The Travels and Misadventures of Miss HeatherLynnP

It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my time in Sweden. I did, very much so. Stockholm had a lot of history and I’d give it another go. As mentioned in my previous post, the weather had kept me from exploring as many nooks and crannies as I would normally.

Waterlogged from three days in Stockholm, I wasn’t sure how I would handle the next stop on our tour, Bergen, Norway. Bergen has the distinction of being THE RAINIEST city in all of Europe. I began to temper my expectations.

We hopped on a Scandinavia Air flight from Stockholm to Bergen. Scandinavia Air doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles and we were packed in like sardines, but the flight was fine – and quick. In about an hour and a half, we were descending into Bergen and the views from the air were beautiful.

After deplaning and gathering luggage, we exited the airport and were immediately faced with a giant sign on the hill across the road that asks simply, “Bergen?” As far as we can all tell, this sign was intended to get people talking and it certainly did that. Surprisingly sunny out, we headed into Bergen. Bergen may just be the most adorable town I’ve ever seen. It’s got the perfect location nestled on a mountainside overlooking the water with cute historic buildings, a bustling fish/meat market AND the weather held out for us all three days we were there. The rainiest city in Europe did not drop even a sprinkle of rain on us.

Our hotel was located opposite the train station (which contained a convenience store with amazing gelato) and was within walking distance to the historic areas of the city. Bergen was green with flowers and near perfect temperatures. We also lucked out in that one of the men on our tour had actually spent a year abroad studying in Bergen. What are the odds? It was like having two tour guides.

After checking into the hotel, our group took a little wander around town and made a stop at the meat market for lunch. I enjoyed a reindeer hot dog (delicious). We then ended up getting tickets for the Floibanen Funicular. The funicular runs 320 meters above sea level to Floyen. Views at the top are fantastic. You can book a round trip ticket or ride one way and then hike back down to Bergen (and you can get your tickets right at the funicular station).

My friend and I both have lived in mountainous areas in the western United States and decided we could definitely hike down the trail back to Bergen. And we did. But….it took us a lot longer than anticipated. The trails wander and connect with other trails and we both wished we’d had on more appropriate footwear. We eventually made it down and we most definitely saw more of Bergen than we anticipated.

We ended day one eating at a cute little bar/restaurant, trying some more local food. Before I went to bed, I marveled at how it never really gets dark in Scandinavia in the summer. Looking out my hotel room at midnight to skies that still looked like dusk was wild. And while I enjoyed it during vacation, I don’t think I would have slept without a sleep mask. I am not a great sleeper anyway and perpetual daylight could really mess with what little deep sleep I get.

Day two in Bergen and we took another short bus ride to a Norweigian Stave Church. Fantoft Stave Church is just outside of the Bergen city limits and is a stunning example of a Stave Church. This particular church was built elsewhere around 1170 and was moved to its current location in the 1880s. The church burned in the 1990s and was rebuilt almost immediately.

Upon seeing the church for the first time, it looked to me like something out of a fairytale or Harry Potter. The timber buildings are covered in tar to protect the wood, giving them a dark exterior. Dragons are carved into the wood and also appear on the rooflines. Very few of the churches remain. They are fantastical and eerie all at the same time on the outside and yet warm and almost welcoming on the inside with wooden beams and a simple altar. (Welcoming unless you were a person afflicted with an illness or pregnancy. If that was the case, you had to watch the service from the outside through a small window.)

Back to Bergen to visit another UNESCO World Heritage site: Bryggen. Bryggen is the old wharf of Bergen. Its importance is linked to the Hanseatic League’s trade empire in the 14th to 16th Centuries. Many fires have ravaged this area and the few wooden buildings that are left are being renovated. As one can imagine, the buildings are unstable and quite crooked. Bergen takes cute to another level here. The buildings under renovation are draped and the drape is made to look exactly like the building!

The colorful buildings, right on the water, are so charming. This area of town boasts many restaurants, shops, and other historic buildings and churches. We had a delightful lunch of traditional Norweigan sausage here served with carmelized onions and mashed peas (which was very common in Norway).

After lunch, we chose to work off our sausage by climbing the Rosenkrantz Tower. The tower boasts the same narrow and winding stairs as other buildings from the same time (it was build in 1560), but it is far from the tallest thing I’ve climbed on my adventures. The tower served as a residence and fortified tower and is a great example of a Renaissance monument. A small fee gets you access to the tower and the great view from the top.

Day three in Norway was fjords day! Our group hit the train station early to head out on the very popular “Norway in a Nutshell” experience. Trains, boats and buses were the theme of the day. A train to Voss was the first leg of the trip. We caught a bus in Voss, took a short scenic view stop at the Stalheim Hotel where the views are breathtaking, and stood in a long line to get on a boat to Flam through Norway’s famed fjords.

I don’t keep a bucket list, per se, but there are a few things that I want to make sure I see with my own eyes in my lifetime: Machu Picchu, Petra, and the fjords of Norway are on that list.

The fjords are beyond description. The photos I’ll post here come nowhere close to showing how beautiful they are. If you get the chance to see them, take the opportunity. Fight the crowds while boarding the boat, get out on the deck, push your way to the rail and stake out a spot. The aggressive tourists and seagulls will try to deter you, don’t let them. Enjoy the peaceful waters and green mountainsides. Marvel at the adorable villages perched between mountain and water where goats outnumber people and take it all in.

We arrived in the village of Flam to the sight of a giant cruise ship blocking the view which was disappointing. (Sorry cruisers). We were in Flam to wait for our turn on the Flamsbana or Flam Railway. The Flam Railway has been featured in lots of travel blogs and shows. Is it worth it? Yes. While we had far too much time to wait in the maze of tourist shops in Flam (all seemingly selling the same line of outerwear), the train ride itself was worth it for all of the spectacular views.

The railway was built between 1923 and 1940 over some of the most gorgeous terrain you will see. The historic train runs from Flam to Myrdal station (where we hopped a high speed train back to Bergen) and features gorgeous views along the way, including the spectacular Kjosfossen waterfall.

I feel like I could have spent weeks in Bergen and I’m now so curious to explore other parts of Norway. Maybe it was the mountains, maybe it was the fjords, but Norway was my favorite stop on this short trip.

The next day would bring another quick flight on Scandinavia Air to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Enjoying my pictures of Norway? View my whole Norway album on Flickr.