It was a rainy morning in Bergen and the forecast was for continuing light rains throughout the day. We had been told to expect this so we went ahead with our plans to drive to the town of Flam which is on shore of the Sognefjord, Norway’s longest fjord at 205 km from the ocean near Bergen. At its deepest, Sognefjord plunges to more than 1,300 meters and the mountains along the fjord rise to more than 1,700 meters.
At the mid-point on our 2 1/2 hour drive to Flam, we stopped at lake Vossestrand to stretch our legs and enjoy views of the mirror lake.
Here is a short video of the same scene.
We arrived at our destination Flam with an hour to spare before our 12:15 boat tour departure. One of the guides recommended this Bakery for lunch.It did not disappoint!We find that food is pretty expensive in Norway as the pastries were priced at 30 and 40 Norwegian Kroner each, which is about $3.60 and $4.80. A ham & cheese croissant sandwich is about $10.Instead of taking the large cruise boat tour where they serve tea and cookies as you sail leisurely down the fjord, we opted for the Fjord Safari tour which is a fast Rib Boat for 12 passengers. According to Norwegian maritime rules, we had to wear these survival suits….just in case.Here is a view of the boat.Our boat captain Per from Denmark said that he moved to Norway because he loves mountains and the highest point in his homeland is just 150 meters.
We enjoyed getting up close to the shore and the many waterfalls along the fjord.
The village of Undredal is in a picturesque valley. It boasts a population of 63 humans and 400 goats.
Per lives here and has built a small cabin that he is going to start offering as a rental on AirBnB. We’ll have to come back.
We then entered the 20 km long Nærøyfjord. As the guidebook says:
“The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest and best known of the many arms of the Sognefjord. With its steep mountainsides, hanging valleys, towering peaks, snowfields, waterfalls and small hamlets, this fjord is perhaps the most outstanding natural attraction in Norway.”
These kayakers were off for a camping trip down the fjord. Our captain Per explained that by law you are allowed to pitch a tent and camp anywhere in the country as long as you are at least 50 meters from someone’s home. Indeed, Norwegians are “powered by nature”.It was some of the most breath-taking scenery we had ever experienced and proved the wisdom of Psalm 54:6: “You firmly established the mountains by your power; You are clothed with mightiness”
