Amazing Norway – (and essential packing for the most wonderful trip!)

We love to take our super-cosy Cwtchie hoodie blankets on adventures – and this summer we tried them out on the Norwegian Fjords on P&O cruises!

After a wonderful first day at sea, we docked in beautiful Stavanger. Norway’s fourth largest city boasts a spectacular cathedral and a busy artisan community in the pretty white clapboard community at the dockside. The Cwtchies were perfect in the wet and windy weather while we explored the wonderful ceramic and glass maker’s boutiques before settling for some spectacular local coffee.

Our next adventure was at hilly Alesund, the principal shipping town of the Sunnmore district . Famous for its Art Nouveau architecture, we took a tour to the spectacular Aksla viewpoint. Despite the inclement weather, we were snug and warm in our blanket hoodies and barely noticed the gale and squalls.

Stop 3, Olden, was our favourite by far. The spectacular waterfalls cascading down the mountainside, fuelled by winter snows still visible at the peaks, were breathtaking. Nestled on the southern shore of the Nordfjorden, this quiet town is just 6km from the famous sky-lift at Loen. Sadly, the mist meant limited views from the mountain tops, so we made the most of the land train that circumnavigated the lake, taking in unique views and the oldest bridge in Europe. We spend another cosy day protected from the elements by our Sherpa and flannel fleece Cwtchie hoodies, and bustled back to the ship for our last stop.

Haugesund had a very different feel to the rest of our cruise adventure. Despite being a fairly young town, the areas surrounding Haugesund were lands of power during the Viking age. Harald Faihair, the first king of Norway, lived just a few kilometres away as attested by the nearby Viking Village, created for visitors to the area. Haugesund boasts a busy shopping area perfect for buying quality gifts, knits and Norwegin delicacies to take home. The weather was a little warmer than previous days and we were able to leave our trusty hoodie blankets on board!

Norway is spectacular, beautiful and full of surprises. We were looked after superbly on board P&O’s Iona, one of the newest and best appointed in the fleet. The quality of service and excellent dining would be difficult to beat. We really look forward to visiting Norway with P&O again. If you see us in a Cwtchie, don’t forget to say hello!

https://www.pocruises.com/cruise-destinations/norwegian-fjords