Monday morning we were up and at 'em pretty early - we were headed from Grotli to Bergen and that's about a four hour drive, so we wanted to make good time! We had breakfast at the hotel (delicious once again) and then headed out in the crisp morning air. I have to say - this four hour drive may be one of the most beautiful drives I've ever been on... my goodness the scenery was incredible!
One thing I learned about Norway as we began our drive: they love their tunnels! Within about fifteen minutes of setting out, we headed into a tunnel and it was the first of numerous tunnels we would use over the next week! The Norwegians love their tunnels and their ferries; both abound in this country filled with mountain peaks and bodies of water. I swear that it seemed like we would be taking in stunning views, we'd enter a tunnel and when we emerged - somehow the view would be even more grand. Everywhere we looked there were peaks, valleys, waterfalls, little fog banks, bodies of water - all of it so perfectly harmonious and breathtaking.
We made a stop to get gas when we were near the halfway point and I decided to grab myself some traditional Norwegian candy to have on hand for the trip! I got a Japp bar (which is ironically named that because it was created during WWII and they Norwegians named them after the Japanese that were occupying areas of the country... I'm not kidding...) and it is maybe the best chocolate bar I've ever had. I also got some Knatter Frukt, which taste like little chewy fruit sweets. I don't know what I'd compare them to in the US - but they were a tasty choice! I also pocketed some of the Norwegian Kroner to keep for myself!
We drove through towns that were situated on a lake that was so covered in the fog bank that we couldn't see anything but the road ahead of us and boats that were tethered to the shore, drifting mysteriously into the fog on the lake... We drove around mountains and high into the hills where we saw sheep and horses but very few people, except for a random home here and there... We drove through towns that were clearly farming communities (they even smelled a little like manure) and then, we rounded the corner and drove onto a ferry!
Since it was lunchtime while we were on the ferry - I decided to try a traditional Norwegian ferry lunch! Seriously! There was a sign saying that this item was something that was traditionally eaten by the people who ride the ferry to and from in their day to day work! And it's called Sveler! The sveler is a pancake that is traditionally filled with cream and sugar (I know - wild right?) but it's also sometimes filled with brown cheese or jam as well! My sveler had a sweet cream mixture in it and was downright delicious, although I don't know if it would always make the most filling lunch.
And before I forget - I mentioned brown cheese yesterday and today I mentioned it again! I bought a chocolate in Geiranger that had a brown cheese filling and each morning at breakfast, there was brown cheese! Gjetost literally translates to "goat cheese" in Norwegian, but this cheese has a brownish shade and a taste that is similar to caramel... it's almost fudge-like! I have to say - it was pretty delicious, if a little odd to think that I was eating cheese that tasted like caramel (or butterscotch).
We arrived in Bergan shortly after 2:00, so we had plenty of time to explore the city - which was great! We checked into our hotel for the next two days, Heimen Hotel, which was located literally almost on the water - right across from the historic Bryggen, the fish market and more! It was such a perfect location! Good choice on this one Mom! It's important to remember that in most European countries, hotel rooms are very small - this was the case here as well - the rooms were small, but very well appointed, clean, had cozy beds and I loved being able to open the windows and let cool Norwegian air in!
Our first stop when we left the hotel was to make the quick walk to the Floibanen Funicular so that we could get a view of the city from above!
The Floibanen Funicular leaves from the middle of the city and in less than six minutes, you've been transported to the top of Mount Floyen, with incredible views of the city and the fjords below! I don't think we realized when we headed up the mountain how much there was to offer at the top but they have more than just spectacular viewpoints! They have the obligatory gift shop, but they also have a cafe, a restaurant, tons of walking trails, a lake that you can kayak/canoe on (for free), a giant playground called the Troll's Forest and a labyrinth of walking trails - all situated on top of Mount Floyen, with incredible views!
We were at the top of the mountain for probably a little over an hour - mostly because we had a few things we wanted to be sure and squeeze in while we had some daylight. We did take the time to get an afternoon treat; my ice cream cone covered in sprinkles was especially delightful to munch on while sitting with such a gorgeous view stretching out before me! We also spotted a Lapphund (it's a dog) while we were on top of the mountain; the breed hails from Finland and I tried to encourage Ryan to steal it for us... I mean - it has Lapp in the name. Ryan's decency won out and that's probably good - I don't want to be responsible for starting a beef with Norway (or Finland).
After about an hour spent exploring the top of the mountain, we rode back down into the city and wandered the streets for a wee bit to see what we could see! There were colorful houses everywhere you looked and we also walked down to Bergen Cathedral that still has a cannonball wedged in the front; supposedly from the battle of Vagen, which took place in 1665! The battle was fought between the British and Dutch navies; it's impressive that the cannonball is still wedged into the front of the church! Ryan had heard about this on YouTube - I'm glad we made the quick jaunt to see it!
One of the best known attractions in the city of Bergen is Bryggen - a historic location on the port of Bergen; trading in Bergen was established in the 12th century (eyes popping out of head) and the wooden buildings that stand today are modeled after exactly what the original harbor looked like! The buildings are constructed primarily of wood and so they have; unfortunately, been damaged by fire several times in the numerous centuries that they've existed! However - Bergen is committed to rebuilding them in the traditional woodworking style that they were originally built; we were even able to peek into one that is in the process of being reconstructed!
There are 62 of the buildings remaining today and the ones that line the harbor front are synonymous with the city of Bergen! The businesses housed within the wooden structures were part of the Hanseatic League, which was run by German merchants. The buildings are built with timber construction with alleyways running in between some of the buildings offering access to the harbor and near the back of the structures are fireproof warehouses or store rooms for keeping goods safe and accessible to the harbor. Once the German merchants moved on in the 1700s, a Norwegian trading post took up residence here.
Only a quarter of what used to compromise the area known as Bryggen can be seen today - most of these building now house shops and restaurants that cater to the many tourists passing through Bergen. The location is protected by the Norwegian Heritage Trust and is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site - but keeping these wooden buildings in tip top shape can be trying. Wood is susceptible to rot, bugs and fire - but the people of Bergen are committed to working to keep this place as authentic as possible while preserving the history of the past! Pretty cool if you ask me!
We closed out our evening having dinner at a Steakhouse called Big Horn - and let me tell you, it was so interesting to see a steakhouse that was themed as "American" and eat there for dinner! The food was good and the atmosphere was interesting, to say the least! It was a unique pick! After dinner, Ryan and I perused some shops and went back to the fish market again to see all the unique types of things they had for sale! They also had a bakery, so I grabbed myself a Skoleboller for breakfast the next day before we headed back to our hotel room for the evening! A Skoleboller is a school bun - by the way! I'll tell you more about it tomorrow!
Also - is this street the inspiration for Lombard Street in San Francisco? Which came first?
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Stops and Stays along the Way
