Photos 8th June

Away from the Tourist track, passing lovely little coffee shops 

a Knitting wool Shop called 'Strikke Lykke'

more housing

the back of the Museum that can be seen from the Botanic Gardens

The 'Veggie Patch' so tiny compared to 'Pete's Patch' 

then walking to find the Train Station

On top of Mt. Floyen

A close up of where our Hotel is - just near where the 2 boats are moored on the left- back two streets 

the view without the zoom

not as cold as New York - but nearly

looking towards Mt Ulriken 

Our walk in the woods

'ahhh isn't it good Norwegian Wood'

really beautiful

the musicians - not what you'd expect to see!!!

waiting for the funicular

Some knitting to do - ahhhh so happy

8th June

The sun was out and the weather meant to be improving through today, so after breakfast we decided to head off in a different direction to our usual track to see one of the many Museums in Bergen and the Botanic Gardens nearby.  It was good to be off the tourist track and see where the real people lived.  There is a lot of construction work happening here at the moment - roads mainly, but there was a sign on the Museum when we arrived, which we sort of worked out, meant that the Museum was closed for renovations and would open again in 2018…hmmm oh well off to the Botanic Gardens … hmm…these too were having a bit of a makeover.  What was there was really lovely, a small veggie patch, some beautiful rhododendrons and azaleas.  The tulips and daffodils were a bit past it but would have been lovely a few weeks ago.

From there we decided to find the Railway Station to check on our booking for tomorrow.  With limited signage, and our limited understanding of Norwegian we found the bus station by mistake and from there found the Rail station.  So all set for tomorrow we can enjoy the rest of today.

For lunch we headed back to the wharf area.  We stopped at a Norwegian Café called Madam Anne – a big bowl of a traditional fish soup with bread, blackberry juice and a coffee.

We then went to join the long queue waiting to buy tickets for the funicular ride to the top of Mt. Floyen – one of the seven mountains surrounding Bergen.  The carriage was very crowded so we didn’t get to see anything much on the way up except the person opposite who was also holding on trying to keep their balance.  The view at the top was worth the few minutes’ discomfort.  We then followed a track through the wooded area of the mountain.  It was beautiful.  Den started singing ‘Norwegian Wood’ - it was still beautiful.

It had got even colder so it was time for a sit in the café and have a coffee break.  As we headed to the funicular we were surprised to hear big kettle drums and then the opening chords of a famous orchestral piece being played on a baby grand.  A large crowd had gathered.  The duo would repeatedly only play the first few opening bars and stop.  The crowd started laughing every time they stopped.  I really enjoyed the fact that most people would not have understood the language of the person next to them but we could all laugh at the same thing.

We went and lined up to go back down.  This time we were first in line so we got a front seat and so a fabulous view all the way back. 

It was a very busy day and so back to the Hotel, but on the way – well we actually detoured to go to a wool shop.  I hadn’t done any knitting for a week and it was time to remedy that.  So then back to the Hotel for any easy dinner and maybe watch some TV, and I could start some knitting.

Fish for Dinner 7th June

This was so much like being back in Hobart having dinner at Mures
Here they sell fresh fish and everything else from the sea 

two levels of seating

a view of the mountain and the sea, it also shared the space with a Japanese Restaurant.

and yummy food......fish soup

a shellfish platter and a glass of Norwegian beer.  The beer was the reminder that we weren't in Hobart but in Bergen, Norway

Photos 7th June

100 year old King Cod

a press for filling the barrels with cod

seals from letters - some were marked in the 11th and 13th centuries dates 

The Manager's bed - in a cupboard so that the doors could be closed and keep in any warmth

the 8 apprentices slept in these four beds - the doors were closed by the Journey man each night and not opened until he did so next morning.  The journey man had a similar bed but his had a wooden door so that the apprentices could make his bed of a morning without coming into his room.

the Manager's office 

 behind these cupboard doors was the Manager's secret staircase up to his bedroom 

the Journey mans eating area-  notice the beer barrel under the table

one kettle and one towel - the bathroom

the Journey mans wardrobe - circular so it could be rolled onto the ship

a lovely old door handle

The Traders living quarters

this is one of the little shops set up among the old ware houses - it sells hand embroidered items.

St Marys

another pretty street in Bergen

June 7th

This morning our luck with the weather ran out.  It rained all night and the sky was very overcast, with Mt Ulriken hidden behind cloud – very dark cloud.  We met a local after breakfast who said ‘it rains very much in Bergen – it is said that God loves Bergen so much He makes sure it is washed every day’.

With our raincoats in our back packs we headed off to the Hanseatic Museum and Schotstuene.  The Hanseatic League was a German trading company set up in 1360.  One of the four offices of the League was in Bergen.  They kept to themselves in a gated community.  No women allowed as the Germans didn’t want any mixed marriages.  Each house/warehouse had a Manager, a Journeyman (the Manager’s assistant) and 8 apprentices.  The interesting point is that the local red light district was located directly behind….hmmm

Because the wooden walls were covered in pitch no fire was to be used for heating, cooking or lamps could be used in these buildings.  The fire-fighting equipment was two large barrels of water hung on the walls and a large long pole with a hook on one end.  In the case of a fire the barrels were broken and the hook was used to pull down the walls to try to make a fire break – from the amount of destruction from fire over the years I don’t think it worked very well.

The Traders mainly traded in dried cod and also grain.  There was a ‘king cod’ hanging in one of the rooms that was over 100 years old.  Back in time they would keep the dried cod for 3 years, but nowadays about 3 months.  You can just put it back into water or break it up with a hammer and have it as a snack – ahh no thanks.

From there we walked up to the other part of the Museum this was where the more important traders lived.  These buildings had a kitchen and so any cooked meals for the Manager or his staff had to be eaten here.

We wandered around what is said to be the most beautiful church in Bergen – St. Mary’s (Mariakirken) built in the 11^th century.

We had intended to walk on to the Fish Museum but God had decided it was time for Bergen’s bath!!!  So we donned our raincoats (very attractive) bought some lunch and headed back to the peace of our Hotel room to eat and dry off.   

6th June Photos

Homes we passed on the way up to the Firewatch tower

the Firewatch Tower

parkland that keeps on going up the mountain

Skillingbolle - yummy

The White Lady

the old Woolen Mill

you can only realise the size of things when you compare it to the house

some sheep

yes it was chilly

a fabulous fjord trip