Mumbai --> Stockholm (via Amsterdam) --> Gothenburg --> Bergen --> Stavanger --> Bergen
--> Stockholm --> Mumbai (via Paris)
So, let's pick up where we left off. After exploring Gothenberg, we took a train to Oslo from where we boarded the train to our next destination, Bergen.
On the train to Bergen
The journey to Bergen from Oslo takes a good seven hours, during which one can visit the cafe on board or, do what I did and compete with a little Frenchman in a bid to get the most pics' of the passing countryside. I'm not sure what he got, but here are some of what I managed to capture.
Beautiful, isn't it? The way the landscape changes..........
The City of Bergen
May 31 - June 01 // 03 - 04 June, 2018
Bergen, like Gothenberg is a city you'll best enjoy walking around. Of course there's the public transport, but everything about this city says 'walk'. See for yourself -
Our Accommodation
When in Bergen, we stayed at https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16505734
It's more like a hostel with about rooms labeled alphabetically, two bathrooms and a shared kitchen. Rooms are rather small, but comfortable and fairly clean. The location is very close to the bus-stand and is about a five-minute walk from the city center. The Airbnb rooms are on the second floor and there isn't any elevator so if you aren't travelling light you're in trouble.
We were in Room D. It came equipped with a little refrigerator, tea-table, a dresser & a pull-out bed. Not five-star material, but still good.
Norway is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, and once you get here you understand why. The sky is always a shade of blue and the sun is always peeping over the horizon at all times. By 3 am, the sunlight is streaming in through the windows almost as bright as noon in Mumbai.
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| The Norwegian sky at 10 pm |
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| The Norwegian sky at 1am |
Exploring Bergen
It's great fun walking around Bergen, the gateway to the Fjords of Norway. Right at the center is the Lille Lungegardsvannet, a beautiful lake surrounded by a park in which people sat reading a book, sun bathing or simply enjoying the sun.
This one time, a street musician stood in the shade of the trees, spreading sweet music all around. Because Bergen is a fairly quiet city, the sound of music is heard loud and clear right across the lake. One of the musicians began playing a very familiar tune on the saxophone. I can't quite remember now what it was, but, hearing the familiar tune, I began singing along softly as I walked along. And almost everyone I passed by was humming the same tune. We didn't know each other & we definitely did not speak the same language, but we're singing the same song. That made me realize how music can transcend borders and unite people. Lovely!
A good place to explore and spend a day is by the Hanseatic Wharf, and Bryggen, one of Bergen's main attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bryggen was ravaged by many fires, especially that in 1702 that reduced the entire place to ashes. The area was rebuilt on the foundations that have been there since the 12C which means that Bryggen has remain practically unchanged for centuries.
Strolling through the narrow alleyways is like stepping back into time.
Here, you will find many restaurants, ice-cream shops and shops selling traditional gifts and crafts...like these strange looking dolls I saw
Since everything is as it was centuries ago, you won't be surprised to find that all the structures are made entirely of wood. Now that I think of it, I didn't pay attention whether smoking was permitted anywhere in Bryggen, given that everything around you is highly inflammable. All those centuries ago, Bryggen must have been a very cold place to live in for lack of a fireplace.
Moving a few steps away from Bryggen, we next booked tickets for the Floibanen, a funicular railway that connects the city center to Floyfijellit, the peak of Mount Floyen. If you ever decide to follow our footsteps, do make sure you sit right in front so you can enjoy an undisturbed view of the city as you move up/down the mountain.
Spending time atop Mt. Floyen is a big hit with the tourists. At the peak, you have a restaurant, a wonderful play area for children, serene mountain walks and goats.
Floyen is also the best place to go if you want some magnificent views of the city. Sadly for us, it was a sunny day when we stood atop Mt.Floyen, squinting at the sun.
Walking back down the mountain, we spent some time watching the goings on at the Hanseatic Wharf. Here, there are plenty of fancy sea-food restaurants and also street counters displaying fresh fish and serving the yummiest looking food.
We then spent the rest of the evening exploring the many stores and beautiful buildings in the city center.
Eating in Bergen
Our very first meal at Bergen was at a restaurant called Ma Ma Thai. As you might have surely guessed by the name, they serve Thai food and sitting there by the large window overlooking the lake, we feasted on Fried Hot and Sour Pork and Rice. I was too hungry to take pictures of the food, so here's a picture of the view from our table.
Another great place we dined at was Royk BBQ. Great ambiance & great food. Here's what we ate - a BBQ Burger (that was my husband's lunch) and a Mac & Cheese for me.......followed by a Bourbon Creme Brulee with Cinnamon ice-cream. For me.
Breakfast was at Espresso House as it serves the best coffee in Sweden. Of course, we also ordered a few other delicious goodies as well :-)
Moving on
If, like us, you have time to spare between checking out of the room and travel, it's safe to keep your bags in any of the luggage lockers available at the nearby train or bus station. That leaves you free to explore some more without having to carry or drag your bags behind you. Lockers are available in three sizes - small, medium & large. We had two bags, so settled for a medium locker.
We made the best of the time we had in Bergen and it was now time to move on. For this part of our travels we decided to skip the train and try another mode of transport that can only be best enjoyed here. So, I leave you here and shall meet you soon as we begin our journey towards our next & last destination.
Pics by Misha
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