Hordaland Fylke

A really almost perfect day. First I have to correct a gross error from yesterday when we weren’t properly orientated - the $100 hamburger was a misreading of the menu! When scrutinised today we found it was item 600 on the menu, not 600 kroner, and actually was a fairly normal price!! So I apologise for giving the totally wrong impression.

So now for today - it started with breakfast, which is included with the room - and it was a massive buffet. Not a simple continental breakfast, but every choice you could conceive of - all the usual eggs, bacon, croissants, amazing bread, baked beans, but also couscous, radishes, salads, caviar, and also for us the pièce de resistance - an orange squeezing machine!!! And even the coffee machine produced good coffee. So that was an excellent start, and kept us going till dinner.

It was a beautiful day - sunny and sparkling. Our first objective was to ascend the mountain looking down on the city - we took the funicular up, admired the breathtaking view from the top, and then walked back down on the zigzag path. Amazing views all the way. Then we took a break in a coffee shop and decided to spend the afternoon going to Grieg’s house, a little way out of the city. We got the light rail back towards the airport and alighted at a station called Hop, and walked about 20 minutes following the signs. Spent a lovely couple of hours there. There is his actual house, a museum, and a small house by the water where he composed. Looking out from there you can imagine how he was inspired to compose his music. Very good and very manageable. Got the tram back. I had a short visit back to the hotel and Amr had time looking at shops and a general wander. We all met up with C and J at a wine bar we had found this morning.

Also this morning on our initial reconnoiter we had found a wonderful place which we had totally missed last night. A building which is the information upstairs is a sort of fish market below. Not the open fish market which is also nearby, but a series of shops which sell fish (caught that day) and all have restaurants attached to them. Just perfect for what we were looking for, so we had booked a table for 6.30, and when we came we were glad we had. We were not the only people who liked to dine there!

And we had the BEST meal. I had halibut baked with butter and chervil, with vegs and salad, just perfect. And Amr and I each had a glass of Alberiño. We were all totally satisfied.

Bergen is just lovely. Everything works. No dilapidated houses or buildings. And SO picturesque. Maybe because of their long dark winters everything is designed to allow light. All the walls are glass (I keep having trouble finding the door and trying to enter through a window)...the breakfast room which is huge, and spread round a whole floor, feels so light and not crowded because of this light. And our hotel room, though fairly small, makes used of the space so cleverly that we feel almost spacious. The shower is two glass doors that magnetise together to make a square shower recess. But they can rotate back to the wall and that square becomes part of the bathroom space.

Also, a very comfy bed. And unlike many European beds which are two beds pushed together, with double sheets over all, but with a crack in the middle that you can’t sleep on...this bed is one double mattress but with 2 doonas (each neatly folded German style), far preferable! So we have had a wonderful day, corrected our first impressions as novices, and wonder how people, who have been brought up here all their childhood, feel when they visit other countries and realise that all the world is not as beautiful as Norway! (Maybe Switzerland would qualify)...

Anyway, we are very much looking forward to our 12 days, starting tomorrow, on the Hurtigruten boat...we can drop our bags there at 12.30, and then come back at 3.30 to check in. I think we sail at about 9 pm. So new adventure, and I have no idea of the wifi situation so if nothing published for a while it is because of the lack of wifi. But Amr says I can use his hot spot from his phone with the European SIM! (If he has reception)...anyway, we’ll see how it goes. I will write up each day, as particularly on the boat they may merge in my mind. Have plenty of books on my kindle to read as we float up the fjords!Read more