Well this would be our last full day in Norway! We left Bergen and began our journey on the Norway in a Nutshell Tour to Oslo. This was to be a LONG travel day, but perhaps the most scenic! That was certainly the truth! Our only first matter of concern at the Train Station--what to do with all of our luggage. Well--we had to take it with us every leg of the journey! Something we weren't expecting. However, we managed! Luckily all of our luggage had wheels. Our first segment took us on a train to see some of the stunning country side, the 2nd leg was on a bus-what a thrill, literally! We drove down a road that was the only road that connected Bergen to Oslo until 1984. It was one lane and had a 19 degree drop and is the steepest road in all of Europe. (Mom closed her eyes the entire time!) Big mistake, as the view was stunning! The third leg was a boat trip up a fjord! WOW!!! What can I say, it was spectacular. Something everyone should see. Worth the trip! We sat outside and although the weather was cool, our couture norwegian sweaters kept us warm!
Finally, the boat ride ended in Flam a quaint and beautiful little city, however, we felt that we were dropped off to buy lots of junk. There were shops for tourist all over, but not much else going on. However, the view was stunning!!! From Flam we embarked on a journey to Mrydal by train, we started at 2 meters above sea level and within an hour we would be at 866 meters above sea level! The train ride was spectacular and we even made some friends on the train from Austrailia (they enjoyed teasing Mom for her inability to look out the window at the stunning view). We left Mrydal on another train on our way into Olso. It was a longer ride, but still shared a lot about the landscape of Norway.
Needless to say our final approach into Oslo found us tired and anxious to find the airport hotel we were staying in. We gathered our belongings and had to laugh at our final warning as we departed from the train: "keep your belongings close as thieves are working here." Something we had not heard, experienced or even thought about the entire time in Norway, it was a very safe experience!!!
However, after tucking ourselves in at a mere 1:30 am, we were exhausted and ready to embark on our long journey home in 6 hours!!!
Mom successfully completed her pilgrimage! However, not sure when she is going to plan a return trip. Hopefully, our norwegian relatives will come to Minnesota next-it would certainly be cheaper!
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