Eidsdal is a farming village on the eastern shore of the Norddalsfjord, and the thing that matters to a rider is the ferry. A short crossing links Eidsdal with Linge on the other side, and on a sunny day it is one of the nicest breaks on the whole Scenic Route: you roll the bike onto the deck, switch off the engine, and spend a few minutes with salt air, gulls and a wall of green mountains rising from the water. Departures are frequent, and the village has a small ferry quay, a church and a handful of farms.
The road toward Geiranger climbs away from the fjord edge and over a high shoulder of mountain, then drops through the tight bends known as the Eagle Road, Ornesvingen, with views straight down to the water of the Geirangerfjord. Going the other way, the road leads toward Valldal and the beginning of the Trollstigen climb. The surface is smooth, the corners are sharp and the traffic can be heavy in midsummer, with camper vans, coaches and cyclists sharing the same ribbon of asphalt. Take your time and stop at the viewpoints, since the scenery changes with each bend. The best weather is usually in June and early September.
The district has a history of small-scale survival. Farms here are cut into steep slopes, with narrow fields, stone walls and wooden barns, and for centuries the fjord was the only road. Many farms are abandoned now, but a few are still operated, and some offer a coffee and a waffle to passing riders. The old church in the village, a plain white wooden building, has served the community for generations. Rockfalls and avalanches are a part of life, and warning signs are taken seriously.
Nature is dramatic. The fjord is deep, dark and cold, hemmed by steep walls of rock, and in spring snowmelt turns the cliffs into a curtain of waterfalls. Fulmars and kittiwakes nest on the ledges, and porpoises sometimes show up in the water. The smell of the place is damp rock, cut grass and the faint tang of seaweed.
Stranda has fuel and shops, and the larger villages along the route have petrol stations, so top up before the mountain sections. Carry a layer for the cold ferry deck, buy a ticket at the quay or on board, and enjoy the crossing.