Oslo, Norway: Exploring by foot (oooouch) & that big red bus..& choosing Spontaneity? (..TBD..)
August 20, 2023: ‘Dora the Explorer’ has nothing on me. I was actually sick last night and slept in this morning until 11AM, super late based on my 8AM schedule I’ve been keeping to get the most out of each day. I almost didn’t make it out of bed, but literally talked myself into feeling better and taking a cold shower, shaking it off, and getting my ass out the door and walking. It’s raining on/off today. Bipolar weather for sure, reminding me of back home in Florida- light sprinkle, pours, then nothing. Still in a sleeveless tee and shorts, unbothered. What? Am I going to melt? Gosh, everyone running for cover form some mist, it’s actually pretty humorous to watch.
Alright guys…I have a bit of a, predicament, if you will. I’m supposed to fly from Oslo to Helsinki, Finland on the 22nd. But the thing is, I learned of the most picturesque and amazing railroad, “The world’s most beautiful train journey”, The Flåm Railway. The Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) is a spectacular train journey that offers a panoramic view of some of the wildest and most magnificent nature in the Norwegian fjord landscape. The 20 km-long train ride took 20 years and is one of the steepest standard gauge railway lines in the world. This journey could take me to several locations, along Norway’s most breathtaking UNESCO-protected fjord and mountain scenery. I could experience a once in a lifetime journey- through the scenic Bergen Railway, the breathtaking Flåm Railway, the Aurlandsfjord, the narrow and dramatic UNESCO-protected Nærøyfjord, through the beautiful scenery of Western Norway. The journey has several highlights, such as the Flåmsbana – one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys, a fjord cruise on Nærøyfjorden and Aurlandsfjorden, and the Nærøydalen valley, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fjords and mountains are synonymous with “Norway”- HOW IN THIS LIFE CAN I NOT JUST WING IT, NOT BOARD MY PRE-BOOKED FLIGHT ON THE 22nd AND JUST…DO IT?!
THE NÆRØYFJORD: The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest and best-known of the many arms of the Sognefjord. Surrounded by towering mountains up to 1,700 meters high, this arm of the Sognefjord is amazingly beautiful. With its steep mountainsides, hanging valleys, towering peaks, waterfalls, and small hamlets, this fjord is perhaps the most outstanding natural attraction in Norway. The Nærøyfjord is 20 km long, only 250 meters across at its narrowest and a mere 12 meters at its shallowest. The surrounding mountains reach heights of 1,660 meters.
LIFE IS A DISNEY MOVIE, apparently: King Harold & his paramour, Sonya- ‘‘twas a fairytale love story (but like that movie with Drew Barrymore ‘Ever After’, so toss up on the ‘fairytale’ bit). It was love at first sight. But the King was betrothed to a princess and their love was forbidden. King Harold knowing full well he was the only heir to the throne, it forced parliament to agree to their marriage. King Harold & his Sonya were married in 1968 in Oslo Cathedral. You know, now I’m seeing where all of our childhood ‘fairytales’ stemmed from in real life. Think about ‘Cinderella’ or even ‘Beauty and the Beast’. The most popular and stand-out love story, tragic as it may be, is ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Just makes me think, about love…who has the right to tell anyone who they can or can not love?! It is the most beautifully natural occurring human emotion. Be damned, government/parliament/religion/egotistical power hungry families.
