Bergen on our own

After we recharged, we got right back out there. Here’s what Bergen looks like from the too of the funicular!

It’s so much bigger than the historic area we’ve been in! Here’s some perspective on our place in the world! 

Like usual, Ulf is good at making friends. 



The ugly fish on the right is a monk fish! Nasty looking! 

Notice the whale? Norway still harvests whale, which is if course quite controversial. The kind they get is not endangered, and they closely regulate how many are able to be taken, but there are those that say it sets a bad example for such a rich country to hunt whale. I felt just a little guilty when I took a taste of it. It tasted like very red meat, and was somewhat oily. The meat is very dark... almost black. 

Ulf was actually very bad today...he actually jumped out if my pack today! Fortunately George was behind me as I ran across the street to watch this Unesco education and research ship leave the harbor. Is was stunning to watch it turn around...made the harbor look pretty small!

I thought these rooflines, the back of the Bryggen area, was cool. 


Then, we had our very last group dinner. It was a time for recounting our last two weeks together to yet another wonderful dinner. Here’s a pic of us all from yesterday!

We’ve been a great group. We’ve already got a facegroup group, so I think there’s a reasonable chance some of us will keep in touch. It was certainly the biggest group we’ve been with (28), but by the end of the two weeks we got to know everyone! 

Bergen- last day!

Well, it’s our last full tour day. We’ve gotton quite into the RS march mode! Tour, take a breather, eat, have another coffee, repeat. 

Since we hit the mountains, I’ve added to my essential gear mittens (which I bought in Oslo), and my ear gators. I also got out my long johns which makes my quick dry pants warm. So now we have all layers available!

Bergen (more accurately Bryggen-the area of Bergen across from the docks) was the center of the Hanseatic trading league from 1370 to 1754. Shortly after the Plague cut the population in half in 1350, Germans established a trading center and brought order and prosperity to an otherwise devastated and extremely poor and disorderly Bergen. The Norwegian fisherman now had a well run market to sell their fish. 

Bergen had many fires that would destroy the town, which would simply be rebuilt on top of the remains. So, since the remains aren’t as stable as solid earth, the buildings settle differently. Here’s some results:

These dockside buildings, built afrer the last major fire in 1702 and pretty much unused since the Hanseatic league ended, were almost torn down in the 1950s. Germans were terribly unpopular after the occupation of Norway in WWII, and this Bryggen area represented that time. Fortunately an archeologist started digging around and found SO much more history that local opinion changed and the Bryggen area waa saved. It’s still being carefully restored. 

We notice really cool manhole covers here. I think each city has their own, specific to that area’s history. Here of course it’s the Bryggen history, along with the ships that sail the high seas, like this one! 

The saying here in this fishing capital is ‘Cod is God’. Dryed cod, to be exact. Like this one, kind of...

Ulf can now say he’s ridden a cod! We’ve seen the multi-storied drying racks that the fish are dried on. Dried cod used to be food for nobility that for ceremonial reasons couldn’t eat ‘meat’ on many days of the year. It also became a majot export. We still see it in the huge fish market on the wharf here which is reminiscent of Pike’s Place in Seattle, except with seafood we totally don’t recognize! By the way...Norway currently exports 3 million tons of seafood each year!!

Now we’re recharging our batteries back at the hotel before we head out again in a bit.  

Arrival in Bergen

Just how long are days here at this, 3 weeks before solstice? Well, here’s outside our window when we get tired if waiting for it to get dark ...at 11:04 pm!

Earlier, after we arrived at our hotel, 

We went out wandering for awhile. Bergen is all about the harbor....always has been. More on that later. For tonight, we’re just out for a quick bite...or at least George is. I just tag along, having had quite enough food for the day. We’re constantly eating! Here’s a sign outside the Mexican quick food place he decides on

This morning George heard on the news that our illustrious leader is imposing a 5% tarrif on Mexico to incentivize them to stop people from imigrating to the US! Madness. 

Anyway, we haven’t been listening much to the news. Here it’s all been about the EU elections, which were last week. The populist party made advances, but not as much as was ‘feared’. So too, did the environmental party. The Social Democrat and similar parties still are dominant, but the coalitions going forward will need to make adjustments. 

Sognefjord

Wow, and Wow again! Our fortune with the weather is EPIC! Ever since we crossed over to the west side of the mountains, it’s been going between cloudy and rainy. Neither is great for a fjord cruise. Here’s the start:

Soon it started to brighten...

Then, as soon as we entered the beautiful part, the sun gave us a perfect and dramatic showing! 
















Pictures speak for themselves. It was 2 1/2 hours of sheer bliss! Countless waterfalls, beautiful water, sheer cliffs...surely a national treasure!

And, to top off a great cruise, we found this a mile after we continued on with our bus

And directly across the road,


Wow, what a beautiful country!

Over the Scandinavia Mountains

We have a long bus ride today due to the main pass being closed due to snow. So, here’s up and over the ‘low pass’ at 3100 feet.

Right about here it started snowing. The temp is down to 7 celsius (44 Fahrenheit) 

The lake in front of us is frozen! This is the 3100 foot level. At the ‘top’, the 8000 foot level, lies a HUGE glacier, the Jostedahl Glacier. It has 51 arms! Here’s a tip we saw, much receded from when Mats last saw it 😞. And, there are 4100 of these glaciers in Norway! Glaciers cover 3% of Norway!  Now I understand what 8000 feet at 61 desgrees North means! 

Ulf isn’t so sure of this cold, bit I’m loving my new down jacket!

Whereas Swedes and Danes have their summer homes along a lake or seashore, Norwegians have theirs up here in the mountains. They use it as a home base to hike, 


And. Through a really long tunnel thru a mountain, we’re suddenly on the West side, heading down. In Norse mythology, this is the land of the giants. They believe that in the final battle if armageddon, the Gods will fight the Giants. The God Thor (who’s hammer creates thunder), makes frequent reconnaissance missions to check on the plans of the Giants. 

My new down jacket! 


And now, back down to 130 feet and 10 celsius.  Now we’re officially on the rainy side of Norway, where on the average it rains 2 out of 3 days. It’s raining right now.

Now we understand why there aren’t wind turbines here...they get 99% of their energy from hydro electric! So much water! Given this, nearly ALL their oil is exported!