From Bergen to Oslo

We started our two-day journey to Oslo by bus through some lovely countryside.

Norway is a land of waterfalls--we saw dozens of them. They are the source of much of Norway's electrical power.	We also passed little farms and villages nestled in valleys
At Fossatun (Atun Waterfall) you could actually walk up a path and stand behind the waterfall without getting particularly wet.
When we arrived at Hardanger Fjord, we saw more examples of the living roofs on the buildings.	We visited the Hardanger Folk Museum, where they had examples of local costumes. Every valley has its own specific costume, rather like Scottish tartans, and these are worn on special occasions. This blue costume, however, was created as a warning that if Norway joined the European Union (represented by gold stars on a blue field), the special individuality of the Norwegians would be lost!
The most unusual collection here is of a special type of violin. It has a second set of strings running below the usual four strings; the additional strings vibrate when the main strings are played, giving the effect of additional instruments.	The Hardanger Folk Museum also includes a collection of restored buildings from a variety of eras. The group toured the buildings and learned about life in earlier eras--except for Mike and Pat, who went bird-watching instead.
After our tour of the museum we stopped in the village of Utne (also the ferry depot) for lunch.
After lunch we boarded the ferry to cross Hardanger Fjord. Like all of the fjords we crossed, the landscape was dramatic.	Although the Norwegians never saw a body of water that wouldn't be improved by a bridge, ferries are still a major means of transportation. Yes, our bus went with us.

A Hike in Ullansvang

After crossing Hardanger Fjord, we continued on to the resort town of Ullansvang for the night.

The resort was was in a spectacular setting and offered swimming in the fjord, boating, etc. Vivian offered to take anyone who was interested to the local village and church; Mike offered a longer walk. Chuck was the only one who wanted to go with Vivian and Pat was the only one going with Mike. Mike promptly rejected Vivian's suggestion of a walk around the local orchards and, after consultation with the hotel staff, suggested a hike up to the local waterfalls, which the contour map suggested was not too steep. (Well. . .maybe not for him.) Vivian was unsure of this plan, saying that she was not sure that you could actually see the waterfalls from the trail. She was wrong. . .it was great as we walked along the stream and our only problem was that we had to hurry to get back for dinner.

 

By bus, ferry, and train

The next day we went by bus and ferry rides through some of the most beautiful scenery in Norway, including the Sogne Fjord.

Of all the waterfalls and waterfall systems that we saw along the way, Tvindefass was definitely the most spectacular.
We climbed up to the top of a hill and took Svelhin Road, a steep (18%) grade down. As far as we could tell, the road existed merely so that tourists could drive down it.	Occasionally a waterfall had a little something extra, like a rainbow.
When we first got on the ferry, we thought that the birds were charming. However, other people on the ferry were feeding them and some of our group members quickly discovered a basic bird truth--what goes in, comes out, usually on the people at the back of the boat. Finally we persuaded the other tourists to stop feeding them.
After that, it was just one great view after another.	The waterfalls were plentiful.
There were glaciers on some places, providing a nice contrast to the green hills.	This little farm on top of the hill can only be accessed by ladder; supplies are hauled up by ropes.
There were a few little towns along the way; the ferry offloaded people and mail along the way.

We ended the day with two train rides: one up the mountain from Flam to Myrdal, and the other down from Myrdal to Oslo.

At one train stop we were invited to get off the trail to look closely at a waterfall, where, we were told, we would see a mysterious young girl who would call to the men. Somehow Chuck was not impressed.