We caught a 6:30 am train from Oslo to Myrdal. Rick Steves said its the most spectacular train ride in northern Europe and we can see why. It crosses Norways mountain range, first through woods, farms and lakes, then windswept glaciers as it climbs up to its peak at 4266 ft. At this Alaskan latitude it is far above the tree line. This electric train goes through 18 miles of snow sheds, tunnels and bridges.
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At Myrdal we transferred to the Flambsana railway, a 12 mile drop that descends from 2800 feet to sea level at the fjord town of Flam. 55 minutes through 20 tunnels, passing by waterfalls. The train stopped at a large waterfall and let everyone come out to get close and take photos. Legend has it that a maiden hides behind the waterfall, and sure enough, we saw one appear through the mist dancing to mystical music that suddenly began as the crowd drew close.
Flam had a giant P&O line cruise ship in port, so it dwarfed the tiny harbor. We had a nice lunch at a micro brew pub built to look like a stave church. We boarded a ferry to Balestrand and enjoyed seeing the Sognefjord and waterfalls.
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