All Aboard the Fjord! Norway: Bergen, Voss & Flam
Norway? No way!
Thank you to my friend Zack for the joke (I hope you are reading this). After Ireland, I wanted to add on a second country. I thought if I flew all the way to Europe, I might as well make the most of it! I chose Norway because I wanted something close to Ireland, I was interested in the culture, and I have seen pictures of the fjords which look stunning (spoiler alert: the fjords surpassed my expectations). If you are heading to Norway, especially to the Bergen area, BRING RAIN GEAR! It rained almost every day that I was there, and I was so thankful I had an umbrella and a rain coat! Bergen is one of the rainiest cities in Europe, and I can for sure attest to that. It did get cold when it rained, and could get very windy at times, so I was glad I had gloves and a winter hat as well. It did feel a little silly wearing a winter hat in August. I exchanged some cash to have just in case, but I really did not need to use it. So if anyone wants some Norwegian Krone, just let me know. 🤣
Dublin ➡️ Bergen
I arrived back at the Dublin airport and had a flight booked through Wideroe airlines. Since it is a smaller airline, the check in desk did not even open until 90 minutes before the flight! This led to much confusion and panic as I wandered around looking for the non-existent check in desk! LOL. If you know me, you know I like to be early. Anyway, I figured it out and boarded the plane. All announcements from the flight attendants were given in Norwegian and English! We landed in Bergen and I took a bus to the Bryggenn Bus Station and walked to my hostel, The Intermission Hostel. I checked in and was assigned a top bunk (yay!). I got access to a locker for my valuables, and there were four showers and a small kitchen area. Now, if you are someone who likes privacy and quiet, a hostel is not for you. If you don't mind a little noise, meeting new people from around the world, and saving some money, this might be for you! This was only about $70 per night, which I thought was very reasonable. I put my items away, threw on my rain jacket and headed out to explore.
I do not consider myself a "city girl," but I loved Bergen! It had a small town feel, a variety of restaurants, lots of shopping, the vibrant fish market, and it was right on the ocean. The Bergen Fish Market was so interesting and I have never seen anything like it before. Imagine a farmer's market, but full of people selling fresh caught seafood. There were oysters, crabs, lobsters, fish, urchins, scallops, and even whale meat! It was all on ice and in view. You could order right off the ice and have them cook you a meal on the spot. There was one man who had a monkfish on a string and when people got close, he would make it move and scare them! This was entertaining to watch. I ended up having pizza for dinner and went back to my hostel for some rest. The shops by the water are in historic wooden buildings connected through wooden alleys. The buildings have been through several fires, but have always been rebuilt to look as they once did. It reminded me a bit of the Lake-town in The Hobbit movies.
Exploring Bergen
The weather today was sunny, so I decided to go up the Floyen Tram and see the city from above. It was about a 30 minute wait for tickets, and I am glad I went early, because the line ended up down the street! It was a 5-8 minute ride to the top. There were some walking trails and a nice lake up there. I headed back down and got a lamb hot dog with mustard and onions. I ate most of it, put it down for a moment, and a seagull swooped in and grabbed it! I wish I had that on video. I decided last minute to book a four hour fjord cruise to take advantage of the good weather (tomorrow looked really rainy for my fjord ferry ride). The cruise was AWESOME! The vastness of the fjords was very impressive, my pictures do not do them justice. Everywhere you looked the view was breathtaking. There were tons of villages, houses, and waterfalls dotting the land along the way. After the cruise, I grabbed a delicious turkey sandwich and went back to the hostel. It poured rain all night, and I woke up to a puddle of water on my pillow from where the roof leaked.
Bergen ➡️ Flam
This day was my 32nd birthday! Happy Birthday to me! I woke up super early, packed up my items, and went down to the ferry area. I got on the ferry and prepared for the 6 hour trip. This ferry travelled down the Sognefjord, which is Norway's longest and deepest fjord. I chose to go all the way to the last stop and stay in Flam. It rained for most of the ride, but we got to see so many rainbows, waterfalls, and views of the massive fjords. I tried to go outside every now and then, but the wind was SO strong it was hard to stand! The ferry made lots of stops along the way, which was nice to see the different villages.
We arrived in Flam and I dropped my bags at the Fretheim Hotel . I found a cafe called Bakkastova for lunch and had a beet soup, and a open faced egg and beet sandwich. I checked into my room, where my family surprised me with a bottle of sparkling cider for my birthday! I took a nap, and then walked to the Floating Sauna. Sadly, it was raining and cold, so our view was not as amazing as the pictures made it look. Our sauna "master" even said that we got the worst weather he had seen in a while! This was a shared sauna and I met people from New Zealand, France, and Oregon! The idea of the floating sauna is to heat up inside and jump into the fjord water, like a cold plunge. I braved the cold and jumped into the frigid waters of the fjord! It was exhilarating! Your whole body almost gets shocked from the cold. I did it twice! It made coming back inside the sauna feel so amazing. I went off to bed feeling refreshed and relaxed, and excited to sleep in a bed without a puddle on my pillow.
Exploring Flam
The breakfast at this hotel was the best I had on this trip! I had scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, potatoes, fruit, and chocolate milk. I had to check out of my hotel and into my next hostel, at Brekke Gard, so I grabbed my items and headed that direction. This was about a half mile walk from the port center. The hostel was set on a grassy field with cows and sheep roaming about. I stayed in the "Red House" which looked like a big barn. I dropped my bags in the storage shed, and went to the Brekkefossen waterfall. This is a popular tourist spot, so there was a lot of people on the path. The hike was pretty steep with lots of steps. Some people were hiking it so quickly and passing me! Maybe I am just out of shape. LOL. It took me about 45 minutes, but it probably could have been quicker if I did not take as many breaks. I reached the top of the waterfall and it was worth the hike! The power of the waterfall was so impressive. The Sun made an appearance and a rainbow appeared over the falls.
