Flam to Bergen

Four and a bit years ago, Samara and I sat at her kitchen table to discuss potential locations for our next holiday. We threw around a few ideas - Japan, Russia, Mongolia - and Googled various places. I ended up down a rabbit hole looking at rail journeys across the world and watched a YouTube clip on the Flåm Railway in Western Norway. It took our breath away and we made our mind up on the spot … Scandinavia, in particular Flåm, was our next destination!!!
We arrived in Flåm last night, 4 years and 3 months later, delayed by the pandemic and then stoopid Putin's monstrous war (we had originally planned and booked Russia with Scandinavia), but we made it and here we most certainly are!!
The Flåm Railway has been described as one of the world's most beautiful rail journeys and we wholeheartedly concur! We did a lot of "WOW"ing along the way despite the rain. The train runs from Flåm at the end of the Aurlandsfjord (a tributary of the Songnefjord) up to 868m in the mountains at Myrdal Station. My fun fact of the day is that the line was called "The Twenty Line" because it was 20 kilometres in length, passed through 20 tunnels and took 20 years to build! On top of that, 18 of the 20 tunnels were excavated by hand. Sheesh!
From the comfort of a vintage carriage, we take the 1 hour journey to Myrdal, stopping at Kjosfossen Waterfall for a 5 minute photo op. Here, we are unexpectedly serenaded by a siren in a red dress, singing an old Norwegian folk song. She is the Huldra, an elusive forrest spirit from Norse mythology. We think she might actually be a drag queen…
The journey back down the mountain is equally as spectacular as the ride up. We are two very thrilled girlies!!
We next take a 2 hour fjord cruise along the Aurlandsfjord to Gudvangen on a fully electric eco boat. The ride is smooth, fast and fricking freezing! Of course, I stand at the helm with one or two other die-hards in the wind and the rain and love every minute of it. Samara did the sensible thing and watched the view from the comfort and warmth of the very swish lounge. It was a very, very good day!!
Oh ... and Samara patted a giant slug on our early morning hike!! See photographic evidence below...Read more