Today, my first full day in Norway this trip, my friends Pat and Sandra, Carolyn and her husband Tom, and I took the “Norway in a Nutshell” trip. It wasn’t quite what any of us expected, but great, nevertheless. For one thing, once we left Bergen the rain magically disappeared. There were a few flakes of snow towards the end, but they added to the ambiance. The minute we returned to Bergen, the rain reappeared. The other thing to know, should you ever decide to take this trip, there is no food to be had (except for some terrible options on the boat). We ended up not eating anything from breakfast until much later – and that’s also a story.
The first leg of the trip was on a train from Bergen to Voss. The description of the trip states the train is, “one of the world’s most scenic railways.” I couldn’t tell you; sunrise was just beginning as we disembarked at 9:40 am. It was, however, very comfortable and uncrowded.
From the train station it was a short walk to the bus stop, where it seemed everyone on the train was also headed. Two very full buses departed for Gudvangen. By that point, the sun had risen, and the scenery was lovely, though I was definitely on the wrong side of the bus for the best views.
Departing the bus we had about 30 minutes to wander around a very scenic area before boarding a boat for the Nærøyfjord Cruise on one of the most scenic fjords in Norway—a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If I’d known about the food situation, I would have bought something, anything in the gift shop/café. Instead, foolish me, I admired the gorgeous scenery.
The boat is modern and well equipped. The scenery for the full two hours was breathtakingly beautiful. Steep mountains swept down to the shoreline. Tiny villages, many with brightly painted homes, dotted the fjord. High up, the mountains were snow-covered. The passengers, including us, alternated between standing on the outside deck and scurrying back inside to warm up. The two hours went by far too quickly. Fortunately, we’ll be on a ship for a full week, and we’ll have more opportunities to see the meeting of mountains and water.
Flamm, where we disembarked the boat, is set up as a tourist magnet. Loads of shops selling souvenirs, everything from raingear to warm Norwegian sweaters, and the usual tourist tchotchkes. The Norwegians appear to be extremely fond of trolls. I’d first seen this obsession in Iceland, but from what I’ve seen, the Norwegians are even more attached to these critters. I’ve been told we’ll be seeing lots of them as we travel further north.
After having our fill of shopping (no food to be found) we boarded a scenic railway, the Flåmsbana, described by Lonely Planet as the world’s most beautiful train journey. I don’t know about that, Switzerland has some that are definitely in competition, but it was beautiful. And it was still light. The 20km ride took about 45 minutes traveling through snow-covered mountain passes. It had to have been an amazing engineering feat to build the railway. The dining car was closed.
Arriving in Myrdal we had a half hour before we boarded a different train back to Bergen. The rest area has a café, but it was closed. The vending machine offerings looked inedible. By this point our stomachs were rumbling.
Two and a half hours later we arrived back at rainy Bergen. At the hotel we were told the restaurant was closed for a private party and there was no room service or any nearby restaurants where we could get a reservation. The front desk people suggested using an app (similar to Uber eats) to order food. I couldn’t get it to work. By that point I would have eaten anything. The friendly desk manager also said it could take an hour or more to have the food delivered. I gave up, sloshed through the rain to a nearby mini-mart and bought yogurt, nuts, and fruit. Not the best dinner I’ve ever had, but sufficient.
I can wholeheartedly recommend Norway in a Nutshell. Just bring along your own food.