We catch a small ferry from Gudvangen to Flam first thing in the morning, a two hour trip through the spectacular Aurlandsfjord. It is one of the narrowest fjords in Norway with sheer mountains rising up 3,000 feet above the water. There are small villages along the coastline, the brightly painted homes contrasting with the steel blue waters of the fjord. We see kayakers and porpoises and marvel at the natural beauty.

Arriving in Flam, we are disappointed to see a massive cruise ship in the small harbor (ironically painted with #savetheseas on the hull)  and maneuver our bikes around the crowds at the bakery and gift shop. A few cruise passengers stroll or ride electric bikes beyond the village harbor but within a few miles of riding we are into the countryside on quiet roads and the start of the Rallarvegen.

The Rallarvegen is a gravel road that takes us through the mountains of central Norway, from the Aurlandsfjord at sea level through lush green valleys with sheep grazing, past lakes and waterfalls to an alpine landscape of delicate wildflowers and granite boulders at almost 5,000 feet. Just above us are massive glaciers and we get blasts of cold wind whipping off of them. This route served as the access road for construction of the Bergen to Oslo train line at the start of the 1900s and is now a biking and hiking route. It is nothing short of spectacular. Though we get drenched multiple times over the course of the six hour climb and have to throw on all our layers to keep warm, Allegra declares it one of the top five rides of her life.

The village of Finse is essentially a train station high in the mountains with one hotel and a hostel (“hytte” or cottage) run by the Norwegian Trekking Association. We arrive at the hytte and pass through a large mud room where people leave their wet gear and into a warm cozy living room where pink cheeked people sit around communal tables in wool base layers and socks, drinking beer and hot chocolate, chatting happily as their kids draw and do puzzles on the floor. The rooms are shared and consist of narrow wooden bunk beds with cubbies to stow gear, shower rooms are down the hall and hearty meals (think potato leek soup and rich cheesy lasagna stuffed with ground beef and a spoonful of sour cream on the side) are served family style with everyone sitting at long tables. It’s warm and convivial yet totally practical and unpretentious in a quintessential Norwegian way.

Best of all, we arrange to meet our friends Peter and Kasia, a couple we hosted in Seattle a few years ago while they were bike touring through the Pacific Northwest. They arrive on the 7pm train after we have cleaned up and it’s a delight to see them again. We are excited to spend the next few days with them, visiting their farm and hiking in the mountains near their village.

We sleep well and wake up hungry. Fortunately breakfast at the hytte is an event, a massive buffet of fresh breads, yogurt, cheese, musli, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, vegetables, pickled fish and caviar in a tube. People attack the food, loading up plates, and we dive into the scrum. It’s delicious. We notice that practically everyone has grabbed paper maps, which seems antiquated until we realize that the maps are printed on waxed paper and used to wrap up sandwiches to take hiking. It’s brilliant and we make boiled egg, brown cheese and peanut butter and jam sandwiches for the road. It’s dumping rain with 20 mph winds, but we bundle up and head out the door.