Flam and Gudvangen-July 5

The sail through the world's longest(127 miles) and deepest(4291 feet) fjord, Sognefjord, was breathtaking. The reflections in the water made for some beautiful sights.

The tiny village of Flam with its 400 people is set among steep mountains, thundering waterfalls, narrow valleys and deep canyons. The buildings are colorful and include lots of glass in their construction. There were two beautiful looking hotel right beside the water.

After we docked we walked to the small train station in town and took the 22 kilometer train ride to Myrdal. Along the way the scenery was just amazing- deep gorges, big waterfalls, and tall mountains.

 We got off the train, looked at the beautiful scenery. Then we got onto another train- the train to Bergen. We rode for about 30 minutes more and got off in the town of Voss where we had lunch at the Park Hotel.  Lunch was a hurried smorgesbord-buffet. People acted like they hadn't eaten in days. We were sitting near the section with desserts and cheese so I decided to just go there first and "eat dessert first." That was fun, good, and I didn't have to stand in line because people were at the other tables of food.

Our journey continued on by bus to stop briefly at a white wooden church and at a lovely hotel high on a mountain top. The view was wonderful. We also stopped at a huge waterfall. I think that I have never seen so many and such tall waterfalls. 

I wonder how it will look if/when all the snow is melted. We actually saw some waterfall-looking gullies that were dry. 

Our bus continued to Gudvangen, a small community at the end of the fjord. When we got there the Voyager was just sailing in. After the ship anchored tender boats were lowered from the side of the ship and came to ferry us back to the ship. 

Sailing out was once again so beautiful. We went through several incredibly narrow passages. At one point the ship's horn blew three times and I went outside to see what was happening. The Captain was on the arm of the Bridge waving to a group of about 6 people standing on the shore. Must be some other relatives. I do believe the pilot earned his money with this sail into and out of the Sognefjord. We saw this beautiful waterfall with a rainbow at the bottom. Thought that was a good sign for smooth sailing.

We are enjoying this trip so much. It is different from any we have taken because the scenery makes it spectacular and the small town makes it interesting.