The planned itineraries had some variations based on time available, starting location, etc. but in essence each presented an iconic view of Norway. Not being an organized tour kind of guy, I, of course built our own trip (within our trip) to visit the wonders of Norway. After a couple of days in Oslo with 'the girls' we took a train from Oslo to Myrdal (a 5 hour journey) Northwest through the south-lands of Norway, slowly gaining elevation as we traveled through forested lands and lakes dotted with vacation cottages, both idyllic and picturesque.
As we rose in elevation, the forest thinned, mountainous rock outcroppings peaked, consuming the visual landscape.
The mountains were surrounded by the waters of glacial run off, pooled in stone basins forming the lakes of the region. Remnants of last year's snow fall were plainly visible only eluding to the harsh climate of this beautifully barren landscape. As we entered the town of Myrdal, the station approach and tracks were shielded by huge wood slatted screens, many times the size of a roadside billboard. These screens were strategically placed along our route as we climbed in elevation, David and I guessing they were to detour what we assumed would be monstrous snow drifts as a result of the North Sea winds of winter against the shaped mountain region. Upon arrival in Myrdal, we changed trains to the Flamsbana (Flam Railway) to Flam (pronounced Flom as I was made aware when requesting my train tickets at the Central Station, I thought the name was a close cousin to flem and thought for sure we were going to 'Goo-ville'). 
The train to Flam is much celebrated not only in Norway, but as an engineering feat in the time of it's construction. The rail line is a 20 Kilometer (12+ Mile) route with a 900 Meter (2900+ Foot) decent through a mountainous valley to the town at the tip of the Aurlands Fjord. The train route took 4 years to construct in the 1920's, spirals down the mountainside passing through 20 hand dug tunnels (in rock mind you, not just dirt) for an amazing 50 minute journey. The gradient of the line is one of the steepest anywhere in the world, passing many waterfalls that even dwarf the Multnomah Falls in the Columbia Gorge in Oregon. The route is open all year round, hard for one to imagine with winter's grip on the landscape, but it's the lifeline to many small towns along the fjords that otherwise take 5+ hours to reach via ship from the Norwegian Sea.
The town of Flom, needless to say, is very small. Quaint and memorable, it's the hub for ship connections to the fjords. We arrived late afternoon, just in time for an afternoon coffee at our hotel, the Fretheim. The hotel was one of two, originally established in the 1920's associated with the train route completion. It was quite large and imposing to the little town of Flam, but at the same time was beautiful with it's rambling structure, steeped pitched slate roofs and white painted clapboard siding.
Our ship left the next day, mid afternoon, so we would have plenty of time to explore the town, the Railway Museum, etc. Our evening consisted of an in room dinner (packed early that morning), a Sauna and a thoughtful discussion on our relationship (don't you wish you had received a postcard from us 'Wishing you were here'?). The next day, after our Breakfast Buffet and leisurely morning, we checked out the town. Upon departure from Flam, our ship would make it's way through the Sognefjord to the coast of the Norwegian Sea, then head south to Bergen, a delightful town/small city situated within the western fjords, shielded from the Norwegian and North Seas. 
The weather for our trip to and in Bergen was exactly what everyone, every guidebook and every website said it would be, cold and rainy...keep in mind this was the end of 'Summer'! We came prepared; rain jackets, every layer of clothing we had including our wool micro fiber long johns! In spite of the weather, we had an amazing trip through the fjords, landscapes that had never before imprinted on my mind, absolutely and profoundly beautiful, clearly the work of something greater than us all. This panoramic sensation lasted over 5 hours, you could not get enough of it. 
As our ship pulled into Bergen, we were greeted with yet another picturesque town on the water's edge, this one being our home for the evening. 
One of our guest house proprietors picked us up from the dock, arriving only moments later to the lovely cobbled alleyway lined with wood clad, ship-lap sided buildings from an era before our grandmother's time. 
Our apartment was as lovely as the street; with main sitting room, bedroom and luxurious bath.
We went to a near by store to get a few things for dinner (we had a kitchenette and everything in Norway is very expensive, it's one of the most expensive countries for foreigners to visit in the world and Bergen was of no exception). After a perusal of the mini market (7-Eleven that is, they are a little nicer than at home, they even have produce!), we landed on Tomato soup and Grilled Cheese sandwiches, a classic from our childhoods. It was nice to spend the evening at home, enjoying the simplicity of the night reflecting on our amazing journey here. We awoke to rain with no surprise, but rain nonetheless and lots of it. We had a nice breakfast and the available coffee (instant and 'decaf' we both guessed as it did nothing to kick start us for the day outside). Often times referred to as a coffee 'snob' before this trip, I've come to enjoy anything with the slightest coffee aroma, having been in many situations where you couldn't get a 'good' cup of coffee and in some cases not being able to get a cup of coffee at all...so I've lowered the bar, the Instant was pretty good. With that said, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy and prefer a great cup of coffee, but I'm thankful for what ever form it comes in, as long as someone thinks it's coffee. So, off we went for our day exploring Bergen, our train back to Oslo departing later in the afternoon. We weathered the storm, literally, and took in a few local sights including Hakon's Hall, a secular built hall originally erected between 1247 and 1261. Of course it barely survived the Middle Ages and the many adaptations of use over the years, only to be virtually destroyed during World War II by a German Ammunition ship that exploded at the harbors edge, directly across from the building. The Hall was rebuilt and is now a museum and event venue for artistic performances. It's a beautiful building with it's rockery walls, Gothic pointed windows and it's dark timbered ceiling. The town was quite charming as well, David and I enjoyed it in spite of the rain running off our hooded jackets only to dampen our pants and shoes. We popped in and out of buildings, shops, etc. to take in the sights and get some relief from the weather. We ended our afternoon having a cup of coffee at the Hakon Museum Cafe, layers removed, semi dry if only for a moment. Upon boarding the train to Oslo, we both looked forward the the warm, dry coach and our restful 6+ hour journey home.
We arrived home late in Oslo, only to be greeted by cheerful smiles from Rita and Renate who had been moving all day. They set up our bed, had our travel bags in our room and the coffee machine ready to go for the morning. How fortunate we have been to have made the introduction of Rita and Renate. Norway in a Nutshell was a wonderful experience, but it is Rita and Renate's friendship that captures the Norway I'll cherish and remember.
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