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The fish market
It smelled like it looks... We last left our heroine sitting at a computer at the hostel writing a blog for Oslo. We find her again 8 hours later beginning her Bergen blog on the same day at the same computer. Today has been a very relaxing day (again!). Lots of walking and just enjoying the amazing weather (twice in a row!!). I actually got
too hot today -- quite a feat for Scandinavia. After ditching our bags at the hostel (which is actually a YMCA apparently), we wandered down to the fish market, a block away. This hostel is so centrally-located it's amazing! The fish market is well-known and a must-see when in Bergen, but in reality it's only maybe 10 stands selling fish with a handful of touristy stands surrounding it. However, I did get to taste whale meat. Not sure how I feel about that one... I'm pretty sure it's illegal to hunt whale (a big point of contention for the Norwegians since it's a pretty big industry for them). It tastes like a cross between fish and steak. The idea was kind of gross though and was turning my stomach... I don't think I'd order it in a restaurant. The fish
whale...
I felt bad eating it (and maybe that's what was turning my stomach) but I was curious. Now I know and I can never eat it again. Laks, however, are so common there that they're giving out free samples right and left. Too bad I hate smoked salmon... market itself, while not very big, is a cute little scene though. It's right on the end of the harbor in the harbor area named Bryggen (meaning wharf in Norwegian and pronounced BREW-gun with your lips pursed for the EW sound). (I have a lot of tangents, but welcome to my mind... Norwegian and Swedish are very interesting languages. They're both Germanic and very closely resemble English and German. So closely, in fact, that you can almost read it if you have a creative imagination. Listening, however, is another story...remember the muppets Swedish chef?) So the fish market has lots of samples, mostly of smoked salmon (laks in Norwegian...and English), whale, and a marinated salmon. By that point, my stomach was all set with the whale. No more food for a while...ehhh....
After taking in the fishy aroma, we wandered the streets a little, popping into and out of cute little tourist traps stores. We made our way to the Bryggen museum, the meeting point for our 11am guided walking tour. The tour began at the museum and covered a little of Bergen's history, continued outside to another museum of an old Bergen house, then to another museum showing
ew
What a nasty looking fish. I can't imagine what it tastes like... more of Bergen's history. It was a nice introduction to the town with a good overview (now ask me how much I remember...) After our little 90-min history lesson, we wandered some more. We took a little ferry over to the other side of the wharf and wandered there by the water. There were some people swimming down there, I can't believe it! I must have been nearly freezing water! We meandered over to the aquarium, and after much debating about whether this dinky little aquarium is worth nearly $20, we decided we didn't have much else planned and hadn't done much yet, so we went. It was nice! Very small, but a nice way to break up the day. Awesome penguins! I don't think I've really seen them that close. I want one! haha
The walk back to Bryggen was a nice stroll through the residential area. TONS of people outside! (almost everyone who's outside lying in a park has a little tin tray with charcoal burning and a little grill over it with hot dogs on it. How convenient!) When we got back to Bryggen we wandered back to the hostel and actually checked in.
Since
Seal skin everywhere
How sad. It feels really cool, but so sad to kill those awesome animals. :( Bergen is so small (and because we've already seen so many museums and churches recently that we've gotten picky) there wasn't much left in Bergen to see except the funicular to the top. (though in retrospect there was this cool Viking stave church that, though it's an hour's travel time round trip including bus and walking, it would have been cool to see.) The funicular is actually public transit for some of the locals to use to commute to work! I couldn't believe it... I'm not exactly sure why it's called a funicular, but it looks like a Disneyworld ride. It's a long glass train -- maybe 40 ft long-- that follows tracks up a very steep mountain at somewhere around a 60 degree angle. Everyone faces backwards because the view is spectacular: the entire city of Bergen with the wharf right in the middle. Beyond is a huge body of water (part of the ocean?) and mountains in the nearby distance. In the backdrop of all that is a beautiful sun illuminating it. When you get to the top (a 5-min ride or so), there is a big lookout area with tons of people constantly sitting there. The only
Manhole cover
Seriously, how often do you look at manhole covers? I never did. But Justin does! He noticed this cool one in the heart of downtown Bergen. Now I notice them a lot more (and you will too)-- they're all different! other thing up there is a little tourist shop (of course) and a VERY nice restaurant (with an almost as nice cafe within). After gawking down at the city for about 20 min, in the BEAUTIFUL weather, we popped into the restaurant and had an amazing dinner. It might have been the nicest food I've eaten yet on this trip -- with a great view! After watching the sun set (at about 11), we finished our meal and headed back down the mountain (though still with decent light. At this latitude the sun doesn't go far below the horizon before popping back up). I still haven't tried reindeer meat (popular around here at nice restaurants, but a little pricey), but I'm ok with waiting until my next trip for that (unless we have a reindeer sausage for breakfast tomorrow. haha ewwwww)
Tomorrow is the Norway in a Nutshell tour: a packaged trip which starts at the Bergen train station, goes to a nearby town, get another train, get off and take a little ferry, get back on the train and head to Oslo. The side trip is to see the famous Norway fjords. Possibly the biggest thing Norway is
The famous vikings
This is the famous picture that's on tourist t-shirts and often seen representing the Vikings. It actually comes from this carving which is in the museum in Bergen. famous for is their fjords. This trip, though a little pricey, is heralded as the best way to see the fjords (and is especially handy for me since I'm going back to Olso which is directly east on the other edge of the country). I successfully booked a very convenient hostel for the next 2 nights in Oslo, after which time I fly out to Germany and make my way back home. Sadly, after tomorrow's Norway in a Nutshell tour, Justin and I will be parting ways. While I have to be back to start my internship soon, he has another week to spend out here. I'm so jealous because he's flying to the north (a whole different Norway) into the arctic circle (remember the midnight sun?). On my next trip my plan is to get up north and see more of the country (but bringing way warmer clothes! and maybe even hiking and camping gear... any takers?)
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