Our Nordic Expedition, Part 1 -- Flying to Bergen

Our expedition began, as usual, at Dulles airport near Washington.We checked in, went through security, and headed for the gate to wait for our plane. On the way we passed this -- the MIT Daedalus 87, a human-powered aircraft.

Washington is a political town and the vendors' stalls show just how the winds are blowing. A couple of years ago the display would have been all Obama, now Bush and anti-administration messages seem to be selling.

Then we boarded the plane and took the long flight to Frankfurt where we had a short layover before we took off again for Bergen.

At least one member of the party took advantage of the layover to get some much-needed rest.

I fell asleep on the plane, but "She Who Must Not Be Named" borrowed my camera to take pictures of our approach into Bergen, Norway.

At the airport we were met by a local guide who led us to this bus, which transported us into town and to our hotel. After taking care of our baggage and checking in we had a little time to wander around sightseeing.

Our hotel was right in the center of the city. This statue honoring Ole Bull, the famous nineteenth-century violinist who was from Bergen, was right out front. Bull is a fascinating character. He toured extensively in the United States and was wildly popular here. He used some of his wealth to found an emigrant colony, Oleana, in Potter County, Pennsylvania and today there is an Ole Bull State Park commemorating him in the Keystone State.

Speaking of parks, we were just a block from this lovely lakeside park in Bergen.

And right around the corner was this art gallery.There was no lack of things to see and do in Bergen, but we were tired and on a schedule. After walking around for about an hour or so and taking a few photographs we went back to the hotel and up to our room where we fell asleep..., or rather we tried to. There was a very noisy nightclub just down the street that didn't close until 2:00 am.

Our Nordic Expedition, Part 2 -- Walking Around Bergen

Bergen is a lovely city, the second largest in Norway with a population of about a quarter million people. The town is built around the harbor and stretches inland along the sides of circling mountains. While "She Who Must Not Be Named" unpacked and rested I took my camera out for a walk around the central area of the city. Here's a bit of what I saw:

I actually took this shot from the bus as we drove into the city. It shows the distinctive topography of Bergen -- extensive waterfront and steep slopes that run almost to the water's edge.

Ditto. This is the Torgallmennigen, the city's main square. In the distance you can see residential buildings extending up the mountain. For those of you who want to revisit the square here is a link to a webcam that monitors activity there. 

A side street running off the square. The mountain in the distance is Ulriken, the largest of the mountains encircling the harbor.
 

Lovely old buildings at the end of the square.

The climate in Bergen is cool [actually a bit chilly this time of year] and wet [it rains more than 200 days a year]. The typical day might see two or three short rain showers. Despite the cool and damp, the citizens of Bergen spend a lot of time outdoors. The streets are crowded during daylight hours and people seem to favor outdoor dining under canopies that keep off the rain. 

Ain't she a beauty. This is the "Bounty", not the original but a copy built for the 1960 Marlon Brando film. It has since appeared in a number of films, most recently "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest". It was on display in Bergen's main harbor, the  when we were there, but has since left for its winter harbor in Puerto Rico.  

At the end of the square I encountered the Bergen fish market pictured here.

I don't know who he is, but he's an appropriate symbol for the fish market.

Lots of lions on display.

And plaques and statues commemorating Norway's past. This one represents its Viking heritage. 

St. John's Church at the opposite end of the square from the fish market. I took the shot while heading back to the hotel for some much needed rest. We could explore more of the town in the morning.

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.

Our Nordic Expedition, Part 4 -- Troldhaugen

After the rain stopped "She" and I went out walking again, to the park and along the main harbor. Here's a bit of what we saw:

A statue of Bergen's most famous son -- the composer, Edvard Grieg. More about him later.

Bowsprit decoration on the Bounty.

Bergen's famous Bryggen Street. The buildings along this row date from the fourteenth century when Bergen was part of the Hanseatic League. Obviously these are not the original structures, but over the centuries as renovations took place they have hewed to the original plan. Today Bryggen stands as a living monument to the city's glorious past.

Returning to the Hotel we joined the rest of the group and boarded a bus for a trip to Troldhaugen.

On the way we passed this, the summer residence of the King of Norway. Ordinarily we could go in to see it up close but because the royal family was in residence we had to stand along a highway and snap pictures from a distance. 

This is the entrance to Troldhaugen, the estate of Edvard Grieg. This modernist statue stands at the entrance. It supposedly incorporates profile views of Grieg and his wife. OK, if you say so....

The Grieg museum containing relics of the composer's life.

The main house of the estate.

A view from the estate across the lake.

Looking across the lake from another perspective.

Outbuildings with turfed roofs, a not uncommon sight in Norway.
 

Bergen is a lot like the Pacific Northwest in America -- lots of precipitation produces a rain forest where almost everything is covered with moss. 

Inside the living room of the estate hangs a romantic picture of a pathway through a dark, spooky wood. Grieg liked the scene so much that he had the road leading to the estate planted to resemble the painting.

Then it was back to the bus and down to the harbor where we boarded our ship and made ready to leave Bergen for the far north.

 As we approached the harbor we passed another local landmark, Hakkon's Hall, built in the Thirteenth Century.

And part of the same complex [the Bergenshus Fortress], the Rozenkrantz Tower, complete with dungeons, which dates from the Sixteenth Century. 

A final view of the Vagen harbor before we retired to our cabins and rested up for the coming cruise.