Nærøyfjord is a branch of the Sognefjord which in turn is the largest and deepest in Norway. The SS Black Watch took a turn up Nærøyfjord on its way back to the sea after visiting Flåm.

Nærøyfjord entrance. The mists do make it look dramatic:-

Nærøyfjord:-

Further into Nærøyfjord. Waterfall on fjordside ahead:-

Further up Nærøyfjord:-

About halfway up fjord:-

Towards head of Nærøyfjord:-

Head of fjord:-

Looking back up Nærøyfjord:-

Houses, Nærøyfjord, Norway:-

The ship’s captain said this was the smallest church in Norway but it doesn’t look much smaller – if at all – than the one in Flåm:-

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Video of one of the waterfalls in Nærøyfjord:-

I just remembered I had more photographs of our trip to Norway to post.

It’s over a year now since we were there.

The red road train here was plying up and down the road while we were walking in Flåm, Norway. Photo taken beside Flåm Church, hence the gravestones:-

The good lady posted photos of Flåm Church – an example of a wooden stavkirke – on her blog here.

The odd sight of this locomotive poking out of a shed is just by the side of the road. It didn’t seem to be part of the Flåmsbana Museum:-

After Flåm the ship departed to cruise Nærøyfjord but had to travel back down Aurlandsfjord first.

These photographs make it look a bit more misty than it felt at the time.

Heading towards Nærøyfjord from Flåm:-

More of Aurlandsfjord:-

Side of Aurlandsfjord, side bow of SS Black Watch in shot:-

Typical wooded slope of fjord:-

Flåm is situated at the tip of Aurlandsfjord of which the following are views:-

Some villages cling to the flatter areas of the fjordside. This is Undredal:-

Mist on Aurlandsfjord:-

Maurangerfjord is a branch of the Hardangerfjord. Note wooded slopes. Norwegian trees can cling on to very steep sides of mountains indeed.

Sundal Village, Maurangerfjord:-

The captain was keen to show us the Bondhusbreen Glacier, off Maurangerfjord. Unfortunately it was a bit too misty to get a good picture, but you can still see it’s there:-

The Furebergfossen is a waterfall in Mauranger Fjord, Norway.

The captain of the MV Black Watch made a great play of taking us as close as possible. Just as well as it was quite misty.

From distance:-

Closer view:-

This one better shows up the fjordside road which crosses the waterfall’s outlet into the fjord. A bus had made a special stop:-

I rotated the camera during the making of this video. Unfortunately my video processing programme only allows me to flip the whole thing and not parts of it. Click on picture to get to video:-

The fjords in Norway are festooned with waterfalls. This one in Aurlandsfjord was the first thing I saw when I looked out the porthole on the morning we arrived to visit Flåm. I dubbed it “our” waterfall. Click on picture to get to video:-

This moving sculpture was on the dockside at Flåm. Again click on it:-

This is the Bokkefossen, the waterfall we didn’t manage to climb up to, in a photo taken from the road:-

Earlier I’d shot a video:-

A later photo, taken on way back to Flåm, showing the waterfall’s higher portions:-

The Flåmsbana Museum is more or less on the dock side at Flåm. The railway’s story is fascinating. They had to dig the line, which has lots of tunnels, out of solid rock by hand, using hand tools and horse driven carts. Construction was started in 1924 and the line did not open till 1940 by which time the Germans were in control of Norway.

It’s the steepest standard gauge railway in Europe. The information card said that because of the safety considerations required by the railway’s steep gradients and no rack and pinion back-up this early locomotive had six different braking systems:-

A more modern locomotive, no longer used, outside the museum building:-

Another obsolete locomotive, a bit further away:-

Old railway poster, showing a stavkirke, or wooden church. These can be almost Russian Orthodox in appearance:-

Flåm is most visited for its railway (the Flåmsbana.) It’s a branch of the line from Oslo to Bergen coming off at Myrdal.

Since Flåm is so small the railway mainly carries tourists eager to experience the steep gradients and spectacular views.

in Flåm itself the railway is not as spectacular as elsewhere. If I ever go back I might take a trip on it.

Front of train heading out of Flåm to Myrdal:-

Rear of train:-

Leaving Flåm heading to Myrdal:-

Train in Flåm heading towards Flåm terminus having come from Myrdal:-

The river at Flåm is called the Flåm (Flåmselvi). Fishing platforms have been built round some of the rocks.

A notice said these had been recently replaced after having been washed away in a flood. They are for locals only. There were “no fishing” signs up:-

Typical Norwegian Houses, Flåm:-

Flåm River, looking up Flåm Valley:-

First stop on the Norway trip was Flåm, at the top of Aurlandsfjord, Norway. The ship’s daily information sheet said Flåm is pronounced flom, but the (Norwegian) Captain had it somewhere nearer flum than flom.

It was a bit misty and a small city was docked at the quayside.

Due to that small city we were told we would be tendering.

This is the MV Black Watch’s tender:-

We decided to go for a walk round Flåm, actually in search of a waterfall, the Bokkefossen. It was a steep and muddy climb though so we gave that up.

This is the village from above, Aurlandsfjord is off to the left:-

Flåm looking back towards Aurlandsfjord:-

Part of Flåm with Flåm River:-