The Fjord the highway

In earlier times, the fjord was the highway. Even people who lived far away from the fjord needed access to a boat. For theirs was a life of rowing. They would row to visit their neighbours; they would row to church; they would row to collect fodder for their livestock and to take their kids to school. They would row to fetch the midwife or the doctor, or to assist livestock in trouble on the hill. They would row for fishing. Everything they produced for sale, and everything they needed to buy, was carried by sea. The first coastal steamer arrived in 1857. From 1870 onwards, there was a weekly service between Ålesund and Geiranger. Since the 1900s the fjord has been busy with all sorts of vessels, including many cruise ships. The steamer was a welcome visitor, but if people on remote farms were to make use of its services, they would need to row out and wait mid-fjord. Milk boats carried milk from farms to dairies. There was a passenger ferry, an ambulance boat, a doctor’s boat and a church boat. And sometimes the local service boat would be all of these things in one. All the while our roads were being improved, and with better roads came more cars. The first car ferries were introduced in the 1920s, and since then, road transport has become increasingly important. In the 1960s we started making tunnels through the mountains. This gave us snow free roads, and a quicker route to hospital. These days of course, lifesaving treatment is only minutes away by rescue helicopter. Still – this boat between Ålesund and Geiranger actually offers the most efficient route. There is no need to wait for a ferry or to be delayed by slow drivers amidst the tourist traffic. Instead, you can lean back, take in the fresh air, enjoy a refreshment and allow yourself a rest for as long as the journey takes.