Bergen is one of my new favorite cities. It's stunningly beautiful and charming and has a wonderful energy. People are outside all the time and no matter how busy or tight the crowds are, there are people biking and hiking and running. I love that when we went up to the top of Mount Floyen to hike, that there were at least as many locals enjoying the trails, and at a much faster clip than me. We went on a hike on Thursday night after the fjord tour earlier in the day.















We arrived in Bergen on Wednesday and we spent the day going to Slotta to an Emigrant Museum were Roger's dad's WWII army battalion has a memorial. There's also a lot of exhibits with a church and other buildings moved from North Dakota. It was interesting but seemed a little silly listening to the immigrant stories when it is my ancestor's stories and buildings from the state next door and similar to other exhibits I've seen close to home. I would have loved to hear more about what it was like to stay in Norway as everyone was leaving and especially more about the 99th Battalion Seperate but there was no new information there. The scenery on the bus ride was breathtaking. All my photos are on my camera unfortunately. I try to always take photos with my phone too but I didn't here.

We spent a lot of time walking the streets of Bergen and through the fish market. The prices are high, really high with lunches on a paper plate running $35 and up. With my appetite so small, I got a little creative and bought shrimp by the pound rather than a shrimp meal. I could roam the streets for hours, enjoying the unique buildings, people watching and eating. My favorite was the reindeer hotdog with mustard and lingonberry sauce with dried onions.








Our shed/ cottage was perfect- clean, cozy and it had everything we needed, including s great location about a 10 minute walk from the bus station or the wharf. It was in a cute neighborhood and was close enough to fit in a short nap in the afternoon.







The fjord tour was stunning. The top level of the boat started out packed and it didn't take long for most people to move to the enclosed lower level. We came prepared with rain pants and rain coats (not raining but a great windbreak). And despite the wind and cool temps we stayed outside for about 2/3rds of the tour. It was awe-inspiring.












The boat trip did push me to buy a lightweight down jacket that fits in a bag and a Norwegian hat. I just checked the forecast for Hammerfest and despite earlier forecasts in the 40s with rain, now it's predicted to be near 60 with sunshine. If all it takes is for me to be prepared for the worst, that was a great $140 investment!