Traveling with the Jones

Since we will be visiting Flam during an upcoming Norwegian Fjords cruise, we wanted to learn a little more about this popular village in Norway.

Known as “the small village with the grand surroundings,” Flam is located in the Aurlandsfjord, the innermost side arm running south off of Sognefjord, the world’s deepest and second-longgest fjord.

Here are 12 Fun Facts About Flam, Norway

1. Flam, Norway is written as “Flåm” and pronounced “flom.” (SIDE NOTE: the Norwegian alphabet contains three more letters than the English alphabet: æ, ø and å.)

2. Surrounded by steep, snow-capped mountains, thundering waterfalls and green meadows and picturesque farms, the storybook village of Flam only has 350 residents, but attracts nearly 450,000 visitors each year.

A view of the Aurlandsfjord and Flam, Norway. Photo by Kenny Louie.

3. Thousands of those visitors arrive into Flam Harbor via a cruise ship after sailing through the narrow Aurlandsfjord.

4. The Aurlandsfjord that leads to Flam is the innermost arm of Sognefjord, the world’s deepest and second longest fjord, which stretches halfway to Sweden.

5. Flam attracts outdoor-loving visitors who hike in the nearby mountains, explore the Aurlandsfjord and the Nærøyfjord, fish in the Flåmselven river or cycle the Rallarvegen.

The Highest Point at Rallarvegen near Fagernut. Photo by Tine.wv.

6. The Rallarvegen – also known as “the Navies’ Road” – is a construction/access road in central Norway built from 1902 to 1904 in connection with the construction of the Bergen railway line.  Today it’s one of Norway’s most popular bicycle trails.  Cyclists often begin a scenic 50-mile route at Finse, more than 4,000 feet about sea level, then ride down to sea level at Flam.

7. Flam also receives several hundred thousand train visitors a year via the Flam Railway. Considered one of the world’s most scenic rail trips, the 12-mile ride from Flam goes from fjord to the mountain tops, with views of deep ravines, cascading waterfalls, and mountain farms clinging to sheer slopes.

Flaam church. Photo: Arnstein Rønning

8. Located in the center of town, Flam Church was built by master builder Magne Essen in 1670. The brown, wooden church seats 160 people.

9. The Flam Railway Museum is open daily with free admission.   Visitors can learn about the engineering and construction of one of the world’s steepest railways. There’s also a gift shop offering Flam Railway souvenirs and Norwegian handicrafts.

10. The historic Fretheim Hotel has been a part of Flam since the village first became a tourist destination in the mid-1800s. Today the hotel features local salmon cuisine and a 100-variety rose garden. It’s also rumored to have a friendly ghost looking out for guests, ever since the death of Marthe Fretheim, who managed the hotel until her death in 1933.

11. Flam, along with other small farming villages among Norway’s breathtaking fjords and mountains, served as the inspiration for Disney’s hit film Frozen.

12. The Viking-style Ægir Brewery in Flam produces award-winning handcrafted beers. Visitors can enjoy lunch or dinner in the BrewPub, or enjoy at beer and aquavit tasting.

Have you visited Flam, Norway? What fun fact can you share?

 Other “Fun Facts” posts that you might enjoy reading:

• Visiting Alaska? 22 Fun Facts You Might Want to Know
• 15 Fun Facts about Cornwall, England
• 21 Fun Facts About Mormugao, Goa, India
• 34 Fun Facts About Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 50 Interesting Facts about Cuba
• 20 Fun Facts About Juneau, Alaska

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During a 7-day cruise to Cuba on fathom, I participated in the Best of Havana tour, which is included for all cruise guests if they choose to participate.

The 140-acre Cementerio de Cristobal Colon was one of the stops on this tour. I had read that other travelers to Cuba did not enjoy this stop, but I found the stories behind the cemetery’s elaborately sculpted memorials fascinating; reminiscent of La Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Named for Christopher Columbus, the Colon Cemetery was founded in 1876 in Havana’s Vedado neighborhood. It was designed by the Galician architect Calixto Arellano de Loira y Cardoso, a graduate of Madrid’s Royal Academy of Arts, who became the cemetery’s first occupant when he died before it was completed.   Today the cemetery is home to 2 million graves with more than 500 major mausoleums, chapels, and family vaults.

Today some of tombs and family chapels are vandalized and in disrepair. Most often, these are the tombs of exiled families, whose descendants live in new countries outside of Cuba.

 The Central Chapel, pictured above, is said to be modeled after the Duomo in Florence, Italy.

Each fathom tour group is hosted by a specific Colon Cemetery guide. Our guide, pictured above, shared stories of the Cemetery and of its role in Havana and Cuba.

For example, these faces in the photo above are part of the 75-foot tall Mausoleo de los Bomberos, a monument to the firefighters who lost their lives in a building fire on May 17, 1890. The building owner concealed the fact that he’d hidden a stash of explosives inside the burning building.  They exploded, killing numerous firefighters who were working to extinguish the fire.

The firefighter’s monument contains significant symbolism. One example is the “teardrops” that hang from the chain around the monument.

The most famous grave in the cemetery (picture above) is tied to the legend of “La Milagrosa.” This is the grave of Amelia Goyre de Hoz, who died on May 3, 1901 while giving birth to a son who also died. The baby was buried in the same coffin at the feet of his mother. Her desperate husband, José Vicente Adot, went to the cemetery every afternoon and tapped the gravestone with the bronze knocker screaming: Wake up Amelia! Wake up Amelia! He made this ritual for 17 years until he died.

