On the train ride from Oslo to Myrdal, we find ourselves looking forward to the next part of the trip...the Flambana train to Flam.
The train hurtles down a 55% gradient, brakes squealing for much of the 866 m. descent. 18 of the 20 tunnels on this ride through the mountains were dug by hand at a rate of 1 month of hard labour to create 1 meter of the tunnel, thus taking 20 years to complete.
When not in a tunnel the views are breath-taking. At one point the train stops and everyone gets out...we are not sure why. There is a beautiful waterfall raining us with mist. Suddenly we hear music in the mountains and far above our heads, a woman in a long red dress is singing to us! Marvellous.
Flam is a small city on the innermost part of Sognefjord, the world's deepest and longest fjord...204 km long & 1308 m. deep. Cruise boats from all over the world come to Flam.
We are wondering if Paul has found some long lost relations. See any similarities?
I make friends with a fellow in a bar that is all in Viking style from outside to inside. Note the serpents on the roof.
We hike to the Otternes farm...27 houses dating back to the 17th century.
People still live in one or two of the houses here and farm.
We finish the day with a walk through the Fretheim Cultural Park.
On our last day in Flam, we do a short, steep hike to the Brekkfossen waterfalls. The views of Flam from here are stunning.
Tomorrow we head to Bergen on an express boat to experience a fjord from the water.
Before we go ... Some random photos of Flam:
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