Bergen
We start out with a bus tour of the city and then took off on our own. We found Bergen to be just another large city with a lot of tourists. There were 2 other cruise ships in port; one German, one Dutch. The good news was we had the best docked location and were able to come and go at we wanted.
Bergan has an enormous fish market with some odd looking fish parts, fresh cheese, pancakes, pies, and reindeer hotdogs. Tents with gas heaters and tables were for immediate consumption. We decided to take the funicular railway to the top of Mt. Floien. It’s one of Norway’s most famous attractions. The summit is 984 feet above sea level and the view, between fog and rain and fog and rain, was spectacular. The peak offers hiking and biking trails and 360 degree scenic views. We ran into a group of resident goats who are hired to keep the views scenic by chowing down on weeds/grasses.
Day 2, we decided to sleep in. It was dry all morning and the minute we stepped out, the sky opened up with heavy rain and wind. This weather will follow us for a week. Modern expedition pants and breathable rain gear works amazing well. We walked and walked and went to the Saturday market; more fish parts and some of the biggest crabs I’ve ever seen. We are now soaked and decided a bakery is in order. We ordered 2 scones and a cup of tea and decided to sit outside under the awning. The sales gal looked at us like we were crazy; maybe, maybe not! Scones were delish, tea was hot and the people-watching was the best. All the Bergen people had waterproof hats, pants, and coats. Now, it’s really pouring and the bakery decides to pull in the awning without any notice. OMG, we got dumped on because we couldn’t get our hats on and umbrellas opened fast enough.
We headed to the Bayggens Museum because we wanted to see a piece of blown glass that was advertised in their ad. We pay our $200 Krone and no one can tell us where the glass is in the Museum. Finally, they fess up that it’s been moved. So, off we go and head back to the ship. We are SOAKED!
Day 3, we bought tickets for a 3 ½ hour Fjord Cruise from Bergen to Modalen. Again, it’s pouring and by the time we walk to the pier, we are once again pretty wet. We were hoping for a dry day but as luck would have it, the more it rains, the more waterfalls become active. We saw hundreds and they were of all heights and widths. The Captain of the ship said he’d never seen some of the falls that were flowing today. We floated past small colorful villages, a suspension bridge that often gets shuts down because of wind and an enormous rock called “The Castle” which you would have a hard time trying to say it wasn’t. Almost everyone in Norway owns a boat and proof of that was traveling in this Fjord which housed many, many boat houses. It was money well spent.
It’s still raining so we decide to stop at the Fish Market to have a bite. We share a bowl of fish soup and 3 fish cakes. I turned up my nose and my other half said “just try it.” Geeze, to think I almost lost out. It was some of the best soup ever and the fish cakes were a white fish that was coated with flour and lightly deep fried.
We have 45 Krone left so we stop at a bakery and it’s my job to see what I can get. The exchange rate is $8.95K to $1US so I have about 5US in Krone. I was able to get 1 scone. Norway is VERY expensive!
We were supposed to be going back to the Shetland Islands; however, Viking decided because of a big storm brewing, we are going directly to the Faroe Islands. So tomorrow is a sea day – yeah!!