Fjords, fjords, fjords!

We finished packing and grabbed some hot tea and croissants with ham and cheese for breakfast at our hotel. We departed Bergen at 8:25 AM by bus headed toward Gudvangen. The views from the bus were actually quite nice with frequent waterfalls. There was free wifi on board so I was able to do some blogging. We devoured our gyro wraps to fuel up for the day ahead.

By 11:25 AM we reached the little town of Gudvangen at the mouth of the Nærøyfjord. We walked a short distance into town and found the kayak company, Nordic Adventures. We had reservations for half day kayak rentals. They set us up with all the gear including wet suits, booties, gloves, jackets and spray skirts. We had a brief safety lesson and set out on the Nærøyfjord fjord on a double kayak. The weather was overcast and drizzly but it didn’t bother us. The scenery was astounding. I’m pretty sure we were both grinning from ear to ear.

We paddled out for an hour and a half and then back. Along the way we saw more waterfalls than I could even begin to count. We spotted sheep and goats along the shore which were easy to find because most of them had clanging bells around their necks. There were lots of babies following their moms around. We made it to a little town called Bakka where the fjord is at its narrowest and shallowest. Around this time, the sun came out. Wow! What was already very beautiful became mind blowing spectacular. We did hit a bit of head wind on the way back which gave our arms a workout. There were moments that we were paddling as hard as possible and barely holding our position (not going backwards!).

Back on shore we were deliriously happy. We were so lucky to kayak the fjords and in sunshine! We had so much fun. Seeing everything slow and up close was amazing. The rental company offered us hot tea and cocoa after which we enjoyed while eating snacks looking out at the fjord. The staff was all very friendly and helpful. We just sat enjoying the sunshine for a few hours waiting for our boat.

At last, it was time to take a boat from Gudvangen to Flåm. The ride would take about 2 hours and go through the area we paddled as well as the rest of the Nærøyfjord and the Aurlandsfjord. The views were lovely and we saw even more waterfalls. The lighting had changed and it all went by so quickly compared to kayaking. Also, we began to feel the arm and shoulder pain from kayaking. I was super fatigued and Janet was having intense pain. Even so, it was definitely a worthwhile trip.

Upon arriving in Flåm, we headed straight to dinner at Ægir Pub. We shared a seafood soup and venison burger with blueberry cream topping, both tasty. I was exhausted, like I thought I might put my face in my plate tired. We had a short walk to our hostel, checked in and went to sleep. What a day!