The Fjord of Life
The surface was still, unmoved, it didn’t seem to care about what surrounded it. That often happened when I was present in considerable amount. My nervous system was pretty complex, I had cells all around, but my top and bottom were a magical creation. I could sense things from the top. My bottom was the rock solid base I could stand on all day long to get that sense and view from the top. It had been many years now and I hadn’t moved out of my home in Aurlandsfjord (Aurlandsfjord is close to Flåm in southern Norway). I have loved my time here. I have seen good and bad times. I have been fortunate to be part of this wonderful Fjord.
Glaciers started this journey, over several thousand years of process, eventually the oceans filled up the valleys as these glaciers retreated and Fjords became Fjords. The world has changed much, but I don’t think Aurlandsfjord has changed a lot. As you can rightly see that perfection is tough to improve. I can say the same about a lot of other Fjords here in Norway, but Aurlandsfjord is something else.
Fjords and Norway go hand in hand, and so do long tunnels, picturesque towns, greenery, and great architecture. I represent every Fjord but I have seen a lot of other aspects of Norway from the people who come to visit. People often talk about how 6 or 7 kms tunnels started feeling tiny in front of the 25 km world’s longest Laerdal Tunnel. Every road that you take has so many tunnels (given the mountains) that the road could often be described as some portions of normal roads on a tunnel route. Postcards that looked unreal or just made-up started to make sense, or to be just, the postcards started looking pale in front of what we saw, the mountains, the valleys, the fjords, the trees, the towns. I repeatedly here these stories when I eavesdrop. Flåm, Voss, Undredal, Fjærland, Stryn are just a few cities/towns that often come-up in conversations.
The sounds here are terrific, the gushing water stream, the echoing mountains, the burbling waterfall, the unspeaking clouds. Yet there is tranquillity, there is stillness, there is that frequency which the ear cannot handle due to extreme silence. The nature never fails to surprise and behold us.
As water flows through the Fjord, it carries legacy, it carries a story. There are legends holding the test of time but the water has seen of all of it. It accumulates experience as it flows ahead. There is no stopping, there is constant movement. Water and life are often compared and rightly so. Life is always learning from water and water is always showering lessons for life.
Fjord journeys are special, its difficult to think about cruising through Geirangerfjord and being just calm about it. I waved at the passengers on the ferry ride. Some were here for the first time, some had been frequent riders. But, all had a sense of awe, they kept looking at the water, the mountains, the birds, the trees, the skies. It was great seeing that the thoughts were going deeper. That reminds me of my bed time. Its with those Fjord memories, I sign off for now
Your friend forever,
Depth
