We made it to our Airbnb in Aurland with just a little time to spare before we drove back to Flåm to catch a shuttle van to take us to our cruise departure point in Gudvangen. On the van, we donned our mondkapjes (only one other person was wearing one on the whole van), and 15 minutes later we pulled into the ferry terminal. Most of the other passengers had just finished a cruise in Flåm, so we headed mostly alone to the boat.
I had a few beers in my backpack, but we bought another beer and a small bottle of wine on board and headed to the top. The cruise boat was completely electric, which means that it was nearly entirely silent! It was eerie at first, but so perfect. We proceeded to marvel at the landscape as the boat pulled out, drinking our beers and taking pictures. These two arms of the mighty Sognefjord are called the Nærøyfjord and the Aurlandsfjord, and they form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We passed multiple tiny villages, some of which we pulled into as a ferry. The sun was slowly setting, rays dotting the landscape. Waterfalls were everywhere, small valleys formed from their streams. We passed shacks and kayakers and even a little herd of goats lounging on the edge of a cliff, at the bend between the two fjords. Once we docked in Flåm, we got a quick dinner.
The next morning, we woke up with no agenda whatsoever. It was nice. We eventually drove up to Stegastein, a viewpoint. As we got out of our car and walked up to it, the clouds completely broke to reveal blue skies and sunlight, making for an incredible moment and, later, afternoon. We drove back down to town, taking pictures along the way. I will never forget pulling off at a viewpoint and just sitting and taking in all of the grandeur.
In Aurland, we lounged on the docks for a bit, watching the boats go by and a group of workers prepare a fancy yacht to take off. It was a stunning couple of days.
