Geez, it's been such a long time since we went to Norway, that I'm probably going to struggle to recall what we did.... Matt'll probably tell me that I've gotten the order of things all over the place... but I'll fix it up as we go along.
Oh! I do remember one thing... the buffet breakfasts our hotel did.... cured meats galore... and then all sorts of cured herring, in a tomato-ey sauce, in a sweet mustard sauce, another unidentifiable sauce.. all sorts of crackers, dark bread, even 'kaviar' which you squeeze out of a tube! Breakkie was so heavy that even I struggled to rustle up an appetite when lunch time came... but I always managed to, in the end!
The first thing I thought when getting into Bergen, was "What a pretty city". Bergen is Norway's second largest city, over on the West Coast, and is surrounded both by the water (cool, deep and green), as well as the mountains- we'd arrived the tail end of summer (for three days)and while the evergreen trees were untouched by snow, there was a definite bite in the air.
What did we do... checked out a couple of the museums... we also caught the fishmarket... right in the centre of town. Fish upon fish, upon crabs, mussels...
We bought some smoked salmon on bagel rolls to snack on. Then the heavens opened on us. Bergen's apparently one of the rainiest cities.. with almost 300 days a year where it rains. It's also one of the few places where you can go have your umbrellas repaired, instead of buying a new one! It was also here, that we saw the biggest ever seagull, that Matt and I have ever laid eyes on. (It doesn't look like much, but there was no way I was getting within pecking distance of some bird that was larger than the size of my head!)
After the market, we went for a walk into the old town- the northern bit of the city, made up of closely built wooden houses. These had been rebuilt after a fire, in the early 16th Century... and it was pretty cool, walking on wooden corridors, with these double storied houses, looming on either side.
We had a lovely dinner in one of the restaurants in the old town. We'd read in the guidebooks that restaurants didn't stay open too late, in Bergen... but that suited us, as it was really quite nippy, and we were happy to head back afterwards, to the warmth of the hotel bar!
I think I had started out with some yummy chowder, while Matt had some reindeer sausage (fyi- I didn't like it, as it was really gamey) and then we both had fish for our mains and with them, some akvavit (water of life). Wikipedia tells me that they're flavoured with caraway seeds and the better brands mature the liquor by putting them into sherry casks and sending them by ship down south, past the equator and then back up. By the time the ship's back in Norway, the casks of akvavit are perfectly matured. These brands of akvavit would then have the word "linea" somewhere in their name... alluding to the method of maturation.
I think I had started out with some yummy chowder, while Matt had some reindeer sausage (fyi- I didn't like it, as it was really gamey) and then we both had fish for our mains and with them, some akvavit (water of life). Wikipedia tells me that they're flavoured with caraway seeds and the better brands mature the liquor by putting them into sherry casks and sending them by ship down south, past the equator and then back up. By the time the ship's back in Norway, the casks of akvavit are perfectly matured. These brands of akvavit would then have the word "linea" somewhere in their name... alluding to the method of maturation.
Whatever.... it was strong, and brought tears to my eyes, when I shot my share!
What else did we do- we took a "Norway in a nutshell" tour that included travel by bus, train and ferry. We first went by ferry from Bergen to Voss. We went up a couple of fjords.... absolutely beautiful... the dark greens of the trees lining these steep gorges... the green water, the blue sky... if only I'd brought warmer clothes! But it was worth it.
We then stopped off at a port and took a moment to stretch our legs, and have a bite to eat. Think we had fish and chips(!) and some meatballs in a cafe.
We then caught a steam train to Mrydal, that took us up the mountain, past some beautiful waterfalls, and scenery (we were jostling for the best spots by the window with a huge group of Chinese tourists- sigh). We stopped off at a little town where we then too a bus to the main railway station where a train took us back to Bergen. Time for a feed!
Think that was a Sunday night, and most of the restaurants weren't open. We went into this touristy restaurant and Matt ordered a starter of whale. I had a taste of that.... was a lot better than the reindeer we had, the day before. We then had normal food, I think... nothing sticks out in my mind...
The last day that we went up by funicular/cable car up the highest of the 7 mountains, surrounding Bergen. Pretty steep ride... it took us up past 600m, and when we got to the top, we decided to have a quick walk along the forest track. Lovely 
day, too.... and we tried taking a couple of photos of the city from where we were. We also found a Norwegian Mountain Troll. However, this troll was in the midst of being tormented by the many visiting kids...
day, too.... and we tried taking a couple of photos of the city from where we were. We also found a Norwegian Mountain Troll. However, this troll was in the midst of being tormented by the many visiting kids...
Anyway, we head back down, went for another stroll around the University area... and then had to take the train back to the airport, relaxed and refreshed. It had been one of those holidays that the doctor ordered- fresh air, relaxed pace, and lovely scenery.
