Flåm,Norway

The U-shaped valleys that are archtypical of fjords are perfectly visible here in Flåm. Flowing water cuts V-shaped valleys, and flowing ice cuts U-shaped valleys. The fjords are natural highways that lead to the open ocean, but man-made highways are just as necessary. See the road cut? [1984]

Flåm, Norway

The chances of experiencing a sunny day along the coast of Norway are minuscule. During low-sun season it verges on night 24 hours a day. During high-sun season, atmospheric condensation, in the form of haze and fog, makes the days gray and overcast. A day like this is an exception. [1984]

Oslo, Norway

No symbol captures the power of Scandinavian culture better than the sweeping curves of the longboat. It's a visual reminder that Northern Europe was at the height of its power while the rest of Europe was asleep. When the peoples of the North Atlantic saw something like this on the horizon, they knew trouble was coming. [1984]

Oslo, Norway

Turn the clock back 800 years and this is what places of Christian worship in Norway would have looked like. This one was built around 1200 AD. Today, there are only a couple dozen wooden stave churches left on the Norwegian landscape. Because of its iconic value, this one, named Gol, was relocated to the Norwegian Folk Museum in Oslo. [1984]

Kjosfossen, Norway

Can you find Kjosfossen in this picture? If you wonder what a glacial trough is, you are at the bottom of one, looking up at the heights from which you have just descended thanks to Norway's Flåmsbana, the rail connection from Myrdal to Flåm. The same feature looks quite different at different scales. [1984]

Kjosfossen, Norway

The most majestic rail trip in Norway takes 12 miles to descend 3000 ft to sea level. It's a switch-back line that gives you a close-up view of Kjosfossen. Foss means waterfall in Norwegian. Here water falls off the edge of a high-elevation hanging valley into the glacial trough that will carry it to the sea. [1984]

Kjölen Mountains, Norway

Near the rail head of Myrdal, the Kjölen Mountains prove their usefulness and their beauty. Snow fields in the middle of summer remind the Norwegians that winter is never far away. The altitude is perfect for collecting snow, and the crystalline rocks are perfect for collecting water on the surface so it can be turned into electricity. [1984]

Flåm, Norway

Orchards reach for the heavens on the sunny, south-facing slopes of Aurland Fjord near Flam. Apple and pear trees flourish here, north of 60 degrees NL, thanks to the warm North Atlantic Drift and its accompanying westerly winds. [1984]