Looking up to Lake Floen from falls on Oldeelva river:-

On the way back to Olden village we decided not to take the road again but to walk the path on the other side of the river.

This required walking across wooden catwalks/bridges. You can see other such walkways in photos in previous posts:-

One of them had this small bird (a dipper?) perched on it

Looking back towards the falls:-

There was a path of sorts – more suitable for bikes really – but eventually after having to cross some grass we hit on a semi-metalled road. This was the view back up towards the lake:-

We followed a path from the bridge over the Oldeelva river up to a road that curled round Lake Floen. We could perhaps have walked all the way round but I wasn’t sure there would be a bridge or connection to the other side so we turned back after reaching the lakeside. (Looking up maps later it turned out there was a connection and there is in fact a further lake (Oldevatnet) beyond that, apparently fed by the Briksdal glacier.)

Lower end of Lake Floen:-

Upper lake:-

From lakeside:-

Part of Oldeelva river:-

Before we reached Lake Floen on our walk up from Olden we came to a bridge over the River Oldeelva just where it spills over a falls. The river is quite fast moving here. Worth a video or two I thought:-

From over the bridge:-

Both of those were shot looking up towards the lake. This one is looking down towards Olden:-

Looking down towards Olden from the falls:-

After our stroll through Olden village we walked the road up past the new Olden Church – an older church building is in the centre of the village – in search of the lake we had been told wasn’t far away. The road runs beside the Oldeelva river for a while. It reminded me a bit of Scottish rivers.

River Oldeelva, Olden, Norway:-

The new church is in a typical Norwegian style:-

Closer view:-

Olden Church from graveyard. Note guy wires. According to the information in the link above a huge storm moved the church by 60 centimetres in 1967. The wires are to make sure that doesn’t happen again:-

Altar and stained glass, Olden Church:-

Organ loft:-

Looking back to Olden from a bit further up the road. The church and the SS Black Watch can be seen in centre of picture with the Oldeelva river meandering through in foreground.:-

Reflections in Nordfjord, Olden, Norway:-

Misty mountain and reflections in Nordfjord:-

Head of Nordfjord, Norway, looking towards Olden, SS Black Watch in background:-

SS Black Watch and hill overlooking Nordfjord:-

SS Black Watch berthed, Olden, Norway:-

Most of this set of photos were taken on a walk we made from Olden towards Loen Fjord. As we were making our way a strange disturbance of the water on Nordfjord made its way in from the seaward end of the fjord. I supposed it might have been the tide coming in but we were so far from the open sea there were no waves as such.

The views and the open water to the left as we made our way westwards with the hills on the other side reminded me of the road from Helensburgh, 8 miles north of Dumbarton, towards Rhu and the Gareloch. The mouth of Loen Fjord (photo taken from Nordfjord, when sailing away from Olden) is flanked by higher mountains though:-

Olden is a small anchorage at the end of the Nordfjord, Norway. The town is no more than a village and sits at the mouth of the Oldeelva river on the southern shore of the Nordfjord.

The houses there are typically Norwegian, built of wood and traditionally constructed:-

Except some of them have turfed roofs:-

This building looks a bit small to be a house but note the mountainous backdrop:-

Mountains also line the Oldeelva River Valley:-

Nærøyfjord is a branch of the Sognefjord which in turn is the largest and deepest in Norway. The SS Black Watch took a turn up Nærøyfjord on its way back to the sea after visiting Flåm.

Nærøyfjord entrance. The mists do make it look dramatic:-

Nærøyfjord:-

Further into Nærøyfjord. Waterfall on fjordside ahead:-

Further up Nærøyfjord:-

About halfway up fjord:-

Towards head of Nærøyfjord:-

Head of fjord:-

Looking back up Nærøyfjord:-

Houses, Nærøyfjord, Norway:-

The ship’s captain said this was the smallest church in Norway but it doesn’t look much smaller – if at all – than the one in Flåm:-

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Video of one of the waterfalls in Nærøyfjord:-

The friends we were with were keen on us seeing the Illuminations so we duly stayed in Blackpool till the sun had gone down.

Illuminations, Tower in Distance:-

Tower:-

Tram:-

Overhead Illuminations:-

Roadside Illuminations, Alice in Wonderland Theme:-

More roadside Illuminations:-

The Imperial Hotel, an imposing building on Blackpool sea-front now possibly a bit down from its height. The inside walls are covered with photographs of various luminaries who stayed there in its heyday, including the Beatles:-

Blackpool Town Hall. Victorian high style:-

Stained glass windows in Blackpool’s Town Hall:-

Norbreck Castle Hotel. A modern castellated fantasy. From south:-

From southwest:-

Northern part of Norbreck Castle Hotel complex:-

From north:-

As the post’s title says, I’ve been away.

To England this time. One night in the Lake District, one in Cheshire and two in Peterborough where I and the good lady went to a huge antiques fair.

Plenty photos taken to add to the list of those I’ve not got round to posting yet.