Living Vicariously

We have been in Bergen for several days now and are used to the sight and smell of dried cod.

It’s a quaint place, dominated by the rust red and ochre painted wooden buildings of the old town, the facade to a small historical precinct of narrow lanes, historical and reconstructed buildings and a large wooden sculpture of, yes, a cod! It has some apparently interesting museums, some of which may be open for four hours a day if they can be bothered to open at all. (Note for those travelling from heathen nations like Australia, Ascension Day is a public holiday in Europe. Given that it falls 40 days after Easter, the unwary traveller is likely to spend half the day wandering around and wondering why all the shops are closed on a random Thursday.) This section of the town is clearly geared up to be a ‘tourist trap” for those on the cruise liners which visit the town on around 2 of every 3 days of the year. It is designed to meet all their needs and keep them within their designated area, just as it served to self-sufficiently segregate the Hanseatic merchants from the Norwegian locals 300 years ago.

One area where locals and tourists meet, however, is the funicular, which travels to the top of Mt Floyen. On a clear day, which we were fortunate to experience given that it also apparently rains here 2 out of 3 days of the year, the views back over the town are impressive. It looks like a toy town, set around arms of a fjord, with Lego boats moored at the docks. In mid-May, the tallest of the granite mountains overlooking the town is still flecked with snow. It has the obligatory restaurant, kiosk and store selling all things moose and fair isle design. Yet, wander just a few hundred metres away along the forest paths and you feel far from civilisation, in the midst of a Norwegian wood (sorry, couldn’t help myself). We wandered the short distance to a small lake, which still had some ice cover, and found some frogs beginning to emerge from their winter hibernation.

From here, we walked back into town, at first through the pine and birch forest, then the path wound through the outskirts of the town, with white wooden houses set along narrow, cobbled lanes. We set off exploring through the lanes, houses with fairly bare yards, given that winter is just ending, but with pot plants of spring flowers, particularly jonquils, hanging by or sitting near front entrances. We enjoyed coffee and apple cake with cream at Det Lille Kaffekompaniet, one of the best cafes in Bergen, tucked away in a quiet back street.

Bergen is a great town for those who like to wander. On the opposite side of the Harbour to the touristy Bryggen, cobbled streets set out in mediaeval times yield treasures like arty shops, cafes, the theatre and lots of interesting buildings for those who like to take the time to explore a town.