According to legend, when the grave was opened some time afterwards, the baby was reportedly found cradled in the mother’s arms.

People now visit the tomb to pay respects to the “milagrosa” (“the miracle-worker) by tapping with the knockers three times as Amelia’s husband did.

Then they make a wish and walk backwards out of the tomb as to not turn their back to the statue of Amelia.

Have you visited Havana’s Cementerio de Cristobal Colon? What was your favorite story?

Check out these other posts from my cruise to Cuba: 

• A Look Around the Adonia Cruise Ship from fathom
• Reflecting on My Visit to Cuba: People to People Interactions Were the Best
• Adding Cuba to My Travelers’ Century Club List of 325 Destinations
• 50 Interesting Facts about Cuba

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Last week was my first visit to Cuba, via the Adonia cruise ship from Fathom, the new impact travel brand from Carnival Corporation.

As a cruise aficionado (I’ve sailed about 60 cruises on nine different cruise lines during the last 22 years), I was curious to explore the Adonia cruise ship as soon as I boarded it in Miami. Let me give you a quick photo tour of this 30,277 ton ship with a capacity for 710 guests and 373 crew.

In the photo above, I’m on Deck 11, the Sky Deck, which is a terrific place for taking photos as you sail in and out of ports.  You can also see the jogging track on Deck 10, the Sun Deck, and the Crystal Pool and hot tubs on Lido Deck 9.

As you can see from the deck plan photo above, the public passenger areas run from Decks 4-11.

Alternatively, see above a deck by deck diagram of the Adonia. This cruise ship dates to 2001, and has previously sailed as the R Eight, Minerva II and Royal Princess. 

Cruisers who have sailed on the Pacific Princess, or Oceania’s Regatta, Insignia, Nautica or Sirena, or either of Azamara’s two ships will feel right at home, and recognize the Titanic-inspired sweeping staircase between decks 4 and 5.

The Adonia was built for Renaissance Cruises as the last of eight ‘R’ class ships. When the Renaissance cruise line declared bankruptcy in late 2001, the vessel was seized by creditors and laid up in Marseille, France where it stayed until 2003, when it became Swan Hellenic’s Minerva II.

In April 2007, the Minerva II was transferred to Princess Cruises and renamed the Royal Princess. In May, 2011, the ship was transferred to the P&O Cruises fleet where it was renamed the Adonia. The ship sailed with mainly British passengers until April, 2016, when the Adonia was reassigned within the Carnival Corporation to become the first ship for social impact brand “fathom” sailing on alternating itineraries from Miami to Cuba and the Dominican Republic.

Deck 4 is home to the reception area, the medical center, and many of the ocean-view passenger cabins.

Deck 4 is also home to the Explorers shore excursion office, but guests on the fathom cruise to Cuba have their “people-to-people” shore excursions included in their cruise fare. There are three optional excursions that guests may purchase for the evening in Havana, but you can also explore the city on your own under the “Self-guided” option on the U.S. Cuba travel affidavit that each guest must complete.

On Deck 5, the Curzon Lounge is used for lectures, movies and entertainment.

Mid-ship on Deck 5 is Anderson’s bar, a dark wood-paneled clubby gathering spot.

There are a few things on Deck 5 that are unique to fathom. This area is where you capture a memory from your travel experience on one of the provided postcards, and the ship will mail it to you. There is also a storytelling booth, and gift shops filled with unique, social impact brands such as Shinola watches made in Detroit.

At the aft end of Deck 5 you will find the Pacific Restaurant, the Adonia’s  main dining room, that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with open dining seating on a single level.

Before you reach the dining room, you pass through Raffles lounge and espresso bar, where you can find freshly baked cookies and other treats, and check out the evening menu. Many of the waiters are from India, particularly from the delightful province of Goa.

One of my favorite features of the Adonia is its library on Deck 10, with a colorful painted ceiling, and hundreds of books for guests to check out during their cruise.

The library is also were the internet services was headquartered, although you could sign on and use the internet throughout the ship. For a cruise ship, I found the internet speed reasonably fast.

On Deck 10 aft, across the hall from the library, was the Ocean Grill speciality restaurant. It served Caribbean and Cuban-inspired food, for a $25 per person charge.

The Glass House wine bar took up the other side of Deck 10 aft. We found it a terrific spot to enjoy wine flights while playing cards during a leisurely afternoon at sea.

At the forward part of Deck 10, the Crow’s Nest provided a spacious location for classes, evening entertainment, a floor-to-ceiling windows to view where the ship was headed.

There’s much more to explore on the Adonia, from the Conservatory buffet restaurant on Deck 9 to the Lido Cafe where you could find a fresh-off-the-press Cubano sandwich to the card room, gym and spa.

Have you sailed on the Adonia, or one of it’s sister ships? What’s your favorite spot?

Other posts from my cruise to Cuba:

• Reflecting on My Visit to Cuba: People to People Interactions Were the Best
• Adding Cuba to My Travelers’ Century Club List of 325 Destinations
• 50 Interesting Facts about Cuba

Follow us on Twitter or interact with us on Facebook

Or, check out our boards on Pinterest and/or our photos on Instagram.