FLAM AND VOSS

We traveled back to Holsen only to repack and head out for Flam and Voss.  Rita has a boyfriend named Frode and they have a little house just outside of Voss.  We had a lovely time and spent 5 nights and packed a lot of activity into the four days we had there.    People can see this area by doing Norway in a Nutshell.  We felt we had superb guides ( those being Rita and Frode).  We saw every nook and cranny  and what most tourist see.  Frode took us to his parents' house and on this land they are still finding artifacts from the Viking Age.  It never ceases to amaze us !  Aurlandsfjorden is the waterway into the city of Flam.  Huge cruise ships come into there daily.  When we were there, three of them were anchored.  It is a big industry in Norway and some folks here feel intruded upon because of it.  One can understand why, but I will keep my opinion to myself.  One of the things we did was to take the train up into the mountains to view the vast waterfalls and the mysterious woman dancing by the biggest.  The myth says that she draws in the men to the water of the falls.  This train runs daily from Bergen to Oslo.  There is a trail that can be hiked from Fram to Mydal along the train route.  Also, hearty outdoors folk can bicycle there and back...or ride the train up and ride a bike back.  What fun the would be!!!!  I would love to do that.
Voss is a great ski area in the winter and to me it seemed like a skier's paradise.  Lots of neat places to stay and many runs to conquer.
On the trip driving to these places we zig zagged around mountains on a very narrow road.  The scenery was awesome, of course, with magnificent waterfalls, deep fjords, rugged mountains and peaceful lakes.  Occupying the landscape were goats.  Countless numbers of them.  At one spot, a goat was laying in the middle of the road and the cars were having to go around it.  The animal decided to sun itself there, and there it was going to stay.  Because vehicles had to share this narrow road,  neither coming or going cars could pass this contented animal.  We were stopped!  Soon one goat after another started to jump from the rocks on the roadside.  It was like a waterfall of goats!!!  I started to laugh, then got out of the car and called the animals to the side.  " Come on, little goats", I purred.  " Come on over here."  "Come out of the road, please", I beckoned.    Two of the goats come up to me as if I had something to feed them.  They let me pat their heads and they looked me strait in the eye.  They were adorable!  Several goats were on a concrete picnic table in a turn-out on the road.  How humorous and fantastic!  Finally, the middle-of-the-road goat moved out of the way, the others followed and we in cars got to be on our way.  An experience not soon to forget.  Countryside is filled with sheep as well.  Mama sheep (ewes)  and lambs.  I love the peacefulness of it.  Little bells jingle while they eat and move to greener pastures.  Many folks now are up in the "setters" while the sheep and cows graze and fatten up for winter.  Farming seems to be big here and I marvel at the way the farmers drive their machinery on these steep slopes and rocky land.  They are haying now. Many dry the grass on peaked fence lines.  How you see it in old photos or paintings is how it is mostly today.  However, there are many modern ways of doing things here, too.  It has been fun to learn how this process works.  July is the time for vacations ( called holidays here), but the farmers may hay while the sun shines!