Michele's Travel Blog: Fjord Safari Cruise down the Naeroyfjord and finding Stigen

The challenge today is what activities to schedule to maximize my stay in Flam. In addition, I need to get to Stigen. In a nutshell, here is how it went down and I credit the schedule to Gertrude (who you will meet in the photos).

-          Bus tour to Stagastein Viewpoint - departs 10am;
-          Fjord Safari Tour which takes you in a RIB (like a zodiac) up the famous Naerofjord. Depart 12:05. On the way back to Flam after the tour, they drop me off at the Stigen dock. As a side note, this is the only way to get to Stigen which is the farm house I am staying at based on a recommendation.
-          Fjord Safari will pick me up @ 2pm on the way back from one of their excursions so I can catch my boat from Flam to Balestrand at 3:30.

If you come to Norway, the Flam railway and Fjord Safari is a must do. I loved the smaller crowd of the RIB boat, but if you have any fear of the water there are larger ferries that run the same excursions.

The Naerofjord (small fjord) is a spectacular fjord. It ‘s the worlds narrowest fjord; 6 miles long and as little as 820 feet wide and 40 feet deep. I am mesmerized by the beauty that surrounds me. I keep snapping away pictures trying to capture the scenery. Maybe if I am lucky I will get that one great shot. The waterfalls just spill over the mountain cliffs. Some are small, but there are a few that are quite spectacular. The water is clear, the forested mountains green and the wildflowers and ferns are lush with vibrant color. The area is majestic and magically all at the same time. The clouds roll in and roll out changing the scenery at a flip of a switch. It doesn’t matter to me that there is light rain, it is beautiful in any weather.

Now for Stigen. I really did not know what to expect. All I knew was that this place was special and a must do. When I get dropped off at the dock, I am a bit concerned. How in the heck do I reach the farm. It is straight up and I could not see any clear path. I have no hiking boots or rain gear with the exception of my rain jacket. It’s wet, drizzling and I am chilled. Wasn’t someone suppose to meet me here at 2pm and show me the way up? I have a backpack and one overnight bag. There is no way I can carry both of these up the cliff. I call my friend at fjord safari to help me track down the owners. In the meantime, I find shelter at the boat dock. What I have I gotten myself into? After an hour I finally get connected with the owners. She is coming to get me. I later find out that they normally do not get people. This is considered a hike and it is part of the experience. You simply put on your backpack and hike up the steep hill. Are you kidding me? I could see part of a trail, but certainly not all of it.  She takes my hand luggage and places it in her backpack. It is the Norwegian way she tells me. I guess it would be ok if you are prepared, but I wasn’t, especially for this wet weather. The hike up was a challenge in the wet weather. My van’s tennies have little traction and I slip and slide a few times. At one point we use a rope to escalate up.   I will need a drink if I ever reach the top. At this point, I do not call this fun. I was not prepared! Hege, who is showing me the way, tells me to continue without her.   She needs to shut off the water and will meet me at the top. She points to the path. We are past the tough stuff, so I am good. As I meander my way around, I use some wire fencing at one part to support my climb. I get an electrical shock. I figured it was because I was wet from the rain. I learn later it is an electrical fence to keep the goats out of the farm. Nice real nice Mishka.

We get to the top and I am relieved. I made it. I stand on the farm looking out over this wondrous fjord. It is spectacular. But you have to work to get here. It would be impossible for those overweight, not in shape, afraid of heights or need modern creature comforts. If you love the outdoors and adventure, this might be a rewarding fit.

Dee, Hege’s husband greets me with a warm welcome. They have the hot tub ready for me which Dee engineered. Quite ingenious. The tub is a stainless steeI milk container from a dairy and the water is heated thru a wood burning system.   I settle into my room quickly so I can hit the hot tub. Life is good right now as I am sitting in this magnificant environment overlooking the fjord.

Stigen is a B&B and serves as Dee and Hege’s summer house. There is no electricity. Water comes filtered straight from the waterfalls. It tastes great. No parasite risk here. Water is cold and plentiful. It truly is the best I have ever tasted. Hege has picked lettuce fresh from the garden. It will be used in our salad tonight. The elk and deer were hunted by Dee. He hunts for food not pleasure. As a side note he is from Missouri and married Hege.

As you will see from the photos, the bathroom is in common and it is a septic system.   Not the modern convenience of a flush toilet. If it is occupied you can opt to use the “outhouse”. There are nine other guests arriving today, so this should be interesting. I will stick to the inside bathroom.

The farm is a labor of love.  Hege and Dee do a fabulous job and they want to make sure their guest enjoy this unique experience. The food is awesome and they serve us with genuine warmth. The evening ends up being a blast with my new found Norwegian friends. We enjoy our meal and they start singing Norwegian and Irish songs.   We head outside after dinner with wine in tow. It is friendship, song and enjoyment of the surroundings. It was like camping out and singing songs around a camp fire. Except we had a solid roof over our head, a gourmet meal and a candlelit latern was our fire. I hit the hay at 11:30pm and they continued on...

We enjoy breakfast together the next day before we go our separate ways. As they leave, they yell for me and start singing Michele my bell....you know the beatles song. Now that was quite something.