It had all the makings of a Hollywood thriller..intrigue, mystery, possible murder, and one widow's…read moreplight for revenge... June 2018: My cousin and I had a couple hours to kill, so we drove to Vangen Church in Aurlandsvangen to visit with some old relatives...centuries old. The white stone church sits in the center of small village where you can't miss it. We parked in the large lot in front of the church, and then scouted the grounds to locate the gravesites of our ancestors. While photographing the tombstones, we noticed how beautifully and immaculately the cemetery was maintained with gorgeous flowers. We did not explore past the cemetery though, so who knows what lies beyond the grave(s)? The church was open, so we decided to take a peek inside. We were the only visitors at the time, allowing us to fully experience the old building's acoustics, squeaks and creaks, and peaceful ambiance. Influenced by thirteenth century English Gothic architecture, the interior was simple with impressively thick walls (1.3-1.6 meters), and green carpeting that echoed the lush green backdrop of the fjord church. Five original windows remain, with stained-glass windows by Emmanuel Vigeland added in a restoration in 1926. But amidst the straightforward design and decor hid a more complex fixture...a plaque commemorating a man and a mystery worthy of a Dateline episode. The plaque was created by Trine Henricksdatter in memory of her late husband, merchant Niels Michelson from Bergen. Flash back to year 1613: Niels drowned during a trade expedition, though his widow suspected foul play. He was later buried at the Vangen Church. Keith Morrison, with furrowed brow, and curled hand on chin: "Then what happened?" The angry widow included a psalm of revenge on the plaque, Psalms 109:7, along with a motif of a wailing woman. She hoped the killer would feel guilty when he came to church and saw the message. Did the suspect ever return to atone for his actions? Was Niels' demise indeed a homicide, or merely just a drowning accident? While we stood alone in the quiet church contemplating these questions, the door shuttered. We wondered if it was just the wind, or perhaps Trine, still waiting to avenge her husband's death. Overall we couldn't imagine a better place to connect with our history, and to appreciate the beauty of this impressive old church. With that, our hour had come, and we had to depart Aurland to rejoin our (live) family. .

Four of us, 65+, were looking for a "taste" of kayaking the fjords. We opted for a 2-hour group…read moretour with a guide. The 1st 20 minutes were spent on safety & orientation, kayak orientation, and practice. They use 2-person sea kayaks where the person in the aft position steers the kayak using right & left foot pedals. We were joined by 5 other couples including newlyweds from China who had never kayaked before. As testament to the ease in using these kayaks this couple got up to speed quickly & did not hold the group back. Our guide "Webby" was wonderful moving among the group to help & sharing stories - historical & mythological. Very fun experience!!!

We went out on a day trip and it was beautiful! Lots of stunning waterfalls and rainbows! Our guide…read moreBess was incredible at showing us the area and making us lunch! great day!

I cannot rant and rave enough about how spectacular this company is. I love the variety of options…read moreand every employee delivers outstanding customer service. This company is perfection. I have to say we travel a bit and Rose is my favorite tour guide, hands down! She is wonderful, patient, gave out great information and went above and beyond in every way. Fjord Safari makes you want to come back for more! Skål!

If you find yourself with 24 hours in Flam (population: 387) - and you will if you're on the Norway…read morein a Nutshell tour package like Jamie W. and me - then you may find it challenging to fill your time. There were no casinos, no designer outlets, no long-term residencies starring Celine Dion or worse, Katy Perry. But there was this RIB boat adventure excursion. If you don't know what RIB means, it stands for Rigid Inflatable Boat. Yep, it's a zodiac boat with a motor that adds a jolt of speed to your trip. I decided to book us in advance for the standard fjord safari which lasted approximately ninety minutes. It cost 790 NOK or about $80 in US dollars. Pretty typical Norwegian tourist pricing. You're given a pair of goggles and heavy-duty fluorescent chartreuse coveralls as if you're scaling Everest during a typhoon. It was a bit of overkill but a fine Instagram moment (photo: https://bit.ly/3JAo0VU). There were just seven of us including a young child who already seemed bored despite constant prodding from her insistent father. Our guide and boat pilot was Gustav, an ebullient local who brought the necessary enthusiasm to his role. With dexterity, he took us to key spots in both Aurlandsfjord and Sognefjord including a stop where the tip of our boat entered a rushing waterfall (photo: https://bit.ly/3QosZv3). Gustav also shared colorful stories about life around the fjords. There are longer versions of the excursion, some including a goat cheese tasting since it's a local delicacy. I was almost sorry to take off my coveralls as I could feel the testosterone slipping out of me. RELATED - Exploring Norway? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3PEL4Fe

And I was planning to nap (again) on the way back to Bergen from our Gudsvangen fjord tour. What a…read morepredicament. Points against a restful train ride were a dramatic valley, waterfalls, mountainsides, and tunnels including a stop at Kjosfossen with "SPOILER ALERT" a 5-minute Huldra dance by the Norwegian Ballet School This world-renowned journey through Flåm valley is a very scenic 20-kilometer (12.6-mile) Norwegian railway that runs from Flåm to Myrdal, one of the steepest railways in the world The carriages feature nostalgic wooden interiors and large windows for optimal viewing with comfortable seating and clean restrooms. It really doesn't matter which side you're seated for maximal viewpoints but a good tip would be to sit on the less occupied front cars (farthest to walk from the terminal) as one can freely move left or right for snaps. The Flåm railway is a popular attraction and it is highly recommended to book in advance online via the Flåmsbana or the Vy (Norwegian Railways) websites

A truly incredible experience. The old train is breathtaking, the stop at the waterfall is…read morebreathtaking, the scenery is breathtaking, the history is breathtaking. I have no more breath to say anymore words.

