29 July 2018:
Åndalsnes and Molde, Norway:
Dropping In For a Visit

By Corey Sandler

Sunday in two, count them, beautiful settlements set into the fjords and mountains: Åndalsnes and Molde.

Definitely Halls of the Mountain Kings type of places.

Åndalsnes is a little town with an outsized personality, a mecca for hikers and rock climbers and those of us who just want to enjoy the great outdoors of the fjord land of Norway.

Some come to jump off of perfectly fine cliffs into the fjord below, which is NOT offered as a shore excursion.

The Trollveggen (the Troll Wall) one of the cliff formations in the valley, has a vertical drop of over 1,000 meters or 3,300 feet, the tallest vertical rock face in Europe.

It is an irresistible lure for some.

I went on a somewhat less risky leap: into the Rauma River valley by train on a day that featured three Norwegian seasons in a few hours. We experienced fog and mist and sun and a downpour.

Here is some of what we saw:

MOLDE 

And then at lunchtime we sailed back down the fjord to Molde, a vibrant and colorful city.

All photos by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.

We’ve come about 265 miles or 426 kilometers south from the Arctic Circle, but Molde is definitely a cool place.

Especially every July, near the peak of summer. The annual Moldejazz festival, one of the largest and oldest jazz festivals in Europe, and one of the most important, brings as many as 100,000 visitors come to the city, quadrupling the local population of about 26,000.

Alas, we missed it by a week, but music is still in the crisp air.

All photos and text Copyright 2018 by Corey Sandler, all rights reserved.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ONE OF MY BOOKS, PLEASE CONTACT ME.

SEE THE “How to Order a Photo or Autographed Book” TAB ON THIS PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS