Norway in a Nutshell

Just a note before I start...I keep a journal on our big trips, so if you think I am going on and on, just skip what bores you. This helps me remember the details !!

Monday, May 1st is International Labor Day, but for us it is Norway in a Nutshell(NIN). At 5:30AM, I was questioning the wisdom of this decision. The down comforter was feeling very good, but the tickets were bought so....I could hear Ken in the shower (door closed to prevent another incident) and I caught a few more winks. We grab a piece of bread and cheese and meat, throw our lunch together and grab a cab in the cold Oslo rain. I hear Ken mutter 'What have you gotten us into?' I just smile. I have no idea. I never do, but if I look confident, it makes him less nervous. Our comfortable train left at 8;11am. I had read that we could just send our bags ahead to Bergen (our final Norway destination), but that service has been stopped. So, with the idea that a back pack makes my butt looks smaller, off we go ! Here was what our day looked like;
Oslo to Myrdahl; 5 hour comfortable train trip. About 2-3 hours into the trip we started to see some of the huge lakes completely frozen over and the snow was covering more and more ground. Just before Myrdahl the snow was incredible !! People boarding the train with skis and it was so bright outside, I could hardly open my eyes!! We have never seen anything like it. I also learn what 'kafeen er apen' means...the cafe is open (and it happens to be in our car, which is dangerous). The pastry is right out the the oven !!
Myrdahl to Flam; 55 minute train that was much more rustic and filled with NIN people with cameras flashing away. This trip had 20 tunnels and was so steep that the train has 5 braking systems !! Here we meet some folks from Australia who are of great help all day.
Flam to Gudvangen fjord cruise; I was glad to see this was a huge boat ! This was a 3 hours cruise (said Gilligan) and was colder than &%¤%. I insisted we sit outside on the deck, as it was clear out and I had my REI silk long johns on. After 1 1/2 hours, I gave it up and we went downstairs and inside. Just as we did, Ken yells 'outside!! quick..look!' There was the most incredible waterfall that the boat was pulling up to. We filled our water bottles with the best water we have ever had !! The sun came out, so we stayed outside and and traded taking pictures with a Japanese couple (who spoke no Norwegian OR English). Then we went back in to collapse until we ended this leg.
Gudvangen to Voss; This bus trip was 1 hr and 20 minutes and we were dead. We traveled one stretch of the road that was built between 1842 and 1846 to Stalheimsklevia. It was a stretch of road that was 1.5km and a grade of 20% which is extemely steep. The roads over passes usually don't have grades more than 5-6% today. I certainly would not want to go down, since going up was really petrifying. These steep roads with 13 sharp hairpin switchbacks gave us beautiful views of waterfalls and Næroydalen Valley. We were almost too tired too tired to appreciate them.
Voss to Bergen; Back on the train for 1 hr and 15 minutes. All of us nutshellers looked like we should just be shot to end our misery. Then we pull into Bergen. The weather is unusually clear (it usually ALWAYS rains here) and it looks like a theme town. I have to keep reminding myself that this is the real thing ! It is so cute. We take a taxi to the Hotel Rosenkrantz and find ourselves in a great room with a view of the habor and all of the roof tops. And they charge us less than expected !! We're liking this place. Our day went from 5:30am-9pm. Although we had several moments that we thought we had lost our minds doing this tour, we would have never seen the sights that we did any other way. Ken went out and picked us up sandwiches ar Bon Appetit and we slept until 7;30am. Potato salad was added to the breakfast buffet today.

Again, thanks for your comments..keep them coming. Off to do laundry today. This should be interesting, as everything is an adventure ! ! Sally