Floating on a massive cruise ship, some days with ocean on every side as far as the eye can see, I am reminded that about seventy-one percent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered. The ocean makes up about ninety-six percent of that. I am one person among two-thousand-plus, traversing just a portion of these waters on this day, in this place.
Docked in Geiranger, Norway, the fjord rises up around us. We rest at the feet of Mother Earth. Her shawl of earthen tones and greenery spills out from the sea. Her pearlescent snow capped peaks rise far into the sky. Off ship, we feel very very small. A motor coach takes us up a winding road; so steep the bus seems angled in a partial recline position. We stop where snow makes further progress impossible. Spring melt has just begun. Stepping out into fresh, clear, crisp air, we look out and down. Our ship is dwarfed by the mountains. While the ocean occupies more surface space, landmass leads in terms of relief, colors, and grandeur. I stand, a speck amongst generations who have lived before me and those who will live after me, absolutely mesmerized.
winter’s snow-capped peaks
deter footsteps upon the pristine
Seven Sisters wait patiently
Bjorn hosts Haibun Monday at dVerse today, asking us to write about water. In homage to Bjorn’s Scandinavian roots, I’m writing about our cruise through the Norwegian fjords. The Seven Sisters are magnificent famous falls in the UNESCO-protected Geiranger fjord. Alas, since the spring melt was just beginning when we were there, five were dry and two were quite small in output. They need the full spring melt to achieve their grandeur. Photos taken in this magnificent place. The sun was shifting as we were there. Just a gorgeous day!
I have not yet been to Geiranger.. but there are so many glorious places in Norway… Seven sisters is also the name of 7 peaks in Northern Norway… I also know that spring came late this year.
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We fell in LOVE with Norway! Would LOVE to return.
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Your images are stunning, but your words convey so much more. You are so fortunate to have the health for international travel. My young wife, recently retired is finally traveling, as I cheer her on while stoking the home fires.
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It was such an amazing country to visit. Yes indeed, we are thankful for every day.
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Wow, gorgeous places from the photos Lillian ~ I would be mesmerized too from the pristine beauty ~
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One of my most favorite places to visit. Would love to go back.
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What a gorgeous trip! I love your descriptions of the place and your photos. The haiku at the end is spectacular.
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We fell in LOVE with Norway! 🙂
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I loved your write!!!
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Thank you!
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Wow – looks amazing! What a fantastic trip you took. I love your haiku, too, conjures up perfect snow.
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When we lived in Iowa many many years ago, I used to love to go out in the early morning after a snowfall….before any footsteps or plows had disturbed the blanket of snow. 🙂
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What a lot of lovely water! That trip is going to stay with you forever.
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Oh yes……we loved every minute of it! 🙂 And thank goodness for photos that let you revisit whenver we want!
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The photos are stunning.
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Nice photos and description of the fjord and living on the ship. Having sea all around me would be one reason I would hesitate to take such a voyage, but the stop at those mountains might be worth it.
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Thanks, Frank. We never thought we would like cruising…and in January we will go on our 10th! Norway was truly wonderful!
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A wonderful world of water, Grace, that pours into and out of your writing. I love the phrase ‘We rest at the feet of Mother Earth’.
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Thank you, Kim! So glad you enjoyed.
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Oh Lill! I’m sorry about the name confusion! I don’t know how that happened! Too much on my mind.
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Wonderful pics and words Lillian – and you are right, we are mere specks on this Earth of ours.
Anna :o]
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Ah yes….and the more we travel this earth, the more I realize how dwarded we are by its vastness and the passage of time. 🙂
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This pulls at me — I’m a quarter Norwegian. Really well written and the haiku is perfect.
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Have you been to Norway, Charley? We truly LOVED our time there and hope to return.
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Waiting for finances. Still believe it will happen….
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Lovely progress in this – you foreshadowed the conclusion beautifully – and then took it further – by adding another dimension in that last sentence – the haiku is the perfect grand coda.
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Thank you. So glad you caught the movement of the piece…or as you say, the “progress” of it from talking factually about the make-up of the earth…and then shifting to the incredible scene itself. Glad you enjoyed.
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Reblogged this on Frank J. Tassone and commented:
So Basho-esque in economy of description and in capturing the essence of place! Bravo!
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Thank you so much, Frank. And most especially for the reblog! 🙂
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My pleasure, Jilly!
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Ah yes, the fiords of Norway. Fantastic. I love “We rest at the feet of Mother Earth. Her shawl of earthen tones and greenery”, beautiful!
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So glad you enjoyed. The fjords are really beyond description — so glad you have our photos to “revisit” when we wish 🙂
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Looks and sounds spectacular! and a pretty haiku, to boot. Nice!
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It was indeed! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
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Loved the last line about how the falls wait patiently for the spring melt.. and just magnificient photos!
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It was such a special trip….so very beautiful!
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Ooh beautiful. Your words feel like a call from the snow-capped mountains. ❤
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Thank you, Maria. Always happy to take folks along with us on our trips via photos and words. And thank goodness for photos as we can return any time we wish by just looking at the images again!
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What is really evoked here is the sense of scale and our place in ‘all of this’ Very well written and supported by those beautiful shots.
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Thank you, Paul. Yep — the more we travel the more we realize the vastness of this earth and time itself.
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Excellent! 😎😎😎🥀🥀🥀
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Thank you!
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great photo and a fine verbal snap shot. thank you
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So glad you enjoyed! So very glad we have our photos as it enables us to “return” when the spirit moves us 🙂
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fantastisk!!! ☺ ^_^
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Thank you! 🙂
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