The transition from the weather in Oslo to what I found in the largest Fjord of Norway – Sognefjord. In the morning I was a bit of a zombie as I hadn’t slept much, butbecame more alert as soon as we started passing through the higher elevations; the vegetation went from tall pine trees to snow patches, and smaller shrubbery then more open rocky areas. As we climbed towards Myrdal, the landscape really began to get completely snowy, like it was winter! At Myrdal, I stepped out of the train to wait for the transfer Flamsbana, and really had to put on my coat; It was barely 7 degrees C!
The Flamsbana train is one of engineering miracle – the track descends over 1000 m in elevation in just 20km. In some parts of the track, the declination is 55deg! The valley we passed through was incredibly magical, full of many waterfalls and windy roads. The train was full of tourists; at one stop we stopped literally between two tunnels, each end of the train in either, and a huge waterfall to the right of the train. Everyone had their cameras, go-pros out documenting this incredible view, amongst a bit of shower from the effect of the waterfall. A couple minutes later a Norwegian mystical character came out of a small castle in a red dress and “sang” and danced to music. It was very strange; apparently she’s the goddess of the waterfalls who lures men with her beauty and they never return.
