Day By Day

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Our Nordic Expedition, Part 3 -- Bergen From Above

The next morning we met our national guide, Fredrik, for a walking tour through the streets of Bergen.


We set off once again through the Torgallmennigen Square. As is often the case in Bergen there had been a drenching downpour just a few minutes before we set off. The morning sunlight shining through a gap in the dark clouds created dramatic contrasts and wet streets make for interesting reflections, but the frequent storms must be an aggravation for people who live here year round.


One nice little touch in the center of town was the statues -- not just the imposing tributes to great figures in the city's past, but these sorts of things:


Our guide pointed out that you seldom see real homeless people on the streets of Bergen, so a fake one will have to do. 


 She's standing right outside the door to a shop fronting the square. I wonder who or what she is waiting for.

As we walked toward Bergen's old city we entered these narrow twisty streets.


I had already walked some of them the day before so I soon left the tour and headed for the city's famous funicular railway.


The railway took me to the top of Mount Floyen.From there I had a spectacular view of the whole city.


This is the famous Vagen harbor around which the city was built. It is also where our hotel was located.


The Lungegardsvann pond and park where "She" and I had explored the day before.


Modern superhighways linking the old part of town with the newer areas in the interior.


Looking inland with my back to the harbor.


The modern commercial center of the city.


Housing climbing the side of the mountain.


At the foot of the Floyen beside the Lille Lungegardsvann lies a very traditional neighborhood featuring a very modern Baptist church.


These block-long buildings lie along Bergen's famous Bryggen Street and replicate the designs of the original buildings which were constructed back in the fourteenth century. Somewhere in there is a museum that houses the world's largest collection of runestones.


And, since it had recently rained I was not surprised to see a rainbow in the sky over the fjord.


Nor was I surprised to see another storm cloud moving rapidly my way. I quickly boarded the railway and emerged back in the harbor just as the storm broke. I walked back to the hotel through pouring rain, but I didn't mind much. After all, people who live here do that nearly every day.


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