A ferry journey across Nærøyfjord takes you right through the fairytale. The trip is not less interesting with an encyclopedia of a captain.
Photo: Anne-Mette Landmark
Autumn i Sognefjord. Do you see the picture on the hillside?
Photo: Anne-Mette Landmark
- This you cannot experience from the road, says Torolv Rosseland, captain of the ferry "Fjærlandsfjord" which bring you from Gudvangen to Flåm.
He embraces the landscape around him with a gesture. Gazing thoughtfully on boulders on the shore. The story says that a nymph threw them there - in plain anger. If you are intrigued by legends, or facts, about the glacier's impact on the landscape, that’s an individual choice. The good captain himself reach out for his binoculars every fifth seconds. In addition to providing a safe journey for a couple of hundred tourists from all corners of the world, he is - after many years of experience - still fascinated by the magical atmosphere in Nærøyfjord.
Tobacco cultivation on the mountain farms
As we move into the fairytale landscape, we see his point. At its narrowest point the branch of the Sognefjord is only 820 feet wide. Around us, the mighty mountains stretch up towards a blue, blue sky. Glittering peaks reflect pride in the water's edge - knowing their place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Did you know that farmers grew tobacco in Undredal in the 1800s? It was an important "secondary income" for them, Rosseland states.
In fact it is said that in the best years, farmers in Sogndal harvested 1800 kilograms of tobacco. In 1899 the tobacco fields in the district covered 12 acres. It was the dry and mild summer climate that created a fertile ground for tobacco,which was sold to Norwegian factories.
But now it’s October, and the air is crisp and clear. Tilting between autumn and winter. Playful seals, porpoises and kayaks provide lazy ripples that gently find their way towards the foot of the mountains, with peaks that apparently hold up the sky. In between there are steep valleys stretching down to the fjords with small farms. This is the wildest, most beautiful and dramatic Norwegian nature has to offer.
- See there! A little more on the left. Can you see what I see?
Munch in the Sognefjord
The captain grabs hold of my arm and point towards the mountains. Towards the formations and shadows reminiscent of anything from "Scream" by Munch,to a troll who basks in the mountainside.
- The more you are looking for, the more you discover. It's like working in a changeable painting. Every day offers something new. Depending on the weather shadows create different "pictures" in nature.
His digital camera is ready. Back home from work, he continues his studies of landscape on the computer.
- I never get bored, he emphasizes.
What other destinations in the West Country would you recommend?
- Will depend on the season. Actually, there are no places in the West Country who come up against this. But the coast from Bergen to Måløy, in between the islands, and almost into the ocean, is both lush and sparse. Inner Nordfjord is also fertile. On land, we have Jostedalen and Sognefjellet. I'll never forget when the snow fell in the autumn. The color game on a frosty Vikafjell mountain was fantastic. Such only last a couple of days, but really is an experience in itself.