Flåm!

So on Monday morning, my dad and I woke up nice and early, had one last amazing breakfast at our hotel in Bergen, and then made our way to the train station. One great thing about Bergen is how walkable everything is. It was a nice little five minute stroll from our hotel to the train station. So sweat. Once we got there, we joined the crowd waiting to the board the train bound for Oslo. Leaving only 30 seconds late (take note all you trains in the US. Become more efficient!), we said goodbye to Bergen and were on our way!

Our train!

Though the train ride Bergen to Oslo takes about six hours (which is roughly sixe times longer than flying), we had heard this is one of the most beautiful train rides in the world. However we were splitting it up over two days. Today our destination was the little town of Flåm at the tip of one of Norway's many fjords. But more about that later. Now for the train ride, part one.

Holy smokes, people weren't lying when they described the beauty of Norway! We past so many picturesque scenes on the ride from Bergen to Flåm. Not that my dad would know since he snoozed through half the ride. We were fortunate to have a beautiful day for traveling. Blue sky, no clouds, and lots of lakes/rivers/fjords!

Here's a typical scene on the train ride to Flåm. Amazing!

Forest right next to the river. And mountains in the background. Does it get any better than this?

After about two hours, we arrived at our stop -- the Myrdal station. I think my dad and I were both assuming this was going to be a little town that we could explore as we waited for our next train to take us down into the valley. NOPE! Other than a bed a breakfast, Myrdal is only a lonely train station in the middle of Norway. Luckily our wait wasn't too long and soon we were boarding our next train for a ride on the Flåm Railroad! Now this train was different from the main one that runs throughout the country because the Flåm Railroad is purely a tourist ride. It runs up and down the mountain multiple times a day bringing hundreds of people with each trip. Apparently this is also the steepest railway in the world. It's only 20 kilometers long but drops 800 meters! Sounds impressive, but I personally never felt like it was all that steep. We did go through about twenty tunnels, which was fun. However the grade of the track and the tunnels aren't the important part -- it's all about the views! 

My dad and I knew we wanted to be on the side of the train that looked out into the valley and since there were no assigned seats, it was my job to push ahead of everyone and grab us two seats. I think I did a pretty good jobs because we both got window seats. Then it was time to pull out the cameras and begin the ride down to Flåm! This was a beautiful trip. We saw winding bike paths, snow capped mountains, rivers, tiny towns, and plenty of forests!

A lucky shot I got through an opening in one of the many tunnels. The Flåm valley!

We also passed an impressive waterfall. The train did a quick stop here for people to get out and take photos. The water was gushing and the wind must have been blowing some because water and mist was going everywhere! My dad and I (and the camera!) got a little wet, but it was worth it.

After the hour train ride and a short walk, we made it to our hostel for the night. It was a cute little farm house, complete with sheep and goats! And bunkbeds. I got the top bunk for the night. Just like being back on an Indian Princesses trip to Camp Rockmont or Cafe Seafarer!

Sheep right out our back door!

Our hostel! Red is a very popular house color in Norway.

After dinner at a cafe in the main part of town (which pretty much consists of a couple of restaurants and souvenir shops, a hotel, and a grocery store), my dad and I headed back to the hostel. We had great timing because as soon as we made it back, it began POURING. Luckily the rain didn't last long and once it stopped, we decided to explore the area a bit. We knew there was a path to a waterfall near our hostel, so we set out to find our second waterfall of the day. The path was pretty steep (and rather muddy), but we eventually made it to the top and were rewarded with a beautiful sight! The spray from this waterfall was all over the place, so once again we got a tad soggy. But we got plenty of great photos and it was the perfect way to end our day in Flam.

Us and the waterfall. My dad is a champion at taking photos of the two of us!

The next morning we hopped back on the Flåm Railroad and headed  up to the Myrdal station so we could continue our journey to Oslo. But I'll say more about that next time.

Exploring Bergen with My Dad!

On Friday July 6th, my dad arrived in Bergen! I arrived at the early airport about an hour early since I was so pumped to see him! Well that reason and that’s how the bus schedule worked out. Once we found each other in the (tiny) Bergen airport, we made our way downtown. My dad was lucky to arrive to slightly sunny skies rather than the cold and rain that welcomed me. After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, it was time for our first dinner together. And this was going to be my first time eating out in Bergen! The food is rather pricy, so I’ve been taking the cheap route of cooking all my meals.


