7 June – Day 9 – Molde

P1040394We’re now well on our homeward trek and this morning we are arriving in Molde for a relatively short stop (we’re onboard at 3:30 and heading to our final stop in Bergen tomorrow).

After the delight of arriving at Geiranger yesterday, Molde is somewhat disappointing.  It still has the essence of the fjords about it but in this case the flatter, less dramatic version and a town that apart from the Dubaiesque Skandic hotel and modern Aker stadium looks to be a little lost in the 80’s.

View of Molde
View of Molde

The tours on offer today seem to echo that and there’s not much more than a short walking tour of the town and the opportunity to spend some time with some faux Vikings.

IMG_0625We’ve opted to take a short (20 km) cycling tour that promises to show us a bit more of the natural landscape and the opportunity to burn a few calories.  The cycle tour is well organized and run by our two enthusiastic guides and we cycle out of town along some separated cycle lanes with stop offs along the way for sights and photographs.  A notable stop-off is a small estate where all the house roofs are covered in local grass, flowers and shrubs.  Some seem to be quite well tended while others are growing a bit more ‘organically’.  I ask one of the locals whether  the roofs attract bugs and insects.  She doesn’t seem to understand (or maybe she thought it was a stupid question).  The weather is decent for cycling although it’s still not what might be called warm.  We take a mid-ride stop by the coast and an old world-war two bunker which now seems to be home to the local teenagers judging by the empty vodka bottles and old barbecues.

View over Molde from the Varden lookout

All in all we’re out for around three hours and we’re back in time to head out for a short hike up to the local Varden lookout (number one attraction on trip advisor).  The route out of town is not (initially) well signposted but it’s fairly easy to follow your nose (or in our case google maps).  It’s a fairly steep climb but worth it for the views back across the town and out across the Fjord and for the energetic well worth the effort.

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