Above, the footbridge / steps up and over the highway wedged between the lake and the mountains in Bissone. Below, left to right: foot and bike paths next to a big bridge across the Ij during my bike ride out to Muidersloot last May; bridge in Parc de Bercy last October; and a foot bridge at Ålesund in January.
Above, the view as we pulled away from Ålesund, which of course is Møre og Romsdal county’s largest city. Below, everything else we still have from that lovely little city :-).
I’ll admit right now, for Sam and anyone else who’s curious: if I had a more legitimate “canal” photo from the “country” I’d post it: must get out to the countryside asap once I’m back in Amsterdam this coming weekend and do so, or indeed I’ll have to let this series sleep for a bit. Still, lovely photo & fiord, eh? 🙂
When Ålesund burned in 1904, Kaiser Wilhem II was a big supporter of its rebuilding in this lovely Jugenstil (Art Nouveau) style. Other towns we visited on the cruise had rebuilt after a fire, but none with such royal support! 🙂
We’re back in Amsterdam now, and it was already a week ago that we had our first long port day in Ålesund. We used the time to hike up to that overlook, via the many switchbacks you see above. We then walked back down through the hilly park and picnic land on the far side, with lovely and surprisingly-green paths. I took the right-hand photo below because the sun had begun its struggle to liberate itself from the low hanging cloud cover, and we were excited because we felt it boded well for the aurora viewing. Which it did. The statue above depicts Rollo, a viking who both besieged Paris in the late 800’s and then later became Count of Rouen and first ruler of Normandy. Look it up, it seems to be true :-).
(so much world, so little time....) 