Trollstigen, the Land of the Trolls. When our original cruise ship tour to Trollstigen was cancelled due to the road being closed for the season due to six major rockslides, our party needed to find an alternative plan. Trond and his small, but mighty, ice cream loving Troll assistant to the rescue. Trond from Local Trips is really a fantastic guide. He was able to coordinate our group to be with him on the same van as per my special request. So happy to be his co-pilot for the day. So easy to meet Trond upon arrival in the Ålesund cruise terminal. Love how adapted the tour, so that we really had an amazing day exploring the region in a small group with seven stops in under seven hours. I have never been on a tour where we were given an itinerary with descriptions of each stop including where we were on the map, what time we would arrive and leave and whether or not there was a WC/water closet. Coupled with Trond's amazing storytelling, knowledge and love of the area and sense of humor, this was the best tour on our vacation to Norway. Just perfect. After going through the tunnel from the cruise terminal, Trond made a stop to view the old Skodje Bridges. Loved the reflections that the bridges made against the water and the walk through a short tunnel on the other side of the road to meet him back at the van. The Liabygda Ringsetskiftet Viewpoint by the sea was so beautiful. To the left, you can see a salmon fish farm and to the right you can see the town Stranda where the Grandiosa pizza-factory is located. Nice to see the Geiranger and Hellesylt Fjords along the way. Gudbrandsjuvet is a river gorge in the River Valldøla. The watery river flows between gorges and cracks in the mountain. It meets in unexpected angles, before it flows under the bridge and plunges further down the valley. The gully is partly formed by several large potholes. Love the rustic platforms and bridges have been built in a mixture of glass and rust-corroded iron rails. Look for a rainbow. Trond also bought local strawberries and raspberries for us to sample. So fresh and juicy. The old bridge by Krikebrua is Trond's favorite stop and I can see why. So peaceful and serene with the river and goats along the trail created by Mother Nature. The old bridge was built in 1891 only of rocks, no concrete or steel. The waterfall along the short hike is gorgeous. The Trollstigen Viewpoints was our main reason for choosing this tour. Wow. Truly stunning scenery. There are a couple of viewpoints as well as trails up to the top of the mountain. Look out for Trolls along the climb. Interesting to hear about how and why this road was built in the 1930s and how the King and Queen of Norway visited and honored a nonagenarian that had helped with the construction in her home for tea as she could not travel to the Royal Palace due to her advanced age. The next two stops were so scenic. Loved the lake and the old church at Valldal. Grab a waffle with brown cheese for the ride back to the cruise terminal. The Aksla Viewpoint was our last stop. So nice to get a bird's eye view of Ålesund. Don't think. Just go to Trollstigen, The Land of the Trolls with Trond from Local Trips. From the filming of Mission Impossible (with the glasshouses that were rented for the cast and crew) to the Norwegian systems for education, taxes and healthcare to how the fjords and glaciers were formed, you will learn so much, see so much and just come away feeling like you have experienced a magical day. read more

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