One of Norway's most famous wonders...Preikestolen

One of the places on our "bucket list" for Norway was to go to Preikestolen (aka Pulpit Rock). To be honest, I was a little fearful about hiking up to this famous vantage point, but still really wanted to do it. Thankfully, cousin Lyle and his daughter, Rachel, are brave souls so off we went. (Lois had hurt her knee just prior to our trip so she hung out at the Lodge at the base of the hike).

Preikestolen is a steep cliff that rises up 1,982 feet above the Lysefjord. The almost flat top of the cliff is about 82' X 82' wide and about 200,000 people climb up to it every year. The hike can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, depending on foot traffic. We were so fortunate that we were there in the Fall, so the numbers of tourists climbing with us were substantially less than the summer months.  We made it to the top in a little over an hour with Rachel was our fearless leader! The hike is a mix of climbing up huge stone steps in some places, to scrambling over large rocks in other places, and walking narrow trails. You see people of all ages climbing, from young children to elderly, but spry, folks. Anyone in good health can do it! 

Rachel, Gracia, and Lyle...

Photo by Rachel...

When we reached the top, the view was breathtaking! Though it wasn't a perfectly clear day, we were so thankful it wasn't raining or socked in by clouds or fog. A young man was kneeling to ask his girl to marry him on the ledge when we arrived...so romantic! A few (crazy) people were sitting, dangling their feet over the edge..uh, yea, not for me! You will notice there are no fences, because Norwegians believe that "we cannot fence in all of nature in this country." Amazingly, there had not been a fatal accident until 2013, and even that fall may not have been an accident. There has been some discussion about closing the hike to Preikestolen, due to a large geological fault that runs through it. At this point, it's still a very popular attraction and is open from April to October.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Rachel and Lyle near the edge...

Me, waiving a Norwegian flag wimple...so happy to have made it to the top!

After spending about an hour at the top, we began our descent...sad to leave. I'm so glad we made the climb...truly an unforgettable moment in my life.

There is a lovely lodge at the base of the climb, with a full restaurant and gift shop. Lois hung out there while the rest of us hiked and enjoyed a lovely view and bowl of rommegrot, Norway's delicious sour cream porridge.

Photo by Lois...

Rommegrot photo by Lois...

Photo by Lois...

On the road again, we drove to Stavanger, the birth place of my mother's father, Hans Ole Mosby. After checking in at our airbnb, we headed downtown for dinner and enjoyed hamburgers (yes, good ole American hamburgers) in a lively restaurant in a bustling city shopping district. 

Our airbnb in Stavanger...with our living quarters on the daylight basement level, another great find by Rachel. 

Once again, the details on Norwegian houses...

Just wanted to show you the house next door with one of the beautiful black tile roofs that you see all over Norway...

Before we left on our trip, we had heard that the next Mission Impossible movie, starring Tom Cruise, was being filmed, with a scene at Preikestolen. So, in case you want to see some incredible, hair raising views of Preikestolen, watch the new Mission Impossible trailer with Tom Cruise...which will be in theaters in July, 2018. 

I'll be back soon as we continue this tour through Norway! Mange takk (many thanks) for coming along with me! Warmly, Gracia