Norse Legends & Northern Isles

August 17 - Bergen

Bergen from Above

We are back in Bergen. This time we docked at the Skolten Port, which is closer to downtown. We were not surprised to see cloudy skies, cool temperatures and rain showers. This is the third time we have visited Bergen and each time we have had rain.

Our objective today was to go up to the top of Mt Fløyen on Fløibanen, the funicular. Although rain showers were annoying, there seemed to be enough visibility to get a good panoramic view of Bergen and its surrounding countryside. So we found our way over to the ticket booth and were surprised to see several hundred people in line either to buy tickets or to board the tram. Knowing that it would be a very long wait, we decided to skip the ride. Instead, we walked up a few hundred feet on steep stairs and narrow city streets. We got high enough to get good views of the city and to take a few photos. We had not been in this section of Bergen and were charmed by neat rows of houses on cobbled streets.

The rain chased us down the hill where we walked through the funicular line and headed southeast toward a large church that we could see towering over the smaller shops and cafes. The church was closed, but we were in another picturesque area that we hadn't seen before. There were many brightly colored buildings on narrow, cobbled streets.

The weather was getting worse, so we started walking back to the ship. We stopped at the local Starbucks to use tis facilities (no we didn't buy any coffee although I was tempted because of the weather). Then we detoured through a couple narrow alleys with their boardwalks in Bryggen, which is the real old part of Bergen with brightly painted wooden buildings. We finally found our way to the ship, got on board, dried off and warmed up.

We had our group's dinner tonight at Canaletto, an Italian themed restaurant. It was another excellent meal in a quiet, relaxed atmosphere.

Hillside Homes

Shops

Sea Creature in Bryggen

Dinner at Canaletto