Day 18: Bergen - A Beautiful City

Today started with a look around this beautiful city and learn't more about its history and the culture of Norway. After travelling around the city we visited Bryggen which is a series of Hanseatic commercial buildings along the eastern side of the Vagen harbour in Bergen. The buildings facing the harbour all lean to the right due to a massive explosion on the harbour during WWII. We also visited the Hanseatic Museum which tells how the German merchants in Bergen lived from around 1360 to 1760's. The museum is one of the best preserved timber buildings at Bryggen.

After the morning tour we wandered around the city visiting Lille Lungegardsvann, a lake in the centre of the city, the fish market and also wandered in some shops and bought the obligatory fridge magnet.

In the afternoon we joined the tour to the museum and house which was the home of Norways most famous composer, Edvard Grieg. I'm no aficionado of classical music but he composed some music that we have all heard, likely on TV ads, such as Morning Moon, Piano Concerto in A Minor and In The Hall of the Mountain King. Apparently he was the Michael Jackson of his time from the 1860's to 1900's. I think I would have liked Grieg if I was alive in these times, especially given he apparently was critical of authorities, criticised the established church, religious pietism and all forms of dogmatism but he did marry his first cousin and that's just wrong/odd in any era. To be honest, I wasn't really into the visit to the museum and house, we had learnt about Grieg (and listened to some of his music) during the bus trip yesterday and that was enough for me. All we really wanted to do to this afternoon was take the funicular up to Mount Floyen to check out the city from this vantage point. Especially as the skies looked threatening today and we wanted to get up the mountain before the rain arrived. Anyway, we got up to the mountain just as the mist started to roll in so whilst we got a good look at the city the surrounding mountains were obscured by the misty rain. Anyway, it was a bit disappointing and in hindsight we would be better off doing our own thing today or taken Bec and Luke's lead and not doing the afternoon tour. But we are all geniuses in hindsight and we had a good day overall.

After being up the mountain it was time to enjoy a quiet beverage at the Irish Pub, Bec and Luke joined us as they fortunately wandered past just after we grabbed a drink. The funniest moment occurred when my chair decided to collapse under me which gave the others a good laugh. I thought the chair felt dodgy and when I leaned back down I went.

We went back to the hotel to drop off some things (this has been the best hotel so far with regard to location, comfort and the breakfast is awesome), on the way back out we ran into Adrian. There also happened to be some terrorist training drill happening outside the hotel at the same time with police running around with guns drawn on a truck that they intercepted, it was all a bit surreal until it clicked that it was a drill.

We had tea at the same restaurant as last night with Adrian, Bec and Luke, this time I had the wings and ribs, delicious! After tea Amy bought a Viking drinking horn as a souvenir of our trip, it will look good on our wine cabinet.

We love Bergen and had a good day overall.Read more