Back where it all began - September in Bergen


Advertisement
Norway's flag
Europe » Norway » Western Norway » Bergen
October 6th 2008
Published: April 10th 2012
Edit Blog Post

Sunset in BergenSunset in BergenSunset in Bergen

View from Floyen
Well every story needs a conclusion, so this is mine...

After saying goodbye to the latest in a long line of dear friends on thursday morning the 4th of September, I left Sue's place and headed out to the airport for the first of my three flights from Zurich to Stockholm to Oslo to Bergen. I must admit it felt a little strange arriving back in Bergen, since it was the first time in three months that I had arrived in a town that I was already familiar with. But it was definately nice to be back in the beautiful little harbour city that I had grown so fond of previously, and despite Erika having moved to Paris two weeks earlier, it was great to see Nina's smiling face again - especially since we had tickets to see the R.E.M. concert together that night, which was a fitting way to end my 100th day in Europe.

Without a doubt the three months that I spent travelling around Europe were the most unforgettable experience of my life so far. Seeing cities which date back over a thousand years filled with grand cathedrals, towering city halls, impregnable fortresses, lofty castles, majestic
Fountain and mountainFountain and mountainFountain and mountain

Looking back across Lille Lungegårdsvann towards Ulriken
palaces and elaborate parks and gardens; surrounded by countryside featuring everything from snow-capped mountains, towering cliffs and steep-sided fjords; to vineyard-covered hillsides, undulating fields and thick forests; to tranquil lakes, immense rivers and roaring waterfalls; all the while being surrounded by people from different backgrounds, with different cultures, traditions and beliefs, and speaking different languages, was certainly an eye-opening experience.

Obviously not everything went according to plan - most notably having my wallet stolen in Stockholm - but through a combination of good management (for which I have the Lonely Planet to thank) and some astonishingly good fortune, I somehow always managed to get money when I needed it most, catch a train just before it pulled away from the platform, or take the last available bed in a hostel. And aside from losing my wallet in Sweden, my flip-flops on Gotland and my shoes in Germany (not to mention countless towels along the way), I really have no regrets; except perhaps that I didn't take this trip sooner, that it didn't last longer, and that I had noone to share it with - none of which I really had any control over.

All of which brings me
High above the harbour cityHigh above the harbour cityHigh above the harbour city

Standing atop Ulriken, with Bergen far below
up to the present. Having almost run out of money, I arrived back in Norway desperately needing to find work so as to prolong my stay in Europe. Unfortunately however, circumstances would conspire against me... circumstances that in hindsight might seem glaringly obvious, but which had not really occurred to me beforehand; consumed as I had been by the sheer excitement of planning my first solo overseas holiday. Certainly the language barrier that I had expected to be my biggest stumbling block would count against me somewhat; but it would seem that the single biggest factor in my inability to find work was a simple matter of timing... the significance of which was lost on me due to my relative geographic naivety:

Having spent the entire summer travelling, by the time I returned to Norway to look for work it was September - meaning that summer was well and truly over, and winter was already on it's way. And in a place as far away from the equator as Scandinavia, winter is a long, cold, dark affair indeed; and one that would seem to send the entire country into a state nearing hibernation. So the question has to be
Melancholy viewMelancholy viewMelancholy view

Watching the sun setting on my glorious summer in Europe
asked: at a time of year when most businesses are shedding staff for the winter, who in their right mind would be prepared to hire a clueless Australian who doesn't speak a word of the native language?!?

The answer, of course, was noone. Which is why, after spending three bleak and somewhat soul-destroying weeks in Bergen trying to find a job that didn't exist, I eventually wound up on a cross-country train (from which I would see snow falling for the first time in my life) back to the capital, Oslo; where I would spend a further week before finally admitting defeat and booking my flight back to Australia for the 6th of October... though only after adding a return flight back to Europe in time for my 30th birthday in just seven months time! And that, my friends, is a story for another day.

So that's pretty much it. I sincerely hope that each of you has enjoyed reading my travelling tales as much as I have enjoyed writing them; and with a little bit of luck, there will hopefully be many more travelling tales to come in the future.


Additional photos below
Photos: 10, Displayed: 10


Advertisement

Bergen from aboveBergen from above
Bergen from above

View from the top of Ulriken - take one
Bergen from aboveBergen from above
Bergen from above

View from the top of Ulriken - take two
Sunlight dancing on waterSunlight dancing on water
Sunlight dancing on water

Fountain in the centre of Lille Lungegårdsvann
Bergen at duskBergen at dusk
Bergen at dusk

View from the top of Floyen - take one
Bergen at duskBergen at dusk
Bergen at dusk

View from the top of Floyen - take two
Bergen at duskBergen at dusk
Bergen at dusk

View from the top of Floyen - take three


Tot: 0.04s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 8; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0205s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.1mb