Balestrand, the Fjords and Bergen

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Blog 2: More Norway: Flam, Balestrand, the Fjords and Bergen

A Statistic: Lorraine has taken 1400 photos in 5 days, at 30s per photo (including checking) that works out at about 12 hours-Guess who holds the camera bag

We have found the advantage of being old, fat,bald and wrinkled. Several people have offered Dan senior discounts on travel and entry to museums, which of course he never rejects. Saving kronor is important when Pepper steak is $36 in Bjorn Average's cafe.
Got up at sparrows, took filled rolls from brekkie into our backpacks and headed off to Oslo Sentral Stasjon (I kid you not) for an epic 6 hr train journey to Flam via Myrdal

Lorraine clicked the very picturesque countryside along the way We saw spruce clad mountains vertical waterfalls rushing rivers and snowy ravines. Highlight was a huge glacier quite close to the train at Finse. The Flam railway is extremely scenic and drops from 860m at Myrdal to 2m at Flam, the train has 5 braking systems and stopped twice for photos L delighted!! Especially at the really impressive Kjosfossen waterfall where eerie Nordik singing was heard a Lorelei appeared high up on the edge of the falls She kept disappearing and reappearing somewhere else on the water fall as if by magic.
Very pretty boat trip along fjords to our 2nd two night stop at Balestrand Great hotel right on the fjord We admire the Norwegians ability to switch from English to Norwegian in one breath.They are very friendly. Everywhere is so clean Such a shame that food and drinks are outrageous in price.

Poor old Lorraine drops something everyday. The anticipation of this event brings excitement to the trip. On each day at Oslo she spilled drink on the table, at Balestrand there was the pink yoghurt on the carpet and following her one can catch a litter of exhausted camera batteries or pamphlets.Our battery charger has thrown in the towel!!
The camera does not bounce well at all, that could be the reason why it sometimes says I won't work. (She dropped it again today)- I'm terrified when she uses the laptop.

On our full day in Balestrand we had a leisurely morning walk along the fjord Saw apple trees a huge loaded cherry tree and Viking burial mounds Steep fir clad mountains dotted with little huts. Air is so clean very peaceful.Took an afternoon boat trip up our Sognefjord 1100m deep Impressive water relections ahead and on either side We were taken by bus to a Glacier Museum Saw two short films there on Glaciers and the environment and a helicopter trip over the glaciers in this area (Dan slept through the movie). Comparison photos from 1880's show just how much each glacier has melted (frightening) .We saw a display and video of Otzi the 5300 yr old iceman found in a glacier in 1990. Also a 30000 yr old mammoth tusk found in the area.
The highlight was a bus up to the Boyabreen glacier with its ice melt green lake below being fed by vertical waterfalls cascading down. The glacier is deeply crevassed bluish ice (looks very different to snow). The blue colour comes from the ice absorbing more of the red and yellow light than of the blue.
We were so lucky with the weather. The boat trip back was spitting rain and choppy (no reflections). However there was a lovely rainbow in a patch of sunlight over the Glacier as we steamed away.

Balestrand to Bergen
We took a catamaran from Balestrand and sailed up the fjord out almost into the Nth Sea through narrow inlets between little islands to the delightful city of Bergen.We accompanied two American women who unexpectedly were intelligent, knowledgeable and politically aware-we must admit with all our biases (Dan's) that most American tourists that we have met on our travels have been good company.
As we entered Bergen's delightful little harbour it started spitting rain and mist descended!! We only had the afternoon to sight see so I was cursing. However by the time we found our guesthouse &. checked in the sun was out and the whole afternoon was a grand success. We took the funicular up above Bergen for the best views ever over any city and harbour (320m to the summit) Then we walked along the old wharf area alongside the harbour called the Bryggen so picturesque with its colourful wooden old timber warehouses out to Bergen Castle and Tower at the entrance to the harbour. Dan had his usual icecream as we wandered this very pretty small city and parks.Our guesthouse is great Our room very clean and modern with a balcony door that opens onto a lovely little quiet medieval courtyard. Its a shame not to have more time here but being Sunday the ferry out of Balestrand left at 11.30 not 8a.m.!!!

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Photos

Rapids
little rapids on train from Oslo

Glacier
Glacier on left and winter snows from Oslo train

Waterf all
Spectacular Kjosfossen waterfall where Lorelei sang, disappeared /reappeared

Reflections
Spruce and birch clad mountains reflected at Flam

House at Balestrand
Wooden house, many roofs, dragon finials on fjord

St Olafs
Beautiful wooden interior 1897

Rainbow
On the fjord, rain one minute sunny the next

St Olafs Balestrand
Painted wooden many tiered roof

Dan and cuppa
On Songefjord, boat trip to the glacier

Boyabreen Glacier
Glacier reflected in the deep Fjaerland fjord

Boyabreen Glacier
1868 and 2008

Mammoth tusk
Found in Fjaerland area 30 000 yrs old

Boyabreen Glacier
Crevassed bluish ice, different to snow

Location of Balestrand
On longest deepest, most dramatic fjord in Norway

Bergen harbour
Coming into the Bryggen and Vagen harbour

Mt Floyen summit
panoramic views of Bergen

Menu Bergen
Read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dan near painted wooden warehouses
Testing hypothesis: Icecream makes you a better person.

Icecream
Before and after: Effects of ice cream. Which is before?

Bryggen area
Lovely warehouses on the harbour

Fountain and lake
Views to the top of the funicular Mt Floyen lookott

Comments

[Margot]

Hi thanks for the latest blog. Norway is very picturesque but I think I expected more snow. (Ignorant Aussie!) Hope you can find FREE WI FI soon.

[Deanne & Peter]

We want to go!
No wonder you would have like more time! The whole place is magical and your photos L are brilliant as is the commentary from the ice cream eating Dan! It seems like it was a very easy place to visit language wise. Looking forward to the next chapter! Have fun Deanne and Peter

[Nell]

Gorgeous photos! Hope you had reindeer or elk medallions! x

[Grant Henry]

I've ben told Norway is beautiful and your comments and photos confirm it. I think Norway is even more expensive than France - makes you wonder how ordinary people live. The A$ is great at the moment which takes some of the pain away. Dan you should write a book/travel guide about the best ice creams in Europe. Research and sampling would be tax deductible! We are in Chamonix - another beautiful part of the world. Took the cable car up Mt Blanc and then another to Helbronner (Italy). One of the highlights of our trip so far. Took 208 photos- would have been more except my battery ran out. Hope this finds you both fit and well, Grant and Jo

[Kaye]

great pics
I can relate to the amount of pictures. We will have a great many years of re-visiting our holidays.

[Jan and Graham Ford]

How wonderful are your photos Lorraine you have captured the essence of Norway with all its beauty and history. You and Dan are a great team. Graham and I are thoroughly enjoying reading your blog with lots of humour. We particularly enjoyed the icecream before and after photo.

[Anne and Phill]

sounds great
Looks and sounds beautiful a shame it is so expensive oh well you only live once. How do you feel about your youngest son turning 30!!! Love your travel blogs the talent obvouisly runs in the family hope our grandchildren inherit the skills. love to you both.