Summer trip 2013 to the fjords

Summer time! No time for holidays, but at least time for our annual summer trip with the people working at the Oslo office.
This year's summer trip took us once more to the fjord region around Flåm.

28th June:
In the afternoon of that Friday the drivers went to fetch the three cars so we could leave at around 4 p.m. Departure in direction Sandvika, Tyrifjord, Hønefoss...

...and then along the RV7 to Noresund and along the Krøderen lake further on to Flå.

Here Franck had planned "a typical Norwegian and locally produced dinner at www.mcdonalds.no" :-) So, yes, we got stuffed with some burgers and ice cream... After our "light evening meal" we continued to Nesbyen, Gol and then up the mountain to visit Guriset Hotel.

It was only after 10 p.m. that we reached the nearby Oset Mountain Hotel where we spent the night.

We only had a quick drink together at the bar before heading already to bed. No time for a big party. We needed to get up early the next day.

29th June:

Early breakfast and then departure already at 8 a.m.

Departure with rainy, grey weather along the RV51 down to Gol and then via the RV52 to Hemsedal and through the beautiful "dark valley".

We stopped at Borgund stavechurch...

 ...before continuing through the world's longest road tunnel from Lærdal to Aurland.

Since we were a bit ahead of schedule, we still had time to drive up the National Tourist Road up the mountain to see the Stegastein panoramic platform which offers - especially with nice weather - a magnificent view over the Aurlandsfjord. Such a pity that it was raining cats and dogs.

After this short panoramic visit, we drove back down to the valley to Gudvangen. Here we embarked at 1.15 p.m. the boat that took us on a 2-hours cruise on the UNESCO World Heritage site listed Nærøyfjord to Flåm.

 "Yummy" lunch time on board.

 

 

 The little village of Undredal, famous for its goat cheese productions...

 ...and with Norway's smallest stavechurch (the little white one).

 Arrival in Flåm at 2:45 p.m.

 

 

Short visit of Flåm's two major hotels: Flåmsbrygga Hotel and Fretheim Hotel.

And of course a quick look at Ægir Bryggeri, Flåm's own beer brewery.

It was at 4:05 p.m. when our ways separated. Ten of us took the train up to the mountain stop Myrdal and then further on to Geilo. The drivers with the others drove to Geilo via the very nice "Geitryggvegen" (RV50) and waited for the others to arrive by train at 18:57 at Geilo train station.

Arrived in Geilo, we checked in to some very nice cabins at Bardøla.

And of course for dinner we had some fantastic BBQ - prepared by the BBQ master Franck :-)

After dinner it was time to play some rounds "Time's up" - a classic during our summer trips!

30th June:
Self-made breakfast in the cabins.

Afterwards quick visit of Bardøla Hotel before departing at around 10:30 a.m. by the mountain road RV40 to Dagali, Rødberg and Kongsberg.

Lunch en route - with our lunch packages prepared from the breakfast.

The 2013 summer trip ended at around 4:00 p.m. when we arrived back in town of Oslo.

It was again a nice way to get out of the daily work routine during high season and to have fun together with the colleagues including our lovely trainees.