Weekend in the Fjørds

The fjords don't look anything like I thought they would. I thought they'd be more like the white cliffs of Dover. I dreamed of standing at the edge, looking out at the ocean, straight across to the horizon, at the top of the world. They don't look like that at all. Every fjord has its own character. The Dalsfjord is flatter, the Sognefjord very green with slopes that slide into the water. There are waterfalls everywhere, some big, some the result of all the rain this area of Norway has had lately. We've been across the tops of the mountains to the glaciers where some of the water is still frozen over and there are patches of snow everywhere. We slept beside a fjord where the only sound was rushing water from a waterfall across the bay.

Friday was drizzly and grey. Today was sunny and bright. I'm glad we had the chance to experience the fjords both ways. I think I actually liked them better in the mist because their shapes played out better. The greens were electric in the sunshine, but seeing new mountains appear out of the mist was better somehow.

The Flåm railway takes you from sea level at Flåm up to 866 m above sea level at Myrdal. It's a distance of only 20km. The scenary is breath-taking - green fields, farms in the most remote places, waterfalls large and small.

As much as I loved being out on the water, I think my favourite thing is being up on top of the mountains, surrounded by the snow even though it's June. Truly a trip of a lifetime.