Molde, Norway

At each port destination locals welcomed us in traditional
costumes and sometimes a band played. The Norwegian
costumes are very beautiful and are for sale at stores in the
larger cities (very expensive). 

Our next destination was Molde, larger than the last two ports we visited with a population of 27,000. It's major industry in the past was textiles and garments. We decided to hike up to the Varden viewpoint in the morning and then visit the Romsdal Museum. This major folk museum opened in 1928 with a collection of buildings representing typical homes and outbuildings of Norwegians through the centuries and of different economic states. They are continuing to collect additional dwellings and the modern addition has a collection of prints, photos and texts, as well as a cafe. Like Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, the staff dress in costume and demonstrate and explain the way folks lived in the appropriate time periods. There was a demonstration of folk dances by local children as well.

Norwegian shops don't open until late by our standards but on
Sunday morning, everything was closed and no one was on
the street. Many people live right downtown - this resident
has a great sense of humor!

It was a pretty downtown and the site of the
annual Molde Jazz Festival, one of the
largest and oldest in Europe.

Molde is nicknamed the City of Roses - and there were
certainly beautiful examples all around.

We passed this lovely "Victorian" looking church on the
trail up the hill.

One of our first views along the trail up to the Varden lookout. Lots of lupine!

Another view further up. At about this point I decided to take it slower and joined a fellow cruiser who felt the same. Scott,
Walt, Honoree and her husband bounded ahead and reached the top. My fellow traveler and I "smelled the roses" and didn't.

It was a lovely sunny day and quite warm.

This charming young man was one of the local guides
at the Romsdal Museum.

The houses varied enormously by time period and economic
status. 

This was a simple version of the home on the left but still
reasonable comfortable with windows. We saw one home
that was still used until the last century that only had a
hole in the roof (with a cover) to let out the smoke in an
open firepit. 

Here an example of the "garden roof" on an older building
but they are often on modern buildings as well.

This church housed a wonderful collection of religious
folk art. The docent gave us an interesting lecture.

This hands on demonstration showed the process of making
flat bread - much like matzoh! We got to sample it with
hand churned butter - Yum.

The "village" surrounded several scenic ponds.

We enjoyed the fun folk dancing show afterwards.

Scott, Honoree and Walt made it to the Varden outlooks and the views were spectacular.