Norway adventure: Part IV (Norway in a Nutshell)

We got up super early by vacation standards to get to the train station in Bergen to begin our Norway in a Nutshell tour, we opted for the round trip which would take us back to Bergen that evening, but some continued on to Oslo for a 2-day journey.  For those of you who've never heard of this tour, this is the most popular tourism activity to do while in Norway.  It comprises a train, bus, & boat through green meadows, snowy mountains, & unbelievable fjords.  If you ever have the opportunity to go to Norway, I would highly recommend this journey.  Although, it is a long journey (almost 12 hours), it is well worth the time.  Map is below, but....we were supposed to leave Bergen on the train & travel all the way to Myrdal, which is in the snowy mountains, but there was a landslide (yikes) so we had to get off the train & take a boat around the landslide, then get back on the train & finally make it to Myrdal.  Along the way we saw beautiful scenery, but we were on a fast moving train & photos were not really all that feasible.  Myrdal is a mountain railway station & by mountain, I mean we were 2,800 ft. above sea level.  There are no roads or trains in the area except the one we were on, most people get around by cross-country skiing.  It was cold & snowy in Myrdal due to the elevation.  In Myrdal, we had maybe a 15 min break before we got on the "famous" Flam railway line.  The Flam railway is one of the steepest in the world & has numerous tunnels.  It takes you rapidly from 2,800 ft. to 94 ft above sea level down to the most famous of all fjords, the Sognefjord.  Norway is a rugged land, as I have stated many times in my blog posts, the fjords have been cut over the centuries by glaciers & the crystal clear waters of the fjords is mostly glacier run off.  The Songnefjord is known as the king of the fjords.  We boarded the boat for our fjord cruise in Flam.  The cruise was amazing!  The views from the boat were beautiful. Once through the fjord, we boarded a bus to head back to Voss, then on to Bergen on the train.  It was an amazing day, but tiring.  One thing we learned on this day is that the Norwegian's keep a tight schedule & they do not run late if they can help it.  Our detour from the landslide cost us about an hour, leaving us with only 5 min. to get to our cruise from the train.  We returned to Bergen via train & enjoyed sushi at a local restaurant near our hotel, as we were too tired to walk too far for dinner.  Next up, a tour of the Eidfjord, the queen of the fjords. ....

Norway in a Nutshell

On the boat to get around the landslide, in the lesser fjord area

Falls along the Flam railway



There is supposedly a legend of a siren who calls to the men during Spring & gets them to stay with her....

 

From the train down to Flam

 

In Flam

 

The Sonjefjord

 

On the bus

Norway adventure: Part III

Our 3rd day in Bergen was our final full day to explore the city, so after Michael's meeting ended around noon, we headed out to see a Stave church.  This is a church dating from the medieval time period.  Early Christians from that time used their knowledge of shipbuilding to make these churches, hence their unique construction.  The one we saw was actually a replica just 3 miles outside of Bergen, but we thought while in Norway we should at least see this one.  It was interesting for sure &  since we'll probably never see one again, I'm glad we did it.  There are some actual stave churches still standing from the medieval period scattered throughout Norway, but you must have a car to get to them, so this one the Fantoft Stave was a perfect way to get the experience.  Once back in the city center we admired the unique fountain in the main shopping area, complete with Vikings.  Finally, the skies had cleared enough to go to the top of the mountain that surrounds Bergen, Mt. Floyen.  We took the Floibanen or funicular (a train) which goes straight up the mountain to enjoy beautiful views of the city.  The harbor & tourist area definitely looks different from a bird's eye view.  And although cold at the top the views were worth it.   We ended our evening in the fish market where Michael ate, what he claims, is the best meal of his life, fresh mussels & king crab.  I don't have a picture, but he had a huge amount of seafood this evening.  We slept soundly that night, knowing the next day we would be heading out early for our Norway in a Nutshell tour....

Norway adventure: Part II

Our 2nd day in Norway brought cloudy skies & rainy weather.  Michael had a full day of meetings.  However, I was determined to get out & see some more of the area before the rain developed around noon that day.  I walked down to the fort that once protected Bergen.  It wasn't open yet as I was there around 8 am, but I was able to walk through some of it.  While walking I did explore the Bryggen area more & saw some of the older wooden structures & architecture.  Bryggen is considered a UNESCO world heritage site so I thought I might as well see it.  The narrow alleyways & crooked doorways are constant reminders that although the stores inside the structures appear quite modern the structures themselves are very old.  The rain began & I headed to the Hanseatic Museum.  This was a interesting look at what life was like during the 1700s in Bergen.  They actually have a perfectly preserved trading room from that period of time.  I rounded out my day by doing some shopping & having a late lunch at a lovely spot over looking the harbor.  Michael had dinner with his colleagues that evening so I relaxed & read, a luxury I never get.  I actually finished a 500 page book while on vacation called, The American Heiress.  If you're a Downton Abbey fan, like myself, I highly recommend it.  I was thankful that I relaxed this day as I knew our fjord explorations would be a different thing altogether!