Looking Back: Bergen, Norway

This post is a look back on my travels during my time on the ship where I volunteered to escort as many passenger tours as possible - a great, free way to see the world.

On 6/18 we arrived in Bergen.  The area around Bergen is very green mostly because it rains about 2/3 of the year in this region.  It is very hilly and mountainous with lots of pine - it looks very similar to New England, or more specifically, Maine.  We were lucky to have a semi-sunny day given the typical weather.  Our bus ride took us past many lakes that were so placid that they perfectly mirrored the surrounding mountains and sky.  The buildings here are primarily made of wood as it is a thickly forested country and wood is a ready resource.  These buildings are mostly painted white or brick red (which turns out was traditionally a very cheap paint that the inhabitants could make themselves), with roofs covered in slate shingles, tile, or most interestingly, turf. 

To make a turf roof, I am told, you first put down a good layer of wood, then you put down one layer of turf with the grass side down, and a second layer of turf with the grass side up.  These two layers grow together to form a thick, waterproof, and quite insulating layer.  Then the only upkeep is to mow the grasses and wildflowers growing on your roof, or to simply let the sheep or goats get to it. 

Our guide, Perry, had a very London-y accent and I asked if he went to school there.  It turns out he is from East London and his wife is Norwegian, which is why he relocated.  He was an interesting fellow, a painter (art, not house) by trade, but a bit lax as a tour guide.  He knew his history and was able to give lots of information, but didn't seem to care if everyone reboarded the bus or not, and so it was up to me to ensure that the headcounts were correct. 

Our tour was to Hardangerfjord, the Queen of the Fjords.  Fjords, in case you don't know, are deep valleys carved out by eons of glacial movement where fingers of ocean water creep in amongst the mountains.  Since you are usually many miles from the ocean you could easily believe the fjords are simply lakes - that is until you look into the water and spy seaweed.  Hardangerfjord is beautiful with lots of small orchards scattered along its banks.  We stopped at a hotel for a buffet lunch where we had a choice of cold prepared meats of the region, lots of cold smoked salmon, gravlax, smoked trout, and typical hot foods.  I sat across from an English couple who chose to eat roasted chicken and potatoes.  With all of the local delicacies being offered, it seemed a bit silly of them not to try anything new, but there they were eating chicken. 

Along our bus ride we stopped at Holdhus Kyrkje, a beautifully simple wooden church.  Churches in these more remote areas serve not just as a place of spiritual uplifting, but as the village meeting place and there was a very small green in front of the church for that purpose. 

On our way back to the ship we stopped at Steinsdalfossen, a waterfall that shoots out from the cliff face and there is a pathway under the lip of the cliff where you can stand and look out through the waterfall. 

As we rode through mountain tunnels, Perry played Edvard Grieg's music, as Grieg is seen as the national composer of Norway.