Norway: Via Flåm Railroad – Fjords – Falls and Fabulous Vistas Overview of Tour via Land and Fjords is truly a magnificent country with vistas that are just spectacular. Our adventure began at the train station in Bergen and journeyed along the Sofjorden or Storfjord, a small community that borders Sweden and Finland. After traveling through many tunnels, we arrived at . Voss has been a part of Norwegian history for more than 3000 years. A rich and fertile valley with abundant water resources, it has been used by hunters and nomadic people. From there we boarded a bus and descended the valley by way of Stalheim Canyon. Stalheim Canyon is the heart of Norwegian fjords. The bus traveled to Gudvangen, another beautiful valley that includes a beautiful view of the Naeroy Fjord. See photo program Gudvangen to Flåm. We boarded a state‐of‐the‐art electric vessel called the M/S Future of the Fjords. The vessel has only been in operation since April 2018. It is an emission‐free vessel, built at a cost of over $2 million. It can carry 400 passengers with three decks for viewing. Its light carbon laminates reduce comparable weight from other vessels by 50 percent. The electric motors provide power and maneuverability with little noise and vibration. The Future of the Fjords was named the SMM 2018 Ship of the Year, a maritime association headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The Future of the Fjords cruised along Aurlands and Naeroy (Nærøyfjord) fjords, both branches of the Fjord—the longest and deepest fjord in the world. The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest fjord in Europe. We disembarked in Flåm. Flåm is a village dating back to 1340. Its name comes from Old Norse meaning “plain,” referring to the flood plain of the Flåm River between the mountains. Steam trains were in the area by 1923, but cruise ships were not seen until the 1960s. Today it is a very popular tourist area. Two reasons make that possible ‐ the fjords and the Flåm railway. The Flåm Railway is ranked as being the 5th most visited tourist attraction in Norway. It runs from Flåm to Myrdal. Norway’s government planned to build it as early as 1908, but it was finally completed in 1940 at a cost then of 20 million NOK (Norwegian Krone). In 1940, 20 million NOK was worth $87,000. The train travels 12.5 miles with a rise or fall in elevation of nearly 2,900 feet. Eighty percent of the journey is at a 5.5% gradient. There are 20 tunnels, one took 11 years to build. The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) stops before Myrdal to view a magnificent waterfall. You will hear some enchanting music and see a woman dancing three‐quarters up the falls. She is the Huldra, a Norse mythical figure that according to folklore lures men into the woods to seduce them. ‐visitflam.com ‐nordicvisitor.com We left the Flåm train at Myrdal and returned by another train to Bergen. Note: This photo program series has five parts: Overview of Tour; Part 1 Trollstigen; Part 2 ; Part 3 Falls of Norway; Part 4 Gudvangen to Flåm; Part 5 Flåm Railway and Museum Bergen to Voss Trollstigen – Gudvangen – Flåm

Overview of Tour; Part 1 Trollstigen; Part 2 Sognefjord; Part 3 Falls of Norway; Part 4 Gudvangen to Flåm; Part 5 Flåm Railway and Museum Major sources: brochures: Norway in a nutshell, Sognefjord, Flåmsbana: The Flåm Railway, https://www.fjordnorway.com/places‐to‐go/voss, http://www.gonorway.no/norway/counties/troms/storfjord/763ea692b957897/index.html, https://www.dangerousroads.org/europe/norway/53‐trollstigen‐ norway.html, https://www.visitnorway.com/places‐to‐go/fjord‐norway/voss/things‐to‐do/, https://www.fjordnorway.com/planning‐your‐trip/travel‐specialists/visit‐ flam, https://www.fjordtours.com/places‐to‐visit‐in‐norway/stalheim/, http://gudvangen.com/, https://www.ship‐technology.com/projects/future‐of‐the‐fjords‐ sightseeing‐vessel/, http://xn‐‐m1abcfge5eq.xn‐‐p1ai/news/263902/, https://www.visitflam.com/flamsbana/, http://spangenhelm.com/huldra‐folklore‐lady‐forest/, http://www.ancientpages.com/2018/02/08/huldra‐seductive‐female‐creature‐living‐forest‐mountains‐norse‐beliefs/, https://www.nordicvisitor.com/blog/dancing‐ waterfall‐woman‐of‐flam‐railway‐in‐norway/ and https://www.visitflam.com/editorial‐content/the‐flam‐railway‐museum/. acuri.net John R. Vincenti Norway: Via Flåm Railroad – Fjords – Falls and Fabulous Vistas