Ages, and later the city of the Hanseates, deserves our special attention. Our ship glides into the harbour in the calm of this summer eve, the sun lighting up the seven mountains which embrace the city. In no other city in Norway do we find such a blending of ancient and modern archi- tecture. Here we have the ancient royal burg, Haakon’s Hall, dating from the 13th century, and the «Tyskebryggen» — the German wharfside with its line of houses from Hansa times. Our halt at Bergen will afford ample time for an excursion to Fantoft Church, one of the prettiest «stav» churches in Norway. During the night we enter Sogne Fjord — the longest and largest of the Norwegian fjords — on our way to Gudvangen. We pass Framnes with its great statue of Fridtjof erected by the German Keiser. After spending a day in this fjord we proceed northward to Cape Stadt whose waters, usually so boisterous at other seasons, are crossed without attracting undue attention, for the sea is so calm in the summer night. Our next objective is Romsdal Fjord as far as Andalsnes, from which point we make a train excursion on the Rauma Railway — one of the finest engineering feats in the country. The track runs through mountain scenery of wild grandeur, along the river Rauma, the placid stretches of whose course alternate with swirling rapids and foaming falls. 186