Arriving at Balestrand

Traveling through the fjords

Railway to the port of Flam

Arrived in Oslo after a stopover in Amsterdam. No opportunity to go into that city, but a good chance to rest and prepare for the next leg of the journey.
Oslo is a most surprising city. Slightly over half a million people, but clearly thriving. It is remarkably clean and busy. Checking to see where it might not be wise to walk freely we were told it was safe "everywhere." There is obviously a huge commitment to public art. Almost everywhere you turn there is some kind of sculpture related to the history, ideals or mythology of the place.
After leaving Oslo we took a train - big station, very clean (again), easy to use, busy! - or actually two - to the Flam railway which takes you down through a beautiful gorge to the port of Flam at the end of the Sogne fjord. There we caught the "speed ferry" that took us to Balestrand where we stayed overnight at the Kviknes historic hotel.
The next day we nearly missed the opportunity to take the ferry to the glacier. Up v-e-r-y late, managed to get dressed, downstairs and to the boat in under 10 minutes! A good choice to rush as it was worth the trip.
Today we leave on yet another ferry to go the four hours to Bergen.
Will try to post the photos next.

This may give you an idea of our journey. We land in Amsterdam and then fly to Norway (the long green area at the top of the map of Europe. Then back to Amsterdam for a brief layover before the flight to Kenya (down the east coast of Africa), then back to Amsterdam long enough to catch the train for Bruges/Brugge in Belgium.

This is a map of Kenya that shows the three areas we will be visiting. Samburu (in the center just below "Kenya"), Amboseli (just above Kilimanjaro), and Masai Mara (on the Tanzanian border toward Lake Victoria). Three very different eco-systems about which I guess I am soon to learn a great deal more.

Altar of Santa Barbara inside the gold mine Minas do Passagem, next to the Candomble altar. Santa Barbara became the patron saint of miners as an extension of being the patron saint protecting people from thunder......connected to the sound of the dynamite explosions.