Fjordland Norway

After two nights in Bergen, Alex and I boarded the train to Flåm. The train took about 2 hours and then we transferred to the Flamsbana mountain train that took about 1 hour to go 20 km. It was a touristy (and by touristy I mean that I was almost pushed to the ground by backpack wearing, walking pole carrying 70 year olds) little train but really beautiful.

We crossed the river in the valley below a few times and saw about 10 waterfalls.

And we went through about 10 tunnels, the majority of which were dug by hand and took one month to dig one meter.

I like this picture because you can see the old fashioned train curving behind us to the right and I'm pretty sure you can see my reflection in the round mirror right in front.

After the train we boarded an hour long high speed ferry through the fjord to Balestrand, another little town of population 800. I think Alex's beard is coming in handy.

Beautiful views of the fjord from the back of the boat.

We stayed in the Kviknes Hotel. Built in the late 1800s, the hotel was really an architectural gem. Balestrand became a popular tourist destination and home to some of Norway's most famous artists who came to enjoy the beautiful light and gorgeous scenery.

One of the sitting rooms. The chairs had dragon heads carved on them and the walls were covered with a beautiful art collection.

The view from the hotel.

While in Balestrand we took the day trip up to see the Fjærland glacier and museum. It was cool.

 

Oddly enough, the little town at the base of the glacier is known as "The Booktown of Norway" for all of its secondhand book dealers.

We wished we could have walked on the glacier but that'll have to wait for our next adventure. The museum was weird, a little outdated and totally sensational, but seeing the glacier firsthand was great.

Cute little cottages line the shore. According to the ferry guide, the same families have been coming to this valley in the summers for generations. It would be a pretty amazing place to spend a few months. You really do feel like you are sort of at the end of the earth. 

Fjordland is gorgeous. Getting around on ferries is super easy and cute little towns have great cafes, campgrounds and tons of outdoor activities. Tomorrow. mountain biking.