Nærøyfjord, Sognefjord, Aurlandsfjord and onwards to Voss

Thursday 8.9.16

I have booked a fjord tour that starts with a 20-minute transfer to Gudvangen (pronounced: Gü-wangen). I leave my hard bed without any farewell pain, drive my car for a minute to the parking lot at the bus station (which is a tiny cabin with a 1m wide bench), where I can leave the car for free. The mini-bus arrives at 9:30 am and the ride goes 11km through a tunnel, then a few more meters in the sun, and I arrive just before 10am in Gudvangen.

I have known this place for 30 years only from the production of travel descriptions for cruises. And somehow it is not even a place. There is a hotel with a cafeteria and a souvenir shop at the dock. Then there is something like a tourist information office, which occupies a small, about 50 square meter house, but is currently closed. Shortly after me, a bus arrives here with Chinese people who, as usual, occupy the area loudly and busily.

A wooden ship that looks like it's from Viking times is on land and a sign says not to touch it. But the Chinese people keep getting on this boat one by one and taking photos, selfies, and more photos.

I get a coffee in the cafeteria and wait for the ferry to arrive. It continues here at 11:30 am - I had thought that Gudvangen would be a place to see, but that is not the case at all.

Consciously, I booked a fjord tour in the late morning, assuming that if the weather should be bad, there would be a chance that it would be better then. Today this decision also helps to make it overall sunnier. Here, in Gudvangen on the Nærøyfjord, the slopes are high and steep, so the sun takes a little longer to rise and beam sun into the fjord and immerse the slopes in sunlight.

The Chinese people and I board the boat and a sunny great trip on the Nærøyfjord begins.

We briefly stop in Undredal, where an ancient church stands and where I will later buy goat cheese.

The boat I am on is a mail boat. It's blowing an icy cold wind and as soon as the sun is briefly covered by a slope, it becomes really uncomfortable. At times, I am on deck with a hood and closed fleece jacket, but the abundance of photo motifs is fantastic.

At the end of the Nærøyfjord, we turn right into the Sognefjord and immediately right into the Aurlandsfjord.

What a beautiful trip - the Geiranger tour was unfortunately nowhere near as beautiful. After 2 ¼ hours, our boat reaches Flam.

I quickly get some fish & chips for a smooth 20 EUR and walk around the shops for a bit. I find a few wool hats (when will I wear them?) and a fleece blanket with moose (it had to be). With such good supplies, I then leave Flam and drive back towards Gudvangen. The road initially leads through this 11km long tunnel again - Norway has endless tunnels everywhere!

But I turn onto a country road and drive to Undredal, which is located on the Aurlandsfjord.

Here, in addition to the ancient stave church, there is a dairy that produces the finest goat cheese. I buy two good pieces that are wrapped and will probably keep for a while.

Then it goes all the way to Voss, which is only 65km from Undredal. I drive along Nesheimtunet, a collection of wooden houses on Lake Lønavatnet, about 15km from Voss.

I arrive at the youth hostel around 7:00 pm and am completely excited about the room they kindly give me. I had booked a bunk bed room and they give me a 4-bed room, with two lower beds side by side and two upper beds.

With a view of the lake behind the youth hostel and not facing the expressway. My last food is now due, and the last crispbread slices, the last of the liver sausage and cheese are now used up. I make up my bed, but then go to the large terrace of the youth hostel with a great view of the lake. But it quickly gets cool and I retreat to the beautiful room.