Norway in a Nutshell

Norway has so many tourists clamoring to see the fjords that they've actually incorporated several travel options (via train, bus, and ferry) into a package called "Norway in a Nutshell".  The package is marketed as a scenic tour, but it's really just a way to route a bunch of non-Norwegian-speaking tourists onto the public transit system.  We purchased the one-way basic tour going from Bergen through the Sognefjord (the largest and deepest of Norway's fjords) and ending up in Oslo.  The train ride from Bergen to Voss was pretty but went through so many tunnels that I wouldn't really call it scenic.  The bus ride from Voss to Gudvangen was a little more interesting.  The Stalheimskleiva road has 13 hairpin curves and in some places is an 18% grade.  Our own photos don't really capture it in all its glory, so I borrowed this one instead.

Image courtesy of vossnow.net

After the bus ride we were herded, almost like cattle, onto a slow ferry for a fjord "cruise" through the Nærøyfjord to Flåm.  It was meant to be scenic -- and under less rainy conditions it would have been stunning -- but it was pouring outside and unfortunately there wasn't enough space or chairs inside for all of the people.  Since the photos of the landscape didn't really turn out, here's one of the boat interior to give you an idea of the ordeal.

Chaos in a Nutshell

Normally at Flåm you would get back on a train and technically you could make it all the way to Oslo or back to Bergen in a day.  We've opted to spend several nights in the fjord area in a town called Balestrand.  To get there, we got to ride the posh Express Ferry which, despite our not having window seats, was almost a spa-like experience compared to the slow ferry...

As if hearing our prayers, the rain gods let up just enough to let us get a few nice shots of the fjord from the ferry deck.  Of course just as we docked the skies opened and it started pouring again the moment we needed to disembark and walk to our hotel!

We are glad that we planned a few days in the area to try to catch a little bit of clear weather and do some sightseeing.  Hopefully tomorrow we'll have some nicer shots of the scenery for you!