Oslo to Bergen

Sunday, July 20

We awake early ready for a big travel day involving train to train to ferry to bus to train to Bergen.  The hotel brown bag breakfasts were ready for us as we board an awaiting taxi van at 7:15. 

Arriving at train station

The group

Boarding

 

  The train left the Oslo Central Station around 8.  The conductor came by a few minutes after departure and Barb handed him our tickets for all 8 of us and said, while pointing to the group, “Two, Six, Eight.”  We all paused as so did the conductor.  “Two, six, eight?” he asked?   Barb pointed again to her and me, and then pointed out the other six.  “Interesting math, two, six, eight,” the conductor related, stamping our tickets, returning them and headed on. 

 As the urban then suburban Oslo passed by our windows, we soon passed into rural, then the occasional village, Norway.  The gorgeous scenery with exquisite farms, lakes, rivers, and streams dotting the landscape.  High mountains often flanked us sometimes revealing ski runs and a couple of ski jump areas.   

 

 

 There were a few stops as more passengers entered but in between stops, the train zoomed at, I guess, 60 MPH. The conductor passed by again to check in the new passengers.  As he approached our group, he stopped and pointed to each of us and stated, “Two, six, eight,” and moved on.  We howled.  Everyone else in the train car stared at us with a puzzled look.   Farmland evolved into forested mountains and the frequency of tunnels increased (200 tunnels between Oslo and Bergen).  As we exited tunnels, people flocked to the windows to take pictures of the mountain vistas.  After a few hours the trees disappeared and the high altitude tundra began to dominate the landscape.  Glaciers were visible in the mountains and vacation huts were frequent, often in such isolated settings that roads or electrical service appeared to be lacking, especially near the highest point around 4,000 ft. 

 

We reach Myrdal near noon and exit to board another, albeit a very unique train to Flam. 

 

The train car from Myrdal to Flam

 

 The train drops 2,800 feet, through 20 tunnels, in the 12 mile, one hour time.  It is unique to any experience I have ever had.  The vistas are impressive, once stopping at a roaring waterfall, complete with a siren singing in the distance, her voice amplified by speakers at the stopping point.  Surreal. 

 

 

 We drop through the valley to Flam, the Ferry waiting to take us down the Aurlandsfjord. 

On the ferry

 

 

 Although impressive with its steep sides and relative narrow pass, it is not as impressive as the landscape north of Vancouver Island.  One incredible question persists, however.  How do they build those impressive farm buildings high on the cliffs overlooking the fjord?  There often are no signs of roads or electrical service leading to those impressive farms. 

 

 

 

The cruise ends in Gudvangen where we board buses.  But no, the Norwegians do not take the easy way out.  The bus exits the main road to Voss to drive by the landmark Stalheim Hotel which dates back to 1885 and there has been an inn there since 1700.  From there the bus drops in a series of switchbacks descending back to the main highway through curves that the bus can barely negotiate.  The bus driver acts out demonstrative anguish as he negotiates the curves.  When the bus reaches the valley floor we all applaud.  The bus driver, while negotiating the last curve, then raises both his hands above his head and applauds as well.

We arrive at Voss and are dropped off at the railroad station to await the next train to Bergen.  The kids grab some food at a nearby fast food place and make it back just in time to board the train. 

Watching the luggage at Voss. 

 

At 9 p.m., after another 2 hours of beautiful scenery, we arrive at the Bergen train station. 

I think we need to go this way, no this way is better.  Men can consult maps.

 

 We grab some local tourist maps and set off by foot to our hotel.  It is warm, probably around 80.  Our hotel is a welcome site but as we enter our rooms, reality sets in.  Hotel rooms in Bergen have no AC.  In a city that receives 80 inches of rainfall per year, at the latitude in which Bergen sits, when would one ever need AC?  Today, it would have been nice.  Thankfully the evening cools and open windows allow us to sleep.

We check in but the historic waterfront, a UNESCO site, calls.  But after a short walk, we collapse into bed.  Big day.  Perfect day. Could it have been better?