Flåm, Norway

Tuesday, June 13th
Flåm, Norway
ms Koningsdam
Voyage of the Midnight Sun
Day 2
Mostly Cloudy - 57 Degrees

We have seen fjords in other parts of the world, but Norway invented them.  OK, they didn't actually invent fjords, but fjord is a Norwegian word, so they deserve some credit.  Regardless, Western Norway has some of the most beautiful fjords in the world, carved by glaciers three million years ago.  We are told that National Geographic undertook a comprehensive review of all UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and declared the fjords of Norway #1.  Well, there you go.

Our first stop on the Voyage of the Midnight Sun is in Flåm at the head of Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the Sognefjord.  In Norwegian, an "o" over the "a," as in Flåm, is pronounced "oh" as in "Flome."  We were up at 4:30 this morning for the journey through the fjord.  There is an open deck at the bow on deck 5 that is restricted to crew access while the ship is at sea, but it is open it to passengers for scenic cruising.  It was incredibly peaceful with only a few of us out so early in the morning.  The ship was at a slow glide, almost silent with no wake running at just a few knots.  We are a floating city of more than three thousand passengers and crew, a sideways skyscraper heavy in the water, but it was almost possible to believe that we were alone in the wilderness.

You have to be up pretty early in the morning to see the sun rise this time of year in this part of the world.  We just made it.

Flåm is a small town, mostly just a transfer point for land and sea tours in the region.  In fact, the name means "little place between steep mountains."  Not a pretty name, but very efficient.  It is famous for the Flåm Railway, Flåmsbana, an engineering marvel climbing from sea level to 2,800 feet over bridges and through 20 tunnels.

There must be a Norwegian joke to be told about boarding the train, which was a logistical cluster-kerfuffle of epic proportions.  "How many Norwegians does it take to board a 200 seat train?  200.  One to sit in the first seat, and 199 to sit on top of him."  Or something like that.  It's a beautiful train ride, passing every shade of green and granite imaginable.  And waterfalls, many waterfalls.

The Kjosfossen waterfall is truly epic, running at full volume, it is fed by an upland lake that just thawed from the winter freeze.  The train stops right at the viewing platform, the mist in your face as you step off the train.

Back on the train, already part way into the next tunnel, we continued onward and upward to the Vatnahalsen Mountain Hotel for coffee and waffles with sour cream and jam.

Full of waffles, we took the train back down to Flåm, enjoying the ride from the other side, and back onto the ship.

Next Stop:  Bergen, Norway