Flam, or the Land Where Trolls Still Walk...

 March 4, 2023

Flam--Rhymes with Foam

This is our second visit to Flam. The first was in 2019 on board the Queen Mary 2. We're delighted to be back because Flam is tucked away, deep in 90 mile long Sognefjord, home to the DH's Norwegian ancestors. Three brothers came to the US in the 1800's, not through Ellis Island, but through Chicago via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence seaway. From there, they settled in northern Iowa, but Norway was still in the family's hearts. Norwegian food and traditions, hymns and prayers were all part of my husband's growing up. My father-in-law spoke only Norwegian at home until he went to school.

A little skiff of ice lines the shore

Our excursion today was the Flam railway, a truncated version of the trip we took in 2019. Then we rode up to Myrdal and transferred to another train that would take us to the alpine town of Voss. Today, we did a much quicker up and back. Probably a good thing since the train that connected in Myrdal was coming from Bergen/Oslo and was delayed by snow by a good two hours. 

There's a newer Disney-esque version of Flam down by the waterfront. The Old Town pictured here is several miles up the canyon.

The railroad continues to be a source of amazement for me. There are several tunnels, some originally hewn from the rock by hand, and one which completes a 180 degree turn inside the mountain. The views are spectacular, no matter what time of year. 

How lovely to see a patch of blue sky after many days of grey. The dark horizontal streak up on the left side of the mountain face is a partially exposed railway tunnel. We could see out of those dark windows in a few minutes!

Up top, we got out of the coach to stretch our legs for a bit and before the cold drove us back inside, we chanced upon this little fellow, the nearest thing we saw that suggested there were trolls about...

The big mystery is where someone got the cherry tomatoes to use for his eyes!

I'll let the DH's photo montage tell the rest of our scenic story:

Back on the Venus, we were greeted with cups of hot chocolate and then went down to the thermal suite to warm up in the thellasotherapy pool. The show, after another excellent supper, was a one-woman wonder from Heather Clancy, our exceptional cruise director. She sang everything from opera to the blues with devastating conviction and has such incredible comedic timing, she is simply a treat on every level. 

Good night, Sognefjord. Your sons in the US and their progeny still remember you, even those who've never been there.