Norway 1993

Continuing on from my post last week, Belgium in B/W, I arrived in Norway. I’d had such a great time, last time I was here that I was eager to return and this time I did with a 16mm Krasnagorsk camera, 8x 100ft loads of film, as well as my little Samsung Compact 35mm camera. I arrived fairly early morning in Oslo on the overnight train from Copenhagen. I’ve shown other photographs of Oslo, so I’ll limit myself to the Parliament building above, and to the fountain found outside the National Theatre that caught my eye!

After a day in Oslo I headed out to Bergen, Norway’s second city, settled on the west coast on an inlet of the North Sea. I took a ride on the Fløibanen funicular railway which connects the city centre with the mountain of Fløyen. A wonderful viewpoint, sadly I never thought to make a photograph of the train itself.

Perhaps the guy above can view The Edvard Grieg House – Troldhaugen, about 5 miles south? For me it was a short bus ride. This was the home of Greig and his wife Nina for 22 years. In 1891 he had a “composers hut” built down by the lake so he could compose in peace and quiet, away from the noise of the house. I toured the house and saw his Steinway piano that was gifted to him in 1892. I brought a CD there of some of his piano pieces, including his Holberg Suite, played on the very instrument. As a fun fact I also have the admission ticket inside which was 30 Kroner at the time. The web site now shows 130 Kroner!

Edvard and his wife Nina’s tomb is located in the rock facing the lake. It said that one evening while out fishing on the lake with his friend Frants Beyer, the last rays of the sunset hit that spot, “There I would like to rest forever” said Grieg. After his death, Grieg’s cousin, Schak Bull, designed the tomb.

Just a stones throw away from here is the famous old stave church at Fantoft, sadly this was burnt to the ground the year before my visit. It is now, I’m pleased to say fully re-built, just as it was. Back in Bergen, I visited the Bryggen, the old medieval wharf in the historic old town, just in time to catch the sunlight reflecting on the buildings!

Finally I took the Fløibanen funicular again, up Fløyen, for the same view I started the day, but this time to see sunset!

Next morning on the train, where I made a quick stop at the town of Vossevangen, in Voss – I tell the story of the panoramic here.

Continuing on I reached Myrdal, there is a tiny “railway village” there, and is really a change point to board the Flam Railway. This railway is one of Norway’s most visited attractions and took me some 20 kilometres down to Aurlandsfjord, which is an arm of the majestic Sognefjord – the World’s largest fjord. About 80% of the track length has a gradient of 55% or more! On route I stopped off at Kjosfossen to view the falls.