CFT Northern Lights - Oslo to Bergen

Tuesday 6 March

Up early, breakfast, collect lunch box and off to the Oslo Central Station to catch our train for the morning. The Platform is not sheltered and became quite freezing cold with the temperature at -5 C. Once aboard the heated train we all had to shed quite a few layers. We travelled through a number of towns, passed farms and some fantastic scenery. The higher we got the more white there was with snow falling and an entirely black and white colour scheme. The snow was very deep in some places.

We changed trains at Myrdal to board the Flam train, an extremely steep ride down to the village of Flam. More spectacular scenery with lots of frozen waterfalls.

Flam is a pretty little village at the head of a fjord. There we caught a ferry down stream to Gudvangen. Yet more spectacular snowy scenery with huge mountains on either side and occasional tiny villages dotted along the shores.

When we arrived in port we boarded a bus that drove us through stunning snowy farmland, countryside and towns eventually arriving in Bergen and our hotel (Clarion Connections) after dark.

Ice falls along the roadside

Wednesday 7 March

We had a free morning today so I was able to catch up on a bit of blog. We found the tower in the hotel and had some beautiful views of the town.

At midday we joined the group to walk to our lunch restaurant enjoying a delicious creamy fish soup followed by reindeer patties with brussel sprouts and potatoes.

Although we had been told we'd be having a bus tour of Bergen we were then taken on a walking tour. Thank goodness I had thrown in my ski pants which I then had to awkwardly put on in the street. I'm glad I did as I had only dressed in Sydney slacks for the bus trip.

We walked along the dock then up through the Hanseatic area - a maze of old (or replica) protected wooden buildings.

Then a short walk of a few blocks took us to the funicular railway to a lookout over Bergen. There we enjoyed the snow and the incredible views.

Photo courtesy CFT

Once we came back down on the railway we boarded the bus and were taken to the Stavkirk. This is a replica that is privately owned, the original having been bought by a man when it was demolished and sold for firewood. He and volunteers reconstructed it but vandals burnt it down. Hence the present replica built with original techniques.

Back on the bus to drive to the dock and board the Hurtigruten ship MS Nordnorge.

Dinner on board then a wander to orient ourselves followed by an introductory talk. We both collapsed into bed at the end of another long day.