Yes i know your asking why anyone would not be happy in Norway when its sunny and u haven't seen sun, real hot sunburning sun for months, when the country is just wonderful with its Fjords and lakes and i have a great bike to go riding...
Well i arrived in Bergen, Norway early morning it was a magical day. I was up on deck of the ferry early and i just stood and watch the slow arrive to the port, through the clear waters, hills in the distance and trees... its was great to see sun and trees again.. I was so looking forward to riding here. Now Bergen is the wetest town in Norway it rains around 300 days of the year... the whole time i was here no rain... just sunshine.. Once on land it was hot and i was dressed for Iceland... this is not good for decision making. It was also very busy, cars, people, busses, more people, bikes and noise.... After Iceland and even the Shettlands this was a bit of shock to my system.
My aim for this day was to find a camping ground and get cycling info for the town and the rest of Norway. I had been trying to get this info via the net but Norway, whilst it has a great cycling website, in english and you can order the maps to ride anywhere, they don't actually turn up despite trying before, during and once i arrived in Norway.... But i thought no problem, just like everwhere else so far i'll get maps at bookshop... Now i'm very hot, tired and having to take a ticket for info I'm number 89 and the counter is on 8... Great....
Once i finally get info I find they have run out of cycling maps of Bergen with any useful info, but give me a highlevel map... I find that camping is some 20kms out of town along a busy road to boot....I go to bookshops, three in total to get maps, anything would be good. But no one has any maps, let alone heard of the North Sea Cycle Ride, of which Noway is a host country. Now i'm really confused stressed and wondering what am i doing here? and i still don't have a place to sleep yet!
I book into the local hostel which is very nice as i have a small room with its own shower! i share this room with only 2 others and Patience is locked in her own room with a few other bikes to chat to! I relax read all the info i have and decide to give oup on cycling tomorrow, worry about that latter and do a train, bus, ferry, smaller train and bigger train trip around the Fjords... bugger the cost... Ouch
So the only thing i do on my 1st night in Norway is cook my dinner in my room and sit on the roof top with others, enjoying the wonderful warm evening, overlooking the city and its harbour. This was a great night.
Train, bus, ferry, small train & big train trip
This was such a great day. I started the day by having my breaky on the rooftop. The day was shapping up to being warm if not hot and very sunny. Now on the train a met a Korian lady and her neice, plus a fellow Ozzy. It was fun just chatting, getting of and on the trains and not having to think about the bike for the day, just relax and enjoy the view.
The 1st train is the usual train that you can catch from Bergen to Oslo across the mountains. The trip is very special as the train is climbing up the mountains from Bergen and in between tunnels you get some wonderful views of the valley. On this trip i and everyone else get off at a town called Voss. From here we catch a bus that drives us further into the mountains and up to a hotel resturant that has a too die for view of the valley below.... and the road that our bus is planning on driving down... Are this guys made or what? this road is the steepest in Norway so they say. Its winding and i'm so glad the driver does this every day. Its a wonderful drive down, the bus goes so slowly and even stops to let people take in the view or photograph the waterfall.
At the bottom is the village of Guduangen(?) where we board a ferry to sail down the Naeroyfjorden and then sail up the Aurlandsfjorden where we are to get off at Flam. The 1st Fjord is Norways narrowest Fjord. It is just magic, both John (fellow Ozzy) and my other mates are moving aroudnthe ferry taking wonderful photo's and enjoying the sun and relaxing pace of the ferry. We are on the ferry for about 2 hours. It is just the right amount of time for my liking. I think any longer i would get borred...
At Flam we are given about an hour to look around, get lunch and then catch the Flam rail back up the mountain. Flam is just lovery and had i know more about what i was doing i would have bought my camping things and stayed. But then if i had known more about what i could have done i would have brought Patience got of the train at Myrdal, riden down to Flam and then take the Ferry and train in the reverse order... but we live and learn and this is for next time.
The Flam rail is a hoot!.. you get a seat on this old train and it takes you back up the mountain to Myrdal. Its only 20kms, but it takes an hour and its steep, very steep and the view is worth every moment you have to go throught a tonnel... 1/2 way up its stops at a waterfall and everyone gets off for the photo shoot... this great fun watching everyone's excitement. Once in Myrdal its time to catch the train back to Bergen, its a long trip back but again its a wonderfull view.
It was a wonerful day and made all the more special by the great people i met on the day.
I spend the next day wandering around Bergen and then i decide I'll go to Oslo by train with bike...
No comments:
Post a Comment