Briksdalbreen - Voss, Norway

Thursday 9th September 1999

The weather was gloomy again as we started the day and we were glad that we visited the glacier yesterday. We could still see it at the end of the fjord but as the morning wore on it began to disappear in a shroud of rain and cloud. We had another long day of driving ahead of us, heading further south, but judging by the map it should be enjoyable.

After leaving the fjord we began the first of many ascents across the mountain passes. As another fjord fell below us, small villages dotting the shoreline, we saw the sun start to appear and give the whole scene a wonderful colour.

We climbed and descended several more times, never tiring of the passing scenes of sharp peaks, waterfalls, glaciers, and greener-than-green pastures, until we finally came to a pass that audibly took our breath away. We had been passing several lakes, each joined to the next by a rushing waterfall, when we reached a narrow pass in the mountain and almost had the sensation of flying as the road dropped before us and a huge valley opened up. We stopped for a while then continued down the twists on the other side, next to another rushing waterfall, and on to the ferry port at Dragsvik.

The half-hour ferry crossing took us across the beautiful Sognefjorden, with its many arms disappearing in all directions. We soon reached the small town of Vangsnes then drove on a short distance to Vik, home to one of Norway's stave churches.

The town was quite dull but the church was excellent. Built in wood in the 12th century its complex design and intricate carvings were reminiscent of Viking warships. The ticket office was closed so we spent some time just wandering around the outside and through the enclosed arcade that surrounded the church. Further up the hill we came across an old stone church that was built in the same unusual style. Still closed though.

We finished the day with one more pass, reaching a plateau still supporting a generous covering of snow, before descending once more into a valley and stopping not far short of Voss, our initial goal for tomorrow.