19th August 2014

The previous evening, we’d been informed that the ship would enter the fjord leading to Flam at around 1 am, with an open invitation to go on deck and witness the breathtaking scenery. We woke at 7 am, and through the breakfast restaurant’s windows, we could indeed see the towering cliffs of the fjord, and rain!

After gearing up for the weather back in the cabin, we ventured out on deck to find that the ship was beginning its docking manoeuvres, and, fortunately, the rain had stopped. Attempting to describe the dramatic scenes surrounding the ship feels pointless; I’ll leave that to the photos I’ll insert into this blog once we’re back in the UK.

   We’d been informed that we would be tendering to shore by boat, as the cruise ship ‘Rotterdam’ was scheduled to occupy the only berth in this tiny village when we arrived. Fortunately, she’d cancelled this port overnight, so by 8:30 am, we were able to walk straight off the ship.

We spent an enjoyable hour and a half wandering about, admiring the houses, boats, and the rather absurd little ‘Thomas the Tank Engine‘ train offering tourists a ride around the village, quite surreal! It would be just as amusing if Braybrook offered donkey rides from the church to the village hall!

 

 

 

 

 

We returned by 10:30 am to join a very long queue for our train to Myrdal. Situations like this are exactly why we usually spend our family holidays “doing our own thing.” With our three hyperactive kids to chaperone, it was often the least stressful way to see parts of the world they could explore, destroy, and then leave anonymously.

We dutifully stood in line, chatting with other “line dancers” before boarding what we were told was the world’s steepest train. By that, I assume they mean “not funicular,” as we’ve been on plenty of those that tackle much steeper inclines. I’ll leave the post-inserted photos to give an impression of the sights, though I suspect they won’t truly do the elevation justice.

We made a brief stop at one waterfall to watch and listen to a mythical Norse Maiden dance, quite odd, really, especially since we did the same thing on the way back down. We spent only about 10 minutes in Myrdal, just long enough for some passengers to catch the Bergen to Oslo train that was waiting.

The journey itself was lovely, but my only regret was that we didn’t opt to cycle back down to Flam. If the kids had been with us, we definitely would have! I suppose we’re starting to feel a bit geriatric!

Having not eaten in several hours, we quickly boarded the ship, found a restaurant, and scoffed down lunch. For our afternoon calorie-burning activity, we had decided in the morning to walk to a waterfall a couple of kilometres outside of Flam. During the morning’s sortie, we had discovered the path that led to the falls, so we took it again after disembarking for the second time.

It was a pleasant walk in the warm sunshine until we reached the near-vertical section leading up to the falls. About two-thirds of the way up, an exhausted Sue gave up and headed back down. With more calories still in the tank, I carried on toward the falls. When I finally reached them, I was sweating and knackered! I climbed down to a tempting splash pool at the base of the falls, intending to cool my hot feet in the clear water.

But when I got there, I just couldn’t summon the energy to untie my boots, pull off my socks, and roll up my trouser legs. Definitely feeling a tad elderly, I sat for a while to catch my breath and then made the return journey, pausing briefly to snigger at an amusingly vandalised road sign.

Sue was waiting for me on the quay as the rain began to fall. We quickly popped into some of the shops to peruse their tourist wares before boarding the ship. Sue headed straight to the restaurant while I took a quick shower. As the ship began to leave port, Sue found a sunny spot to watch the scenery pass by. I, on the other hand, trotted to the Lord’s Tavern for a much-deserved London Pride, which I enjoyed on deck until the glass ran dry before relocating to Al Fresco for pizza and pie, and then settling in one of the lounges to take part in a general knowledge quiz, which regularly punctuates the day on board ship.

Wondering where Sue was, I set off in search. As usual, telepathically, we met after just a few steps! She was in the mood for coffee, so we headed to Al Fresco for refreshments (and pizza, again). Meanwhile, the wonderful scenery slid by on every window. Now fully recharged, we wandered onto the deck to see the views firsthand.

Back in the cabin, Sue had a nap, while I went topside to view the ship sailing through the fjord on its journey to the open sea. Over the Tannoy, the captain warned us of a midnight date with a storm (yippee!). Dressing for the evening meal, we made our way to the restaurant to enjoy yet another fabulous meal. The later entertainment in the main theatre was the comedian, Riki Jay, who surpassed his last performance by becoming even ruder.

We hit the pillow just before midnight, as the ship started to rock and roll as we headed into the predicted tempest.