Wanderings and Ramblings : Bergen, Norway

At the end of the Epcot ride that made us dream of visiting Norway, there is a fishing village of brightly painted wooden houses. Around about Alesund, Dave mentioned that he was "still looking" for a village like that. I told him not to worry, just like the ride, it would be the finale of our trip--in Bergen.

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway (Oslo being the largest, of course), but it doesn't feel too big or overwhelming at all.

Once again, we headed off on foot to explore. The first thing of interest you come to is the Bergenhus Fortress, which contains sections as old as the early middle ages and bunkers built as recently as World War Two, and many things in between. The grounds are open to the public:

Continuing along the shoreline, I was enchanted by this large sailing ship. You can actually book a trip on her in which you learn to sail and help out as well as getting to enjoy yourself (http://www.lehmkuhl.no/english/ ) A very different style of cruise, which I think I would love, but Dave would be too seasick to possibly enjoy. Ah well--I can enjoy the look of her anyway:

If Dave were to try a smaller sailing vessel, he prefers the modern version, which was docked on the other side of the pier:

Only a few steps further, and BOOM, there we were, in that Wharf, straight out of a Disney ride.

While much more charming in person, and with the chance to wander around and inside the maze of buildings, I have to say, in this case Disney got it right--Marika noticed that even the birds in the area sounded familiar, as that exact sound is repeated on the ride.

This wharf area, Bryggen, has been active since the 1000s. The wooden buildings have burned and been rebuilt many times, but are built in historical ways now and really feel fabulously interesting and not kitschy at all. I think it helps that mixed in with many tourist shops and restaurants are plenty of regular stroes, and places that cater to locals--there were a number of locals shopping as we wandered and oohed and aahed over this really unique and fun pace. I love that the people of Bergen recognize the worth in keeping such a piece of history alive:

It was a beautiful, clear day. Many people walked through town to the cable car and took that up the hill, or took a bus out to the nearby Fana to see the famous Stave Church there--both of which I am sure were excellent choices, and both are things we hope to do on subsequent trips (maybe next year? We're hoping to be back so soon).

However, we were so taken with the Byrggen area, especially after the initial flood of tourist groups moved on, that we stayed and wandered and just soaked up the feel there before returning to the ship for our 4:00 pm sail away.

Walking back, we enjoyed that even the manhole covers are pretty in Bergen:

Back on board, Bergen had one final treat in store for us: the local fire brigade band came out to play a wonderful send off for us. The music lasted nearly a half hour and was a good mix and so much fun to enjoy from our balcony. What a very cool thing--we've never experienced this at any other port in our sailings. I'm not sure what bit of luck made this happen but I am glad it did: