![\"Waterfall\"](\"https:\/\/www.cncadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/image4.jpg\")
<\/a>Waterfall<\/p><\/div>\n
As we sail up the fjord, we start to see mountains with snow on them and a few waterfalls. We stop at several small villages until we reach Vik ( pronounced veek) where we will be getting off. As near as I can figure so far, the Norwegians pronounce e’s as a and i’s as e. Hence Lervik is said larveek.
\nWe reach Vik and are the only ones to get off. Most people are going all the way to Flam to do more fjords and then to Oslo, all in one day. We slowed things down with a stop in Balestrand tonight and Flam tomorrow. The next and last boat to Balestrand is at 1800 so we have about five and a half hours in Vik. We walk over to the information center, which is closed. There are picnic tables there so we decide to eat lunch. Then we start our walk to the Hopperstadt Stave Church. About 1.25 miles later we are there.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Hopperstadt Stave Church<\/p><\/div>\n
The stave churches were built out of wood between 1130 and 1350 when the Black Death brought most building to a halt. This is one of the oldest, dating back to 1140. Other countries built some but only the Norwegian ones survived. Out of about 1000 only 28 exist today. This church was built just 10 years before Norway became a separate province under the roman Pope. This church has withstood time because it’s timber based frame rests on a stone foundation and since the wood does not touch the earth, it did not rot. It is smaller than I thought it would be but the architecture is very cool. The roof looks like an inverted boat.
\nWe see a path down below and I ask the girl at the church if it goes to the Stone Church. She says yes and so down the path we go.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Carol’s Marshmellows<\/p><\/div>\n
We pass some large marshmellows and a few historical plaques along the way. One is very interesting in that there are 8 mounds around us and they are Viking burial mounds. They found remains and artifacts dating to the Viking days. After our short break at the mounds, we make it to the stone church which dates back to 1150. It starts to rain a bit and there is a nice tree outside the church for us to stay out of the rain. While sitting there, a man approaches us, and thought Carol was Norwegian. This has happened a few times in Norway so maybe she is not Irish but a Viking lass. Anyway we chat with Gustav from Frankfurt, Germany for about an hour. He used to work for Proctor and Gamble in Frankfurt and is traveling around in a small motor home he has owned since 1976 called a hobby. There are hobby clubs so it sounds almost like our airstream clubs. After our chat the rain has stopped and there is even a rare glimpse of sunshine.<\/p>\n