Sixty and Beyond: an extrovert traveller: Flåm, a pearl in the fjord

Imagine travelling up a long fjord with steep cliff edges and precipitous waterfalls. Ominous but small rock falls cascade from the upper reaches and small tinned houses cling to the feet of the cliffs with their toes in the water. Brightly painted in greens or red or blue or canary yellow, they stand out as bastions against the natural world. No room for a car, no road necessarily connecting them, each has their boat moored up outside, ready for that visit to the shops, to entertain, to fish, as a commuter vehicle and to take the children to school.

According to Google, "Flåm is a village in southwestern Norway, in an area known for its fjords. It sits at the end of Aurlandsfjord, a branch of the vast Sognefjord. The dramatic Stegastein viewing platform juts out high above the Aurlandsfjord. South of Flåm Harbor, the 17th-century wooden Flåm Church lies in the valley. The Flåm Railway offers valley and waterfall views as it climbs to a station on the Hardangervidda plateau."

As we approached Flåm we were told there was very little there save the railway station, a few large shopping areas, some souvenir shops, a series of cafés and a very large, hanger like shop filled with Icelandic and Norwegian clothing.

One other delight was a large garden area with park benches, a large camper van car park, decent toilets and a small beach area to swim from!!

Oh, how I dearly wish I had my swimwear with me, but coming north I didn't dream I would be able to swim in the fjord, knocking on the door of the Arctic circle as I was.

I paddled.

Sitting down on the sand I enjoyed a barmy hot day wiggling my toes in the warm sand and watched the water sports. A family came into view from further down the fjord. It made me giggle as I saw them coming into sight, it reminded me of the three bears......first was daddy bear standing on his board with a toddler sitting cross legged in front of him, next came mummy bear with a papoose kneeling on hers and finally two smaller boards with younger siblings sitting on theirs. They teach them young here. A splash and a whoop and three young girls run into the water. They play chase me and swim furiously back and forward as if running, playing tag around the paddle boards and others, enjoying an inflatable float.

I visited the large clothing outlet and was both amazed by the goods but also their prices! Come with money if you fancy a jumper. I'd already bought a gorgeous cardigan from one of the llama stalls outside, a snip at £60! Glad I did because in here I would pay anywhere from £120 upwards.

Having little currency remaining I sort out where the magnets and such were in this superstore, finally seeing these. Sorting the best nose I could find, I bought this one. Wrapping it carefully I hoped it would make it back to the UK and home via GWR.