Back in the Mountains

Today I’m back in the mountains. My first trip to Europe in 2016 I discovered I love the mountains. I don’t know whether it’s the contrast to the flat farmland I grew up in, the influence of the Chalet School books or just the mountains themselves. I find myself planning my trips around mountains.

It took a while to get here. The train from Oslo to Myrdal took about 5 1/2 hours. My seatmate was a retired Canadian. He got up from the seat about once an hour. A couple I met this evening remembered me from the train and they reminded me he told me “it’s the last time” but made me get up again after that. I didn’t mind, it got me moving a bit during the journey.
The journey was very scenic. I was surprised at the number of tunnels. It was overcast most of the day but that didn’t detract from the views at all.
At Myrdal I was reminded why I don’t like tours. Apparently the right side of the train from Myrdal to Flam is the best side. Everyone raced off the train to wait in the rain for the Flamsbana train. They then started boarding before the passengers on board had had a chance to get off. There was pushing and shoving. I sat at the first seat I came to on the left side of the train. The views were lovely. We stopped partway at the Kjosfossen Waterfall where we not only,y saw the amazing waterfall but saw a Huldra (mythical forrest spirit) and were treated to a Norwegian folk song.

Flam is gorgeous. There is a little alley of food trucks. I spoke to a man selling salamis. I tasted them all - moose, reindeer, red wine, and Viking (beef and lamb). Thye are apparently shelf stable until opened so I bought a moose one and will keep it until I get to Svolvaer and have a fridge. He also had brown cheese made locally but I still didn’t buy any.
I had some lunch - another sausage and salad. They are an easy meal as I just ask for it without the bun.
I have a lovely view from my room over the fjord. The salami man told be to enjoy it as tomorrow there will be a small cruise ship there. It started to rain so I relaxed in my room for an hour or so before going out.
I visited the Flamsbana museum which told the history of the railway. It’s called the twenty line as it is 20km long, has 20 tunnels (all bar two were dug by hand) and took 20 years to build.
I went into the visitor centre and saw there was still space on the Stegastein lookout bus. Earlier in the afternoon I’d decided against it as I didn’t want to battle crowds of people to get a view. On enquiry though I discovered it was a small bus. So I took ticket. There 16 of us in the bus. The trip should have taken half an hour but it took 40 minutes as we had to stop for traffic coming in the other direction and also for a couple of people to round up their two sheep that were on the road.
The views were pretty incredible - the mountains, the fjords, the clouds. I managed to get some photos and also just enjoy the view.

Back to Flam and to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Smoked salmon salad and goat roulade were delicious.
Tomorrow I travel to Bergen on boat, bus and train. I do wish I had more time here but then I’d have to cut time from somewhere else and I really don’t know that I could do that. Plus just the one night here lines up with the boat trips.Weiterlesen