August 6, 2015

a fjord safari

norway is known for many things, but the most unique aspect of this
country is the fjords. norway’s fjords are some of the only ones
that are easily accessible to see, as others in the world are much
more remote: like in southern chile, remote alaska, greenland, etc.
this is what makes norway such an incredible destination, and our
new favorite place we’ve visited: the majesty of nature meeting the
charming towns, people, and areas. our time in the cities was great,
but this experience topped it all because we were taken right into the
center of it all and literally dwarfed by mother nature. what a rush!
we partnered with fjord safari to take a ride through norway’s aurlandsfjord,
past sognefjord & into the nærøyfjord with lots of waterfalls, villages, and
seal spotting along the way. we looked like this ???the entire time!!!
it is a thrilling & memorable experience unlike any other. our friends had
just done this a few weeks ago and recommended it, we are so glad they did!
getting all decked out in our fjord jumpsuits! we had a lovely
sunny day so it seemed funny to get so overly dressed up, but
the second we hit the fjords it was like ice air all around and i
was so happy to have this legit clothing protecting me!
^^ getting my fjord game face on … those outfits are no joke!
it took everyone about 20 minutes to get fully dressed.
my snapchat game was pretty good with some film of
chase and i getting ourselves into these crazy suits! haha ^^
and, we’re off! ^^
lacy waterfalls can be spotted every few seconds as you speed by.
the best part is being driven up right close to them!
that hair was meant to flow in the crisp norwegian wind – am i right?
our guide john was so informative – he’d
stop the boat every little bit and come to the front to
explain our surroundings, tell stories, and make us laugh.
mostly all of the summer employees working for fjordsafari
are locals from flåm & nearby towns, so they know the area well.
one thing i could not get over was the perfect silence in the fjords.
it is so majestic and feels like the center of the earth itself.
another thing i could not get over = the tiny towns perched on the
hillside in the middle of the fjords. how dreamy can it get?
he fits right in here ^^
i can’t help it with the excessive fjord photos. i’ve deleted
so many out of this post but that water is too pretty!
although the “safari” word represents exploring the fjords,
we did actually spot some wildlife: goats, seals, & porpoises!
my favorite line from our guide was: “this village has
a population of 75 people and 600 goats.” hahah!
this safari is expensive, but in terms of exploring norway’s fjords, we say it’s
the way to go. instead of taking a big clunky tour ship, you can have an
intimate, customized, & fun tour! the guides are full of energy and will
teach you so much. the whole tour can feel long by the end, but you’ll
leave feeling like you’ve truly experienced norway’s fjords firsthand.
the first half of the safari is filled with a lot of stops and
info from the guide, and the second half is just all cruising
straight back to flåm. it’s really fun, but it does get a tad chilly!
we were glad to see sun-splashed flåm come back into view ^^
time to get out of these suits and head to lunch after a long & fun morning!
thanks fjord safari for the incredible adventure! vlog here,
with a taste of the flåm railway at the very beginning:

after all of that cruising, it was time to have a true norwegian meal
in the town of flåm before departing. and that we did!
although flåm has a lot of tourists, it is still able to maintain
authenticity with a lot of locals providing amazing food and
insights into the culture here. one part of travel that i love most
is experiencing food and seeing the way it brings people together
all over the world. bakkastova does this especially well by maintaining
norwegian food and using local ingredients from farms nearby. incredible!
we had traditional norwegian lunch platters with goat & sausage
which didn’t sound like my cup of tea, but it was amazing.
we were lucky to try a taste of very local cuisine!
creamy vegetable soup made straight from the garden warmed us right up –
as did the homemade bread! norwegians sure know how to bake bread.
a meal always tastes better in the mountains, and after an adventure.
and let us never forget apple cake + norwegian pancakes with
cream and jam. two of the best treats to end lunch with!
this will go down as one of my favorite days, getting a taste
of norway through its beautiful nature, and through its literal taste.