Yesterday we did the Gudvangen to Flam 7.5 hour overland marathon. The day started off with a beautiful sail up the Naeroyfjord - it is definitely worth getting out of bed for. This is apparently Norway's narrowest deep fjord - the channel is quite small and the sheer mountain cliffs seem to close in on you. Gudvangen is a tiny little place at the head of the fjord - we didn't see anything of it but the inevitable souvenier shops on the way to the tour buses.

We left the ship aboard the tenders at ~9:30. The tour started with a drive up the Stalheimskleiven - Norway's steepest road with 19 hairpin turns. There were lovely views over the fjord and the valley as we went up the road. The view is fine from both sides of the bus because of the switchback turns. The Stalheim Hotel is at the top of the road - we did not stop but the view is lovely. We drove along a lake through pretty farm country to the Tvidefossen Waterfall - a scenic photo opportunity with the hundreds of other people on tour.

We then drove on to Voss and stopped at the Molstertunet Museet which is a folk museum showcasing life on the Sognefjord and its surrounding farms. The inside had some ok exhibits of crafts and village life. The best part was the open air farm museum with buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries. It's quite scenic and there are good guides who explain the buildings and life on the farms to you. Also a nice view over Voss.

Voss is a pretty little town that was mostly destroyed by allied bombing during WW2 so most of the buildings there are new. The one exception is a 13th century stone church.

We arrived in Voss around 12:45 for lunch at the Park Hotel. My advice is to eat a good breakfast and skip the lunch completely. A better use of time is to walk around Voss - it's actually quite pretty and there are nice views around the lake. We went to the stone church which is called Vangskyrkja. Admission is 15kr. The church was built in the 13th century and has 6 foot thick stone walls. The spire is an unusual octagonal wooden structure which was rebuilt after the war. The interior is splendid. There are folk paintings from the 17th century decorating the ceiling (clouds and cherubs who increase in concentration as you approach the alter). If you need a bite to eat there were some cafe's in town and a very nice looking hotel called Fleischer's next to the train station.

We had to be at the train at 2:15 and it left at 2:35. We had two reserved cars for the tour. It was a regular Norwegian train - be sure to get a window seat. The views were best from the right side. It's a 50 minute ride to Myrdal through the mountains.

We had a 20 minute wait at Myrdal before we boarded the Flamsbana for the ride down to Flam. Radisson had reserved 3 cars for us. It's a 50 minute ride to Flam with great views from both sides because of the switchbacks. There is a stop midway down at a waterfall - a girl in a red dress appears in the middle of the waterfall and sings to you. You arrive in Flam and can walk through the souvenier shops to go back to the ship - it's maybe a 5 minute walk if you don't stop. The ship was docked so no tender.

I am not a fan of bus tours so my opinion is somewhat shaded by my dislike of being herded around with a hundred other people. The 3 hour Gudvangen to Flam tour was not offered on our sailing. I would think it is the better choice as you see all the sights above but avoid lunch and minimize waiting. I would recommend one of the land excursions because Norway is so beautiful and you just can't see everything from the ship. Folks who went on the Stalheim-White Caves trip seemed to enjoy it. That was a morning tour and you would then be able to do the Flam train in the afternoon. The Flamsbana train is not to be missed. There is an option to simply take the train up and down. You can buy the excursion from the ship or simply walk to the train station on the pier and buy your ticket there. The ship does have reserved cars so you can get a window seat, whereas you take your chances if you buy direct from the railroad.

We had dinner at Compass Rose last night with Ngaire and Ken, Ray and Penny, and Fred and Pat. Excellent as always. It was Dover Sole/Rack of Lamb/Steak au Poirve night. Ngaire has an amazing capacity for lamb!

On the way out Captain Dag made a side excursion into the Fjaerlandsfjorden to drop off a troup of Norwegian folk dancers who did a little show on the pool deck at the sail away from Flam. This is a beautiful fjord. He showed us the village of Mundal which has two arms of the Jostedalsbreen glaciar bracketing the mountain in back of the town. The sky was turning red behind some spectacular clouds while we were admiring the view.

We're in Bergen today and it is currently pouring down rain. It was sunny on the way in but now it is miserable - the internet is up so I'm catching up with e-mail. Sun is supposed to be out around lunch time so we're off to explore.