Fjord (Counting Down the Days Until my Alaska Adventure)

Fjord in Sunnmøre, Norway

"A fjord (or fiord) is a narrow inlet of the sea between cliffs or steep slopes, which results from marine inundation of a glaciated valley. Typical characteristics of a fjord include: a narrow inlet, a bottom glacially eroded significantly below sea level (allowing deep-draft vessels to navigate easily), steep-sided walls which continue to descend below the sea surface, greater depths in the upper and middle reaches than on the seaward side, and communication with the open sea.

Fjord is an English loan word taken from the Scandinavian term fjord, which derives from the Old Norse fjörðr (pronounced "fyurthr", now fjörður in Icelandic) meaning firth or inlet. The term fjord, although commonly used in Norwegian and Danish, is not universally used for naming fjords in other countries. Many fjords are called "canals", "inlets" and "sounds", e.g. Hood Canal and Burrard Inlet in the Pacific Northwest."

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I depart for Seattle on July 20. On July 22 I board the cruise of a lifetime. I can't wait. So a bit more than a month to go. I'm thinking the photos I take on this trip will be as good as the ones I took in Iceland & Scotland. :)

I love whales and I have not seen any since I was a teenager (last whale watch). Also, sealions are pretty neat...I see them at the Woods Hole Oceanagraphic Institute once in a while. They sort of hang out in an outdoor area. So here's hoping for great wildlife. I figure might as well see Hubbard Glacier (North America's largest) before Global Warming takes over. Might as well enjoy what we have before it's gone.