Now seeing and really experiencing our first two fjords lies behind us. Yesterday was Monday and we were in Flåm. Today, we will be in Olden.
Flåm lies on the Aurlandsfjord, which is part of the 204 kilometres of the Sognefjord, the depth of which is 1,308 metres. Visiting Flåm, you have to take a ride on the Flåm-Bahn, which is exactly what we did.
I must say it is worth the money and time. You go through 20 kilometres of beautiful scenery, starting at an altitude of zero and going up to 863.6 metres. Also, this railway line has a very diverse history.
We then climbed down half the way and re-entered the train in Berekvam. That meant six fast kilometres on foot down the hill and I know what my muscles are complaining about today.
However, that is not a problem, because today we are going by bike, and on the bike, other muscles are in demand.
During the night, the ship took us through a spectacular exit of the Sognefjord 106 kilometres further into the inner country at Olden. A dreamlike sunset was included.
And Olden is famous for its Briskal Glacier, which is a branch of the Jostedals Glacier, the biggest glacier in Europe. This huge hulk of ice covers 486 square metres and is 400 metres long at its widest stretch.
And there is a really nice, narrow road leading to the glacier. It is ideal for going by bike. Since “MeinSchiff” has excellent mountain bikes on board, my first kilometres (unfortunately, only about 50 of them) in Norway were a foregone conclusion.
But fear thee not – there are more kilometres to come. From where the road ends, you have to go about three more steep uphill kilometres to the glacier. You cannot ride those by bike. Instead, you have to walk. Today was another nice day.
By the way, when we wanted to dock at Olden, another cruiser, the Ventura of P&O, had already taken the place at the dock. Consequently, we had to change plans and drop anchor in the harbour and then we were “tendered out”, which meant four trips by boat. Not so bad!
Later, the Ventura – a British Cruiser – sailed out before us. First the people on board sang their national anthem – and then they played real good rock music. It was truly spectacular.
Now, our ship, too, departs; quietly and on time. Our next stop will be Trondheim. I look forward to dinner, which is why I now close my travel journal for the day – see you tomorrow!
And my heartfelt regards to all who stayed at home from the Innvikfjord!
RMD
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