So lots has happened, and I'm trying to remember it all...
I think we left off when we got on the train to Bergen. We bought a ticket from a website called Norway in a Nutshell which takes you from Oslo to Bergen via Myrdal and Flaam and Gundvangen and Voss. Meaning you take the train from Oslo to Myrdal, change trains and go to Flaam, then take a BOAT down a FJORD to Gundvangen, then a bus to Voss, and then a train to Bergen.
On the 28th we take the night train back to Oslo. We bought a sleeper car so that will kind of count as one night's hotel room.
Anyways, after we got to Flaam I had a chance to blog a little bit about the train ride. It was so gorgeous! We had a nice relaxing 6 hour train ride. After we arrived in Flaam, we checked into our hostel, which looked like this:
Cute little bunk beds. We sprung an extra $15 USD each for OUR OWN BATHROOM in the ROOM!! The hostel we stayed at in Iceland had a bathroom down the hall, and it was sort of a hassle...kinda like, should I walk all the way to the bathroom, or just hold it...anyways so we were excited at the prospect of having our own shower and so we spent $65 each to stay at a youth hostel. Everything is so expensive in Norway!! So that night we checked in, left our bags in the room, and went down to have dinner at a cafe. Ross had the typical Norwegian feast of meat cakes, mushy green peas and potatoes with gravy, and I had a hamburger and french fries. both meals were about $22 each. There is nothing cheaper. You just pretty much have to spend $20 for a meal. So we're only eating twice a day. Once from a grocery store for about $10 (ham and cheese sandwich) and once at a restaurant or cafe for about $22-$25. And my coffee is $3-4 for a tiny cup of regular coffee poured from a coffee pot.
After dinner we went back to our hotel and watched like 4 or 5 episodes of the Office and fell asleep. The next morning we had to check out by 11am, and so we left our bags at the front desk and set off for a walk in search of the Farts sign that I saw from the window of the train. On the way we just marvelled at how gorgeous the mountains were.
And then it was off to get on the boat for the Fjord tour. So...this is the part that's hard to describe. I have never seen anything so beautiful in all my life. p.s. it rained the entire day on the way to Flaam, and we were just hoping and hoping it wouldn't rain on our fjord trip and it didn't! The sun was out and there were just a few clouds, so it made for such a gorgeous view. It was cold, but fortunately Ross bought a headband and gloves for us at the souvenir shop. Here are some photos:
There is a waterfall that the boat drives right up to and against. I saw this on my Rick Steeve's video so I ran down to the bottom part of the boat to get a really good picture. Here it is...and then the boat crew guy lowered the green thing and a gush of water came in and soaked me up to my ankles.
I think we left off when we got on the train to Bergen. We bought a ticket from a website called Norway in a Nutshell which takes you from Oslo to Bergen via Myrdal and Flaam and Gundvangen and Voss. Meaning you take the train from Oslo to Myrdal, change trains and go to Flaam, then take a BOAT down a FJORD to Gundvangen, then a bus to Voss, and then a train to Bergen.
On the 28th we take the night train back to Oslo. We bought a sleeper car so that will kind of count as one night's hotel room.
Anyways, after we got to Flaam I had a chance to blog a little bit about the train ride. It was so gorgeous! We had a nice relaxing 6 hour train ride. After we arrived in Flaam, we checked into our hostel, which looked like this:
Cute little bunk beds. We sprung an extra $15 USD each for OUR OWN BATHROOM in the ROOM!! The hostel we stayed at in Iceland had a bathroom down the hall, and it was sort of a hassle...kinda like, should I walk all the way to the bathroom, or just hold it...anyways so we were excited at the prospect of having our own shower and so we spent $65 each to stay at a youth hostel. Everything is so expensive in Norway!! So that night we checked in, left our bags in the room, and went down to have dinner at a cafe. Ross had the typical Norwegian feast of meat cakes, mushy green peas and potatoes with gravy, and I had a hamburger and french fries. both meals were about $22 each. There is nothing cheaper. You just pretty much have to spend $20 for a meal. So we're only eating twice a day. Once from a grocery store for about $10 (ham and cheese sandwich) and once at a restaurant or cafe for about $22-$25. And my coffee is $3-4 for a tiny cup of regular coffee poured from a coffee pot.
After dinner we went back to our hotel and watched like 4 or 5 episodes of the Office and fell asleep. The next morning we had to check out by 11am, and so we left our bags at the front desk and set off for a walk in search of the Farts sign that I saw from the window of the train. On the way we just marvelled at how gorgeous the mountains were.
And then it was off to get on the boat for the Fjord tour. So...this is the part that's hard to describe. I have never seen anything so beautiful in all my life. p.s. it rained the entire day on the way to Flaam, and we were just hoping and hoping it wouldn't rain on our fjord trip and it didn't! The sun was out and there were just a few clouds, so it made for such a gorgeous view. It was cold, but fortunately Ross bought a headband and gloves for us at the souvenir shop. Here are some photos:
There is a waterfall that the boat drives right up to and against. I saw this on my Rick Steeve's video so I ran down to the bottom part of the boat to get a really good picture. Here it is...and then the boat crew guy lowered the green thing and a gush of water came in and soaked me up to my ankles.
If it was easy to, I'd move to Norway at the drop of a hat. It's unbelievably gorgeous, pictures only capture part of it. I'm so jealous of you! I didn't get to tour the famous fjord when I was there because the ferry dudes were on strike!
ReplyDeleteKady, when I read your first paragraph, I was so reminded of Betty Whites stories in Golden Girls.
ReplyDeleteoops, that last comment was me...Mom
ReplyDelete