in Norway. The 10-mile-long, 960-foot-deep fjord is known for waterfalls such as the Seven Sisters and the Bridal Veil. The ship takes the same passage through the fjord both to and from the town of Geiranger, but the views coming and going are completely different depending on the time of day, the ship’s speed and the weather.
This early-morning day continued to dazzle. We joined a bus tour to Mt. Dalsnibba. As we ventured higher through the mountains, the visibility on the winding roads grew dimmer. The vegetation grew sparse, and I mildly despaired whether or not I would be able to see anything. Suddenly, the mist started to evaporate, and I realized we were driving into one of the most heavenly places on the planet. Wisps of white clouds turned into rays of light shining on snowy mountainsides melting into gushing waterfalls as the bus turned corners. I have never truly experienced brightness as a color, but the clear daylight highlighted every rock, every droplet of water, every burst of green emanating from the ground. When an enormous lake appeared, I didn’t believe that the landscape could get any more appealing, but, with the mix of snow, waterfalls and greenery, I saw the clouds beneath the mountains with the sunlight bouncing in all directions. Hundreds of people stood in awe at the summit, 5,000 feet above sea level.
Our journey took us to a few more places in Norway – all filled with wonder. But none for me was as captivating as watching nature’s painting reveal itself in so many ways, enlivening the senses with not only beauty that I could see, but that I could also feel: the cool air, the touch of the rocks, the snow and the land.
Masada Siegel can be reached at masadasiegelauthor.com.
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