Posted on by strofo

Vision of the Fjords

There are days you remember, and then there are days you know you could never forget. The realization dawns on you at some special moment, or after a sequence of profound events; the feeling simply overtakes you. I was lucky to have such a day today. If I ramble, know that I am mentally spent, and kindly forgive me. I will attempt to be wise and let pictures do the speaking where no words I would write could possibly capture the depth or breadth of the beauty we saw today.

It wouldn’t have been possible to conceive a more perfect day of weather in our wildest dreams even if we had full control over them. Our reward for enduring many days of dull gray and wet conditions was delivered to us at long last in the form of crystal blue sky, nary a wisp of cloud in sight; it was the kind of day that makes nature photographers rabid. I feel it necessary to clarify that most of the photos I will post below are untouched, raw shots: Norway’s nature requires neither crutch nor trickery to astound.

We started our day earlier than ever, our sights set on Flåm–a familiar town to us on this trip, though our route to get there today was new. Previously, we had arrived in Flåm by train and then departed by boat; today, our route took us by car across a ferry and through the famous Lærdalstunnelen, the longest road tunnel in the world, which connects the cities of Lærdal and Aurland. At over fifteen miles long, the tunnel features sections of blue lights to ensure that weary drivers haven’t succumbed entirely to boredom.

Our first leg of the day saw us board the Vision of the Fjords, an aptly named vessel that sailed us back and forth between Flåm and Gudvangen by way of Aurlandsfjorden and Nærøyfjorden, stopping alongside several points of interest along the route. We have a special connection to the boat itself, since Karl-Andre, Geir and Marit’s son, is actually one of the people who built it. The Vision and its sister boat, Future of the Fjords, are electric-powered vessels (Vision is a hybrid, while Future is entirely electric) that are so silent and so smooth that you really can’t even tell that you’re on a boat at all. The journey down the fjords is saturated with so many glorious views and so many jaw-dropping features that it’s difficult to balance when to pull out the camera and when to just enjoy the scene.

The blue light section of Lærdalstunnelen is meant to jolt drivers whose concentration may have started to drift. Photo courtesy of K. Foss. (I was driving!)
The Vision of the Fjords, the hybrid electric boat we rode on our tour, was dwarfed in size by this cruise ship that was sitting in Flåm’s harbor during our takeoff.
What does one say about this? I was already out of words early in the day, and we had a lot more coming.
The first of several waterfalls that were given time for close-ups during our tour of the fjords.
With scenes like this, the pictures take themselves.
Not just the sun came to play today. The moon remained in full view for much of the morning, seen here faintly hovering over the mountains.
The flag that hangs on the back of the boat is the Postal flag of Norway, which is used by any vessel carrying mail, which technically includes most boats that operate as ferries or passenger boats in Norway.
Our family coined the term “scenic overload” to describe today; it’s not that the views are boring, but you quickly run out of ways to describe your breath being taken away.
Many of the waterfalls wind their way down from the tops of the mountains, often weaving in and out of view before their eventual descent into the fjord.
Even with the sun in full view, many of the mountains remained snow-capped. Here, you can also see the city of Aurland in the distance on the right-hand side.

A record-breaking tunnel is a fine thing to witness once, to get a sense of the sheer magnitude of the task it must have been to build it, but we selected a spicier route back to Sogndal in the form of a road winding up Aurlandsfjellet, a mountain offering sky-level views of the fjord we had just navigated. After our trip on Vision, we had already cycled through all available vocabulary to discuss scenic beauty; by the end of Aurlandsfjellet, we were largely reduced to mere sound effects and stammering bewilderment. There simply were no words for this.

Our first stop on our ascent up Bjørgavegen, the road leading to the top of Aurlandsfjellet, was a stunner, but it was only the beginning.
The view of the sun glinting off the water below is a sight I will never forget.
The Fosses and the fjord.
I have a hard time believing this particular photo hasn’t been touched by editing—and I took the picture.
The Stegastein Lookout was responsible for some absolutely insane viewing angles of Aurlandsfjorden. It was the only place where we encountered a fair amount of other travelers; for much of the trip, the mountain felt like it was entirely ours.
The view of Aurland from Stegastein.
Our voyage across Aurlandsfjellet took us through a variety of distinct biomes, from fjord, to birch forest, to rock plains. Here, near the summit of the road, prior passersby had constructed a large rock structure among the freshly fallen (and melting) snow.
I left my imprint, literally, on top of the mountain.
As it was with Sognefjellet, the road itself habitually crawled right up next to stunning natural features: rivers, waterfalls, steep rock inclines, and others.
Along our descent, I channeled my inner rock climber to catch this cool shot of a river, and old wooden bridge, a waterfall, and a mountain crest all huddled together.
Today was a day of many firsts with respect to my experience driving the Aurlandsfjellet road, but these cows blocking the way down the mountain were standouts. They were utterly (udderly?) unmoved by my father’s attempt to shoo them from the road, instead opting only to saunter out of the way when they felt it was time. Photo courtesy of K. Foss.

Our reserves of expressible awe completely tapped, we capped the evening with dinner at Sissel and Kjell’s house, where the family had generously delayed dinner until our later-than-anticipated arrival. Following a delicious meal, Kjell Joar and Benedicte gifted us with a tour of their newly constructed home, the now-newest building on the Foss land holding. I can’t say enough about the triumph of this house, with a living room and porch space to die for. After eight years of work, it was nice to see them closing in on the ability to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor (just a few projects still remain in the house). We closed our visit over coffee and treats, per the Norwegian tradition, after many stories and many laughs. Our sincere gratitude goes to Sissel for her invitation and hospitality (and Sissel, your coffee really was good!).

From back-left around the circle to back-right: Kjell Joar, Sissel, Benny, Hilde Kristin, Jermund, Kjell, Benedicte, and Papa.

My mind is fried, and I can feel the words melting right out of it, so I will wrap simply by noting that I am eternally grateful for this day when we traversed so much unknown territory and created so many great memories. I know this is not the last time Norway will leave me speechless, but I am soothed knowing my temporary loss of words accompanies permanent growth of spirit. And that is a gift I will cherish forever.

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