We went to a small restaurant near the hotel. The food was tasty and served on HUGE plates/bowls. And while it was expensive (thanks for paying Dad!), it was by far the best meal I had had in over two months. And my dad seemed pretty happy to be in Bergen too!

First meal together in Bergen!

Cheers to being in Bergen!

Once we were finished with dinner (and after we finally got the check, which took a surprisingly long time), I showed Dad around Bergen. Not only was it a great feeling to finally see someone that I know, but it was great to be able to show people around the town that has become my home over the past two months. We visited the Bryggen, ate some ice cream, and enjoyed the sunshine far into the evening.

My dad and the bryggen.

Me and the bryggen.

10 pm and the sun is still out!

On Saturday, I convinced my dad to go up the Stoltzekleiven hike with me, the climb with the 800 some steps. It was a long journey to the top, but after a couple of breaks for us to catch our breath, we made it!

The weather this time was much better than the previous time I made the climb and we got a great view of Bergen. We also watched a cruise ship pull into the harbor, which reminded us of my grandparents.

My dad, making it the last few steps.

On top of the mountain!

Oh hey, it's a cruise ship! Bringing tons of people downtown.

Finally to finish the hike, we decided to head down the mountain in a different direction. The path past lots of scenic lakes, and I’m glad my dad got to enjoy the natural beauty that Bergen offers. After our hike, we both enjoyed a nap at our hotel before we headed to Fantoft where I cooked dinner for my dad. He also got to meet a couple of the guys on my hall and they were kind enough to chat with us for a while.

 

Which way do we go?

We woke to low clouds on Sunday morning, though the forecast for the afternoon was sunshine. Luckily the clouds did blow away before our fjord cruise! This was, by far, the most beautiful boat ride I’ve ever been on. Holy smokes, the views were incredible! It was a little chilly at times with the wind, but thankfully the crew offered blankets and sold hot chocolate. I’d have to say this was the highlight of the Bergen portion of our trip.

Little lighthouse.

Looking out over the fjord.

Good photo of us!

I thought this photo was funny because my dad's head looks so small!

And that wraps up our three days in Bergen. I’ll go into the next portion of our trip in the following post

Updates about Bergen

Alright so it’s been quite some time before I’ve written any updates. And I’ve definitely got plenty to cover from the past month or so. First lets chat about Bergen.  I’ve been here about two months now and for the two or three weeks after my Copenhagen trip, nothing too out of the ordinary happened.

I visited the stave church that is only a few minutes walk from where I live. It’s a cute little church. Sadly I don’t think it’s the original structure since I’m pretty sure the first one burned down at some point. It’s surrounded by woods and it’s a nice place to go and read on weekends.

 Fantoft Stave Church.

 

Below is a photo of one of my friends and hallmates Andreas. He’s a champion at baking! He makes several loaves of bread each week and they’re always mighty tasty. We also made hummus together a few weeks ago. One weekend he spent almost all of Friday and Saturday baking and decorating a cake for his friends 25^th birthday. I’d say it came out really nicely!

 

 Andreas looking proud with his gorgeous cake!

I’ve also done more hiking over the last several weeks. I met some trolls along the way, saw plenty of beautiful sights, and climbed up about 800 steps! That’s right, Bergen has a climb of between 600 and 800 steps up the side of a mountain! One cloudy Saturday I decided to give it a try. Holy smokes my legs were dead by the top! But I’m proud that I made it the whole way without my legs giving out. And once I got to the top, I got to look down on the city from a different angle, which was cool.

 Me and a troll (and a bunch of kids).

 Beautiful lake I passed on a hike.

 The sign for Stoltzekleiven, the hike of 600 - 800 steps (the actual amount is disputed).

 The beginning of the hike looks innocent enough.

Final steps at the very end. If you make it to the wood steps, you're practically at the top!

So that’s a brief overview of my last couple of weeks in Bergen. My next entry will be much more exciting – and with a surprise visitor!