We could have sailed directly through the Sognefjord straight to Bergen where the Hurtigruten line awaited us. But I opted to stop midway at the scenic village of Balestrand. There the Kvikne Hotel, the largest wooden structure in Scandinavia, is an historic hotel where many kings and princes
have stayed. The beautiful hotel has a perfect location overlooking the fjord, and I had decided we would stay for two nights in a balcony room with a sweeping view of the fjord. Our stay would allow time for Doug to rent a bike and explore nearby villages in the mountains. Emily and I could
wander up the hill on a nature trail and enjoy the beautiful gardens, patios and cafes of the hotel and village. My plan worked out even better than I had hoped.
Balestrand is a perfect example of what I had envisioned the perfect Norwegian village to be. An interesting aquarium on the dock, geraniums and impatiens spilling over the window boxes of rainbow hued houses, outdoor cafes where we could linger over steaming latte in the brilliant sunshine, a stroll to the little island connected to the hotel by a tiny bridge, we couldn’t ask for more during the next two days of perfect weather—the best of our entire trip.
Best of all, however, was the hotel! The famed Kvikne is far more luxurious than I could possibly have imagined. When we arrived at the elegant dining room for dinner that night, we couldn’t believe the incredible choices offered at the several superb buffet.stations. Mounds of caviar, huge arrays of delectable salmon, shrimp and cod dishes, cheeses of every sort, enormous bowls of huge raspberries on ice, surrounded by a table of other exquisite dessert possibilities…and on and on. And this was just dinner. Breakfast was equally impressive. The only hitch in the plan was that Doug had to wear long pants---thank god he had packed one pair. Otherwise, it would have been room service for him!
You can bet we were reluctant to leave this five-star hotel.
[Go to Norway Part Five]