Great place to explore and enjoy! They have great service and wonderfully tasty ice cream and…read morepastries at the bakeries!! Highly recommend visiting Flam!!!

Flam Visitor Center is the epicenter of tourist industry here in Flam. All tourists are routed to…read morethis area by the fjord. It's crowded and busy and touristy, but it's totally understandable. Very scenic. Very tourist friendly. Large bathrooms. Tourist information. Tour guides. Luggage lockers. Giant souvenir shop (and other small ones too) with all types of souvenirs available for sale. Transportation Available: Bus, Train, Boat Cruises, Shuttles, Car rentals. Multiple restaurants with different cuisines. Food stand lot with lots of different food options. Hotel in town too.

Borgund stavechurch is without a doubt one of the most beautiful stavechurches in Norway. It should…read moredefinitely be on your list og destinations. I've never been on the guided tour here, but just walking around enjoying the architecture and the mountainview around it is lovely. There's fields with sheep and lambs around and you get a proper view of the Norwegian cultural landscape as well. The giftshop also has a lot of interesting gifts and souvenirs!

Really cool church well worth the rather long drive out to it. Don't be fooled by the name "Borgund…read moreStave Church," it is actually quite a ways outside of Borgund! Not having a GPS, I kept driving and driving and thought I had missed it, but it's out there! Just keep going until you see it right off the road. Parallel to the main road is a scenic route that is AMAZING! So much better than the main road. There are plenty of exits for the scenic route from the main route, so plan for another hour or two to allow yourself time to take the scenic route. It runs by rivers, deep gorges, and dark tunnels. The church itself is neat, but they charge you to enter the grounds! I believe admission includes entrance to the museum inside the visitor's center as well.

The regular public ferry service to see the Fjaerland Fjord is only open June 1st to Sept 1st…read more Luckily this one-man owner-run boat company exists. For 1300kr($173) Lars will take two people for about 90 minutes to go anywhere you want on his highspeed RIB boat...its kinda like being a roller coaster in the water, but lasting 90 minutes instead of 90 seconds. Its cold, thrilling, can be wet, and 110% AWESOME. Yes its not cheap, but if you're traveling to Balestrand Norway, you're probably in a decent financial situation. (Note: At time of this review, the US dollar was up 50% against the Norway kroner...$1 = 7.5kr vs $1 = 5kr just a couple years ago)

Fun and easy way to explore Flåm. Kjell, our guide, grew up…read morein the area, and he us told lots of interesting stories.

Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car *Beep Beep*…read more While one of the most picturesque places in Norway, the fishing village of Flåm is overrun by throngs of cruise ship tourists severely lacking both peripheral vision and manners. Escape the madness and bruises by hopping into a Twizy electric car to enjoy a hilarious, zippy ride through tunnels and serpentine roads (perfect for anyone trying to avoid Ramsey Bolton's arrows)! Dress warmly and surrender your hair to the wind as there are no side windows. To avoid the stuffed clown car look, avoid bringing large bags or purses if you can--the Twizy is smaller than a golf cart. "Get in the back seat baby, get in to my car, beep beep, yeah..." While loads of fun, this won't be the most comfortable ride. There is not much leg room for the driver, and the passenger must closely straddle the driver's seat. You may even need to origami contort and fold yourself to get in and out of the car, after opening up the doors Batmobile-style. But hey, you can always Downy Wrinkle Release the creases out afterwards! As you work your way out of Flåm, fellow tourists will point, ogle, take pictures, and ask you where they too can rent a Twizy. Smile and give your best Queen Elizabeth wave! The tourists will also tend to linger in the middle of the road like lost goats while they stare. While tempting to pretend you've also left your peripheral vision at home, it's best to be patient and enjoy your pseudo paparazzi moment. "Let me take your wheel, smooth operator, touch my bumper, Hey, let's make a deal..." The car comes with GPS programmed to guide you to one of several destinations, with a bonus pretentious GPS audio guide. Score! Your audio guide, should you select one in a language that you actually speak, will spew fun anecdotes and sarcastic jokes, tell you when to stop or turn, and give you relevant information about your destination. I think our guide had a devious side as she occasionally forgot to tell us to turn, and even once told us to go in the opposite direction that we were supposed to go. I'm pretty sure I heard her snickering in the background. The price was NOK 800 (approximately $100) for a one hour tour to Aurland, but it is closer to $200 if you choose the ride to Stegastein. Reserve your car(s) ahead of time...even though they may have many that appear to be free, they may not all be charged up. Definitely a worthwhile adventure if you get the chance! And it's Billy Ocean approved!

OMG! This was AWESOME! These cars are so fun. We zipped right up to Stegestein and I felt safer…read morein these than I would a car, the road is tight! They have plenty of power to climb the hill. It does get a little chilly as they don't have windows. It's a great way to have a mini adventure. We lo