Enjoying Norway in late summer is best, when the peak of the tourists crowds has left, and the long days have turned into late afternoons when, oh, the dusk just lingers a little longer than you expected, before the night settles in.  

Norway is the size of Japan, with just 4% of the latter’s population. The people are hospitable and helpful, direct and mildly reserved. The landscape is sparse and almost desolate but never feels completely uninhabited, when you’re not deviating too far from the beaten path.

We found it possible to adapt a well-used self-drive tour, make useful adjustments to slow down the pace and suit our interests, and manage the bookings on our own.

Most motorways and inns were as advertised, and there were little surprises except for the exceptional pastoral landscape and beauty.

In our travels, we experienced generally good clear weather, and for the few misty, clouded, rainy days, an accentuation of the wet craggy wilderness made the roaring ubiquitous mountain waterfalls feel close and intense.    

There was a sense that what we enjoyed were a less dramatic version than would have been experienced 40 years ago, as the glaciers recedes, and the traditional fjord communities, linked by slow postal ferries, gradually disappeared.     

Bergen – Voss – Aurlandsvagen – Flam – Flamsbana Railway to Myrdal – Flam – Ardalstangen – via E55 – Lom – Geiranger ferry – Olden – Briksdal glacier  – Bakkane viewpoint – Bøyabreen Glacier – Norweigian Glacier Museum, Fjærlandsfjorden – Balestrand – via Vikafjellsvegen – Bergen.

Panasonic Lumix G9; Olympus Zuiko 12-100 mm. iphone 13, September 2024