Day 4 (Bergen > Flåm)
Awoke after another good night's sleep (amazingly) and got the bus into Bergen for yet another attempt to get some Campingaz, or in this case a new stove. When Platou Sport finally opened I bought a stove for 399 kr (ouch) and then we got the train out to Myrdal.
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Myrdal would be of absolutely no importance if it weren't for the famous Myrdal-Flåm branch line. As it is, it is still of no importance but it is over-run by tourists every hour or two.
And so to the celebrated Flåmsbana. Most of the train was reserved for coach parties, while the riff-raff were herded into the last two carriages. The Americans started complaining about the lack of seats.
We headed down the 1:18 gradient track passing some dramatic scenery and stopped at a large waterfall where we could get out to take pictures. The Japanses tourists got very excited. The Americans complained about the spray.
Who left the tap on?
We continued downwards to the sound of crashing waterfalls, clicking shutters and cries of pain as tourists trod on each other's toes. Finally we all spilled out of the train at Flåm.
IT WAS SUNNY!
We headed to Flåm Camping away form the hordes and pithced our tent for a reasonable 50kr each per day.
Then it was time for our first cooked meal (!) of frankfurters, bread, frankfurter sandwiches, frankfurters, bread etc etc
Richard does the cooking for the first and last time
We also booked our way out of Flåm - a 250kr boat ride back to Bergen. We may be going round in circles but soon we will be heading north.
Day 5 (Flåm)
Woke up to a sunny morning. The sky was blue, the air was fresh and the QE2 had arrived during the night.
We had decided to devote today to exploring the couintryside around Flåm, so we set off, bread and salami (again) at the ready up the Flåmsdal valley alongside the river (capable of generating 7.5MW of hydroelectric power. Or so we calculated.) We met a lone man from the QE2 who had made the unusual (though probably preferable) decision not to go on the organised excursion.
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Sights on our walk |
As we climbed higher there were more good views into the valley, but the flies and ants were out in force and were beginning to make walking irritating, so we turned back and had our lunch in the middle of the road (fine until a succession of cars drove past).
Back at Flåm we went to have a look at the QE2 from the harbourside, ate an ice-cream, cooked pasta, ate stale bread, played 'Cheat', wrote diary...
If only ...
Tomorrow another walk then on Friday we have to wake up at 4.30 to catch the boat to Bergen.
Day 6 (Flåm)
Once again, it dawned bright and sunny. The QE2 had gone the previous day, ad had Richard's desire for more walking.
After breakfast therefore (nice swirly cakes) it was just Andrew and I who set off along the fjord.
Early on in the walk we spotted a mysterious black and white object moving on the surface of the fjord. Unfortunately by the time Andy had his binoculars out it had sunk into the depths. It appeared to me to be a living creature and despite Andy's attempts to pass it off as a wave or wake from a boat, it seems inevitable that we encountered none other than the Aurlandsfjord monster (Nessie's mythical Norwegian cousin).
We continued up on to the valley sides on to a thickly wooded path which climbed to give us some great views of the fjord from above.
 Where is the monster? |
 Me looking over the Aurlandsfjord |
 The fjord from above |
 The fjord yet again |
After luch we followed the road to Aurland, the major town in Aurland Kommune. We bought an ice-cream at the supermarket, and having thus exhausted Aurland's potential for entertainment, turned back along the road towards Flåm.
With the sun beating down, it was very tempting to dip your feet into the fjord, but sice experience showed that putting even a finger in gave you a major shock from the cold, this didn't seem to be wise.
We did however find a small shingle slope by the fjord that was perfect for stone-skimming (still water and flat stones).
Stone-skimming on the fjord
We then returned to the campsite, rejoining Richard
who had been doing sod all relaxing
during the day.
Dinner was bacon and eggs, which didn't go too badly considering my culinary skills (apart from the eggs. Oh, and the bacon). An early rise of 4.30 tomorrow to catch the boat to Bergen.
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Part
1 (Days 1-3)
Part 2 (Days 4-6)
Part 3 (Days
7-10)
Part 4 (Days
11-14)
Part 5 (Days
15-17)
Part 6 (Days
18-22)
Part 7 (Days
23-26)
Part 8 (Days
27-30)
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"We encountered none other than the Aurlandsfjord monster."