June 21st
Flam

Finally Fjording in Flam

We were awoken this morning by the sun streaming into the cabin for a brief moment before it disappeared behind what seemed to be a mountain outside our cabin. Yay – we were finally in the fjords, and the view was breathtaking. And it looked like we were really going to be able to dock in Flam. A Princess ship had missed the port yesterday, and I was concerned that we were to suffer the same fate.

As soon as we were docked we headed ashore to explore the village. There is a small terminal building that has free wifi but nothing else at the pier, but as soon as you walk out of the port you are in downtown Flam. There is an excellent information center that has free wifi and an ATM and we picked up guidebooks and maps there.

We then did the rounds of the souvenir shops, one of which, although very expensive, was full of great items. They certainly cater well to those who come unprepared for the weather. Their selection of rain gear, puffy jackets, sweaters, hats and gloves is amazing. I was almost upset that I had come so well prepared and could not justify making any further purchases in the clothing department! The rain jackets were especially nice – they looked like they were really rainproof rather than just shower proof.

Then it was time to return to the pier to join our tour. I had initially just booked the Flam train trip, but after reading my guidebook, I was very taken by the description of the “Norway in a Nutshell” trip. This involved taking the train, then a bus, and then a boat up the fjord on your own. It sounded absolutely wonderful, but seemed to take all day, and with the risk of missed connections I was very concerned about missing the boat. So I compromised, and exchanged my rail trip for the ship’s own overpriced version of Norway in a nutshell, which did involve the train and a bus, but not the boat ride alas. That would have been spectacular I am sure.

There was a bit of confusion trying to find out where to meet the tour group, but we were not alone in this. There seemed to be several hundred other folks also involved in the search. Finally someone from Cunard appeared, made us line up 2 by 2, and then sent us off in the direction of the coaches.

We all piled in to the multitude of busses, and off we went. We drove through several long tunnels. The development of the tunnel system really has opened up access to the villages and towns along the west coast of Norway, and they were amazing feats of engineering. Our driver was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Norway. Who knew that there are 2 ways to write the Norwegian language – the most used is Bokmal, which is similar to Danish, and then there is the more classical Nynorsk. He also spoke about the similarities between the Scandinavian languages, and the relationship of the countries. I never realized how little I actually knew about this region.

We drove along hillsides and past towns in the valleys, and it really gave you a good view of what rural Norway was like, and how isolated the farms were.

We drove past the Stalheim hotel which was an important site during the German occupation. The hotel dates back to 1885, but there has been an inn there since the 1700s. The bus then wends its way down then an incredibly steep road called Stalheimskleiva, with a series of sharp switchbacks and a pair of beautiful waterfalls on each side. With its 18% grade, it is the steepest road in Norway. Strangely enough the bus driver stopped to check his breaks AFTER we arrived safely at the bottom, not before we started the descent. Stopping briefly to look at waterfalls.

We continued on the road to Voss, making a brief stop for a photo opportunity at the Tvinde waterfall along the way.

It was a beautiful drive through green countryside and picturesque villages. It appeared that if you sat on the right side of the bus, you got better views. We were of course on the left, so this might just be a grass is greener sort of phenomenon.

Lunch was at the Park Hotel in Voss. They provided an excellent buffet for the cast of thousands from the coaches. Yes, there was true Norwegian cuisine, but the only delicacy that I could deal with was a herring dish, which was actually quite tasty. They provided Cokes, Fanta, mineral water or Beer – but if you wanted something else, you could purchase it. I later found out that the beer was non-alcoholic, but everyone seemed to be enjoying it anyway.

After lunch we had time to walk around the town of Voss, which is one of the “most important sports towns in Norway”. There is a beautiful walk along the lake, and next to the path is a plaque dedicated to Knute Rockne who was born in Voss on March 4th, 1888. There is a lovely church with a little graveyard. We looked at the head stones, and as part of a very unscientific survey it appears that if your name is Ingeborg you have a high probability of living into you 90s.

Then it was time to walk to the station and catch the train to Myrdal where we changed trains for the Flam train.

The ride on the Flam train was spectacular going above beautiful valleys and green mountainsides, past high waterfalls and little villages. It was well worth the ride. We stopped briefly at the Kyosfossen waterfall where a beautiful witch who was apparently trying to lure the men on the train serenaded us. It didn’t work; they all got back on the train when it was time to move on again.

We returned to the boat just in time to sail away, no time for further exploration of the village of Flam.

In order to get out into the main part of the fjord, the ship had to turn around in a very narrow space, avoiding another cruise ship also there at anchor. It was amazing to watch, and we did the turn around with what looked like inches to spare. Excellent control of such a large vessel!

The sail away was spectacular and we spent several hours passing through the Sognefjord. It was quite cool out of deck, and I then discovered the joy of the often-maligned sheltered balcony. I could sit there out of the wind and watch the fjords go by. It was a lovely way to end a perfect day of sightseeing.