Be prepared for a complete overload of amazing winter fjord scenery. There will be many pictures. Buckle those seat belts.
If you remember correctly, I last left you with a cliff hanger. We were about to board S.S. Unnamed Beautiful Ship that was going to take us on the ride of a lifetime through Nærøyfjord, one of the most narrow fjords in the world and a UNESCO world heritage sight. Then we would make an extremely tight turn around this giant pointy jut of rocky mountainside before traveling down Aurlandsfjord, a wider sister (or conjoined twin) of Nærøyfjord. Here’s what they look like on a map:
So yeah. We got off the bus at Gudvangen, over in the bottom left corner of that wish-bone-shaped body of water. Then the boat traveled all the way around and over to Flåm, the little town on the bottom right corner of the wishbone. In fact, here’s a map of the entire trip!
We didn’t actually go over to Oslo, but that’s an option. The trip we did can technically be purchased as a package called “Norway in a Nutshell,” but we purchased everything individually and ended up saving about $60! Woohoo!
Okay. Commence photo-stream. Behold! The mountains! The us! The boat!
Starring these adorable bathroom signs.
And these insane mountains!
The boat was slick and roomy on the inside, and when we got on the boat, we were disappointed to see that all the best spots were taken. But as we pulled away from the dock, we immediately began turning around, and it quickly became clear that everybody had gotten the front and back of the ship mixed up.
We realized right away and were one of the tricky groups who sprinted to the other side of the ship. We got a table and a decent view along with easy access to the door outside. #winning.
I braved it on my own at one point.
I’m sorry if these beautiful pictures start looking all look the same. But it was just up too pretty much to space stop snapping more and more.
Are you even seeing in this, people?!? The water was so still and clear around us! And at one point, we were turning really slowly, and the water started doing this crazy thing where it took on the shape of a ripply glass art piece and stayed frozen in time like that while the landscape changed around us. Video included! Be amazed!
AND THEN we started cutting through sheets of ice! Though the boat was the size of a small ferry, it was actually a giant catamaran, and the two catamaran things (you know what I’m talking about, right?) were sharp at the front so that they could cut through water. CHECK OUT THIS CRAZY VIDEO.
Then at the back of the boat, the water stream just flew up and slid over the ice on the sides and center of our pathway.
Insanity.
Please enjoy these smiles. We sacrificed our warmth for your entertainment alone.
And the reflections in this ridiculously calm and clear water:
And this glam shot of the dearest:
What a stud. (That’s day three on the sweater, by the way.)
So that was the amazing boat ride. Actually still in shock. Cannot recommend this enough. Do the Norway!!!
Here’s the ship we were on:
Small but classy.
And then it was on to the Flåm Railway, deemed “one of the most beautiful train rides in the world.”
At one of the stops, we were allowed to get out on the platform, and Jonathan took full advantage of this opportunity to make snow angels.
He also had a snowball fight with a man from New Zealand? The U.K.? Hard to say, but it was adorable. (Not pictured.)
The last leg of the trip was a train from Myrdal to Bergen. It was dark by this time, so my mom read and Jonathan and I played cards, letting our eyes and minds rest from that total overload of beauty we had just witnessed. We were back in Bergen by around 6:00, got some pizza and pasta from a place next to our house, and then I promptly fell asleep on one of the extra beds in the living room.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew worked diligently to figure out how we were going to get to the airport by 6am the next morning, seeing as how public transportation in our area didn’t start until 5:50.
Quite a successful day, if I do say so myself. Thank you Bergen and your crazy fjords for giving us some amazing sights and memories to last a lifetime! London’s next.
Venlig hilsen/ best regards,
Lizzy-wa
beautiful. but your turny swirly video only lasted 1 second. How far out did you have to lean to get the video of the boat slicing the ice?
I didn’t lean over. Just had to hold my hands over the edge. Was pretty scary for my phone!