Posts tagged 'QE2'

Summer Hols – Part 2 – Around Flåm

Posted by on August 22nd 2008 in Great Escapes

Click on any of the pics to open up a bigger version in a lightbox thingy.

 After negotiating a fair few of the road-tunnels on the rush from Bergen, we arrived at Flåm in the evening. At the campsite we were welcomed warmly by our hosts who gave us a choice of places to pitch. We chose a place with a view over the village, got the tents set up just as the light began fail and were soon sound asleep after a trying day.

The next morning we took a few pics of the view over to the harbour:

 

and of the cliffs overlooking the campsite:

 

then we went exploring on foot, making our way down to the edge of the fjord:

 

We found that Flåm is a great place, a jewel of a harbour village built around the southern tip of Aurlandsfjord. There is a quaint mix of the historic and the modern:

 

and the kids enjoyed the place:

 

The relaxing Scandinavian atmosphere was enhanced by the Latin American influence (and live Samba music) of the crew of the Cisne Branco, a Tall Ship moored in the harbour for a few days:

 

We were welcomed on board by the Captain to have a look around and to take photos of his rigging:

 

Here's a pic of the pointy end:

 

and a pic from the far side of the harbour:

 

where we got a better view down the fjord:

 

and found another of the racing Tall Ships, the Christian Radich:

 

Back at camp after nightfall, the view was worth another picture:

 

The next day we went for a walk up the valley, passing through pastureland:

 

playing Poohsticks (you're never too old for this):

 

and gaining sufficient height to get a good view over the valley-bottom:

 

We were on the way up to the Brekkefossen waterfall:

 

when the trees thinned out to allow a better view of the valley below:

 

One more pic of the waterfall:

 

and then we had to start back down the valley alongside the Flåm River:

 

to the harbour, where yet another of the racing Tall Ships, the Lord Nelson, had moored up:

 

The next morning we were treated to a bit of luxury - the QE2 backed into port while we were having breakfast:

 

Later we learned that this was the last voyage for her before she becomes a floating hotel, so we went off to the harbour to see her. On the way there, we found this coach parked up. No further comment necessary:

 

After some negotiation with the security gate staff, I was allowed to take this pic unhampered by the security barriers:

 

but I had to squeeze the lens through a gap in the wire grid fence  (and get a telling off from a different security officer for doing so) to get this shot:

 

Soon it was time to queue for our seats on the Flåmsbana for a 20km train-journey high into the mountains to Myrdal, a gain in altitude of 864m. Here's a sample of the scenery along the route:

 

and here's another:

 

and here are some purple-tinted people:

 

After passing this:

 

and this:

 

the train stopped at the Kjosfossen waterfall for a while:

 

so that we could take pics:

 

We disembarked at Myrdal and watched the train return to Flåm:

 

before leaving the station:

 

to spend the next hour exploring our surroundings:

 

which involved negotiating this dodgy flight of steps:

 

and throwing the kids into the river:

 

We walked down the valley:

 

past this magnificent view of the route back to Flåm:

 

to the next station (Vatnahalsen) to catch the next train back. From there we could see Reinungavatnet:

 

and lower down we passed these cliffs, which looked good for climbing:

 

That was our last day at Flåm. We had an early night in preparation for the mad 207-mile dash across Norway to Oslo the next morning, to catch the ferry to Copenhagen.

To be continued...