There is a Norwegian cruising conundrum to which we have yet to find the answer.

We are surrounded with beautiful mountains, waterfalls, and fiords.

Clinging to the edges of the fiords are picturesque farms.

The norm is to have a dock, and often a small fishing vessel moored nearby.

That Norwegians have been living here a long time is attested to by the grave markers close by this small home.

All this beauty, and yet there is a small problem. Virtually every anchorage has an abode or small village. Not to the density of Europe or Southern Scandinavia of course. But it is difficult to get away from the visual influence of man. Roads and power lines are almost everywhere.

Take Kjerkfjorden, just four miles from Reine. You cannot argue about the scenery. Spectacular, especially on a sunny day with cumulus clouds hanging over the mountains.

But we have to share the beauty with this small village. Of course they came first. Folks have been living here for somewhere between three and ten thousand years, and who can blame them.

There are advantages. Navigation aids, charts with detailed soundings, readily available supplies and places to dock whenever the desire strikes. On the other hand, there is a thrill which comes from a tranche of beauty without civilization, experienced totally on your own, which can never be duplicated in a serene and settled cruising environment such as Norway.

Which do we prefer? Both.

We will close with a series of photos to give you a feel for what is currently playing at the Wind Horse great room theater.