I walked back down to find lunch. There were so many options for food, but I decided to go with sushi. This was the best sushi I have ever had! I decided to venture to the Stegastein Viewpoint, which is a long walkway that hangs out over the fjords. To book this, I went to the train station and bought the excursion on one of the kiosks. The day trips out of Flam are often fully booked, so I would advise booking in advance. I happened to get a last minute ticket. To get to the viewpoint, we had to drive up this tiny road that had what seemed like 27 switchbacks. The road was so narrow, but still a two-way, and at several points we almost got hit by other cars. There were passing areas, but it was very tight. We watched a Tesla back up into a rock wall and smash their bumper. I am so glad I did not have to drive here! If you are planning on renting a car, be prepared for very narrow roads, at least in Flam. The viewpoint was amazing! It really put in perspective how tall the fjords are. You could see Flam, and it looked like a tiny little speck.
Tonight I treated myself to dinner at Flamstova and got a 5 course meal and tasting tour of Norway. Each meal was paired with a local beer. My favorite dish was the parsnip soup (of course). Everything was so delicious, and I was one of the only people in the restaurant. I did a bit more shopping and wrote out all my postcards. The hostel tonight was much nicer than the hostel in Bergen, and the rooms were more private. I shared my room with 5 other people and the bunk bed was very comfortable.
Flam ➡️ Voss
Today I took the famous Flam Railway! I checked out the Railway museum beforehand and loved looking at the old train cars. It is said to be the world's most beautiful train ride, and it did not disappoint. The views were gorgeous, and there was a tour guide near me, so I got to listen to her tips about when to take photos and look for waterfalls. About halfway to Myrdal, you stop and get out to view the Kjosfossen waterfall, and there was a special surprise. I won't spoil it in case you go, but lets just say it involved Norwegian folklore. At Myrdal Station I switched trains and got on my next train to Voss.
Tip: I booked all my train rides through a third party app called Rail Ninja, and while I did not have any issues, I heard some horror stories and learned that I probably paid about 3-4 times the price! You should book your train tickets through the train company Vy instead, which is the government's official site. You live and you learn!
The train station in Voss was right next to the hotel I was staying at, Fleischer's Hotel. I decided to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant, I recommend making a reservation, but since I was only one person I was seated quickly. I got the fish chowder (I enjoyed the broth, but concluded that I still do not like mussels), bruschetta, and a "dessert" cheese plate, which was HUGE. In hindsight, I should have just ordered the cheese plate. During my meal, another rainbow made an appearance over the mountains! I headed to bed happy and full of cheese.
Voss ➡️ Bergen ➡️ Boston
My day in Voss began with another sauna experience. I booked the Wild Sauna, which was a tiny sauna next to the lake. This was a shared booking, but no one else came, so I had it all to myself. I saw ANOTHER rainbow while I was in the sauna. What a great way to start the day. I went back, showered, and ate breakfast at the hotel which was filling and delicious. I checked out of my hotel, stored my bags, and set off to the Voss Gondola. This takes you to the top of Voss Ski Resort. It was so windy at the top, I did not stay very long, but I did find a cool swing. I then went to the Bordalsgjelet Gorge, which ended up being way cooler than I thought! It was a long walk from Voss center (about 1.5 miles), so it took me a while to get there, but it was free! I saw a helicopter land on my walk back to the food truck area. I got a mix of dumplings, sampled about 15 different cheeses, and bought some fudge. I took a train back to Bergen, and then a bus to the Clarion Airport hotel by Bergen.
I spent my last night in Norway thinking about all my adventures, fulfilled yet excited to return home and see my family. The series of flights home was a bit chaotic. I had to go from Bergen to Dublin, and make a connection to catch my flight to Boston. I did not realize, but I had to switch terminals in Dublin, which meant going outside of the airport and walking down the street to the other terminal. I was not able to check into my flight ahead of time because I was using a smaller airline, so I had to wait to check in at the desk then go through security again. This led to me almost missing my connection! I RAN through the airport with no shoes on, sweaty and panicked, and probably (most definitely) looked like a crazy person, but I made it with three minutes to spare! I looked around and realized that no one else was on the plane and they hadn't even started boarding yet. 🤦🏼♀️ I laughed and was relieved, but I really wanted to cry for all the unneeded stress I just endured.
I look back on Norway, and there are some things I would change if I went back. First, I am so proud of myself for traveling alone, and navigating airports, ferries, trains, and bus stations! I really enjoyed Bergen and Voss, but Flam did feel a little isolated. Flam is known for being a cruise port, and it did feel a bit like the town was only there for the big cruise ships. I think I could have spent one day there instead of two, but I did overall enjoy it! There is also a lot of kayaking, biking, and zip lining, so if you are into adventure, check out those excursions!
On this trip, I stuck to a small area of Western Norway, but there is so much more to this beautiful country. I do wish I explored other areas, but I was pressed for time and did not want to rent a car which limited my movement as well. I also realized that I was starting to get lonely at the end of this trip. Traveling solo is so much fun, but I was missing interacting with humans. I learned that my preferred method of travel when I am solo is to join a group tour like I did in Ireland. If I go back someday, I would love to explore Oslo and venture up to the northern part of the country. The highlights of this trip for me were the fjord cruises, the waterfall hike, and the sauna experiences. Thank you Norway for all the rainbows amidst the rain.
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