Nærøyfjord Cruising

We knew we wanted to see the fjords and were open to accommodation options. We had the benefit of traveling in late June when many Europeans are still in school, so I found a lot more options and at better prices than say July or August. I found a rental in Amla, a town along a small cove off of the famous Sognefjorden that checked all of the boxes. 

Next was figuring out how to get us all there. I found a car ferry that travels through the Nærøyfjord from Gudvanger to Kaupanger. Gudvanger was accessible to Flam by a short, frequent bus service so we packed 5 in the car and Pops met us at the ferry terminal. We parked the car on the ferry and found seats on the top deck for the 2 1/2 hour journey. The Nærøyfjord is a UNESCO heritage site and was a truly stunning site. We had gorgeous weather to enjoy the waterfalls and small towns along the way.

Playground at the hostel. Cruise ship departing in the distance.

As we approached Kaupanger, we started to look for our AirBnB. 

Top left grey house was our home for the next 4 nights.

Views of the car ferry departing.

Settling in with some dutch snacks and poker

Stave church in Kaupanger seen on our way to the grocery store.

After bedtime, I went on a long walk along the waterfront.

There were horses in the fields outside our AirBnB. Made for some idyllic photos and videos. Not so cute, the LOUD horse cries/screams throughout the night outside our bedroom windows. The owners said that one of the horses gets lonely?? Thankfully it was quiet the rest of the trip! 

Driving to the Fjords

It was time to leave the big city and really get out into nature. I was faced with two big challenges when planning our time in Norway. 1. How to possibly choose which part of this huge, gorgeous country to focus on and 2. How to move around with one car and 6 people. It was Norway in a Nutshell to the rescue. This very popular tourist route covers a lot of jaw-dropping highlights and can be done completely without a car. We didn't book with the company, but I used their website to figure out all of our options. 

I booked my parents and the kids on the Oslo to Bergen train. The drive time was 4 1/2 hours and we knew the kids would be happier on a train where they could move around instead of strapped into the car. The train also had a designated kid's car with play areas and a TV with cartoons. Following the Norway in a Nutshell plan, they got off the train in Myrdal and transferred to the famous Flåmsbana (reputed to be one of the world's most beautiful train rides), which took them on a 45 minute trip down to Flam. 

Jude quickly taught Pops Euchre

Meanwhile, Pete and I drove from Oslo to Flam, stopping at leisure along the way to take in the scenery. We immediately got a sense of the vastness of the country as we found ourselves all alone on remote roads. 

The rain lingered as we started out, but luckily as we got closer to the fjords, the skies cleared. 

The fog lifting

Apart from stunning scenery, I was also really excited to see the Norwegian Stave churches, which are medieval wooden Christian churches. The first we came across was stunning, too much so as we soon learned it was a reproduction of one that was moved to an outdoor museum in Oslo. Still very cool to see the construction and details up close. 

Gol Nye Stave Church reproduction

The next one was much less grand, but is one of the oldest. 

Torpo Stave Church

Cool, green-roofed huts built into the hills along route 50

Some visitors along the road

An amazing stop overlooking Vassbygdevatnet

Looking down towards Aurlandsfjord

We had some time before my parents and the kids' train arrived in Flam, so we made the detour up the mountain (switch backs and narrow roads galore) to the Stegastein Lookout. And boy was I glad we did!!

Heading up with lots of paragliders coming down

Aurlandsfjord with Flam on the far left

Clearly a popular spot.

This is exactly what I was hoping to see in Norway! So stunning! Was shocked by the color of the water.

Accommodations were limited in Flam and very expensive. So I did some digging and found a hostel in town, which had a private 6 person room available. I confirmed that Nana and Pops were ok sharing a 3 bunk bedroom with our crew and booked it! We unloaded and then walked into town, where there was a fjordside playground and brewpub. Win!

We used the communal kitchen to cook a pasta dinner and enjoyed some group Euchre before bed. 

Rainy Day Exploring Oslo

It really dumped on us on the day we intended to meander through the city! Spending the day walking around a city is a hard sell for a little kid, add in rain, and we had a lot of whining to deal with! Thankfully Nana and Pops were there to help! 

We started off back at the playground in Frognerparken, where we were treated to a traditional marching band performance. 

 

Plans to walk through Frogner were foiled so we hopped the tram across town to the Grunnerlokka neighborhood. 

The food hall we hoped to visit was closed on Mondays, so we picnicked in the park during a break in the rain. 

Next, we took the tram to the Royal Palace to watch the changing of the guards. After they were in position, the public is welcome to approach them to ask them questions. Jude came up with a few and was interested to hear the young guard talk about his military experience. 

 

There was a little sculpture park in the gardens of Royal Palace, which again had some very strange art! 

We walked through Majorstuen to Nana and Pop's AirBnb where we promptly threw our soaked clothes into the dryer! 

We left the kids to enjoy some screentime with the grandparents, while Pete and I went out to a local brewery where I told Pete to "just order the beer and don't tell me how much it costs" and then broke down and had to ask how much it cost! 

Back at Paul and Andrea's, we ordered in Sushi and enjoyed a performance of Norwegian dance! 

Pete and I went for a walk along the river behind their house, our first glimpse of the stunning natural beauty of this country!