Bergen - Floeiban

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When speaking to the girl at the desk we realized I had made an appointment at the wrong hairdresser. She kindly agreed to phone the place an cancel the Thursday appointment. After a breakfast of the night befores leftovers I walk to the proper hairdresser. She gave me a 12:30 appointment.

This left some time to scout around the old wharf. First Oleandar Knits, a shop with traditional and new look clothing all done in machine knits all looking fantastic and all to rich for my pocket. Anyway these pieces are much too lovely to have to undergo my adjustments ... sleeves too long... necklines too tight ...put away the scissors! A sleeveless top costs over $200. Left the store after receiving a lovely little booklet.

I went past the fish and flower stalls at the head of the water and walked too the opposite side past the old warehouse buildings for which Bergen is famous. Kindergarten and ten year old kids were going on field trips. The little ones inn their glowing green vest and wearing one piece playsuits. I thought perhaps the older ones would go on the small ferry that runs every ten minutes to the Bergen Aquarium But they headed towards the bus stops.

While taking long shots of the Bryggen - the old wharf - I saw a relatively new building with an imposing name. Thinking it may be a city run museum I enter to find a helpful young woman ready to give me a good spiel about the place. The jigsaw puzzle of the Bergen Harbour I had seen outside is not available but she offers me many kinds of other souvenirs. The one thing I want is a patch saying Bergen and she has none. The building is the headquarters of the Tall Ships Association and named after Statsraad Lehmkuhl (a Norwegian government official he also has one of the best preserved tall ships named after him).
There is time to walk to the Marienkirche. In representations of Bergen from over 900 years ago the two towers of this church can be seen. It has Roman, Gothic, Rennaisance and Medieval influences showing in its makeup.While speaking to the volunteer who is the wife of a retired Lutheran Pastor, she tells me that the church was originally during Hansa times, Catholic. Many of the riches inside the church ,including the original organ were auctioned off when trade in Bergen began to decline. In the seventies an organ was installed that appears big enough for the Sisitine Chapel. The organ has been sold to a town somewhere in Germany and after the scheduled five years of restoration which are about to begin, a smaller more appropriately sized organ will be installed.The volunteer was very friendly and a joy to speak with. Of course now I had to
un to make it in time for the haircut!

The hair feels great and after paying 500NOK I was happy to know that no tip was necessary. Coffee was offered and i am happy i accepted because it tasted good ...or maybe that was because it was free. Love the haircut! Especially since the woman dried, moussed and waxed it. Am going to have speak to Young John at Capellis. His haircut was supposed to last me the three months .... the other haircuts he has given me always looked good ,even when growing out for the 10 months in South America.

Finally after asking in a souvenir shop I found the Hanseatic Museum. They have the smallest sign ever. Only the foyer where the receptionist sits is heated. The rest of the museum is kept unheated as it was when the building was a working warehouse. Usually the ground floor was used for storage and upstairs were for office and living. Socialicing was done in large meeting rooms in another section...these were heated. The Hanseatic League dominated trade in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. Bergen, Luebeck, Riga, Hamburg, London, Brugge are cities with stong Hanseatic histories.

The main order of business was the shipment of stock fish (driedfish)and also cod liver oil and roe. In return rye, barley, wheat, salt, fabrics, tobacco, ink powder, spices, coffee, tea and sugar were brought to Bergen.

Both visual presentations were on the fritz but all important info was written i threee languages -Norsk, German and English.

Read as much as I could if only Norsk was presented. Had to take a picture of the trade list ... too long a list to remember. Did not buy the 35NOK book giving all the details... the receptionist came to telll me the place was closing at 14:00.

Up the street from the museum can be found the entrance to the Floeien -funiculla. Paid the honnor price of NOK18, walked through the automatic ticket reading access point and sat in the carriage. The place was packed. Locals use the Floeien to go up the mountain because they live in houses built on the side of the hill.

At the top we have reached 340m and are hanging on a cable at a 26 degree angle. There are two carriages...one blue and the other red ... travelling up the hill thru two tunnels under roads. At the top a promenade at the edge of the precipice protected by heavy plastic balistrades forms a semi circle around the lofty restaurant ... closed for the season

A small kiosk selll snacks, drinks, ice cream and souvenirs in all forms. A whole bin was full if small daggers with REAL deer hooves as handles. Asked the man about the great number and he said there are enough deer and people eat the meat. I wanted to know if they have wheelchairs for all of the hoof less deer. He did not quite get it.

Sitting on one of the benches provided and enjoying the view I ate my brie cheese bun and drank my water .

Wandered around ..bought two patches for backpack... a Norway flag and the other with the name Bergen on it. Could find none in Flaam. Also bought a tiny moose ... moose is big here ... it will join my red Canadian moose on my pack.

Past three I begin the walk down. The path leads thru tall thick trees, ferns and mosses. Trolls hide everywhere. Am sorryi saw none. As I walk down.keeping the steady on the breaks in my calves I meet.some people coming up Every now and again a bicycle whizzes by. Quite a few dogs are also on parade. Once out of the natural park section the route goes past private houses, down steps, thru groomed parks, over the flouien track and into the bustle of old Bergen.

There is another mountain with a radio antenna at the top. In a gondola, suspended from a cable one can ascent for NOK140. The funiculla was much more reasonable and affordable good opportunity to take pictures of the whole of old Bergen. The weather was perfect ... clear, warm and sunny ... apparently an oddity for this area.

The view was fantastic .. the map come to life. Its my second day in Bergen and I nolonger need to consult the map to find my way back to Gjestehus The Sentrum is not too large.

Walked to the no traffic zone where an impressive commemorative sculpture stands in the centre. I visit a department store and as in all such stores perfume assayles the nose on entering. Am looking for another turtle neck sweater. Saved money because i found none.

In the window display of a bookstore I see the Guernsey Potato Pie book in English. Go into Noril Book Store ... it smells like a bookshop should ... not a Mom & Pop place but still not like The Worlds Biggest. It was a pleasure time in the place. Wanted to buy "The Help" but the book isjust too big to carry around.

Planned to buy the Guernsey book at a cost of $7.99 X 54 = NOK40.Turns out the book costs NOK99. Was sadly forced to decline the purchase. Have to draw the line somewhere.

Went to the Rama1000 grocery store to replenish my food stores; red pepper, some lunch meat,two buns, yoplait, an onion ... added to my left over soup from yesterday . It made a great dinner.

The WiFi refuses to let me in so will write up a storm and post it and emails in the morning.
Am alone in the room. No one will suffer my snoring tonight.

It is night and the lights are shining in the windows of the houses. The twinkles can be seen all the way up the 300m of built up hill. All around the main harbour it is the same ...as far as the eye can see out past the channels and islands houses dot the hills ...families home from work and school enjoy an evening in cosy warmth for as the sun goes down smoke can be seen rising from some chimneys.

The square chimneys have a protective square arranged over the opening. A heavy stone holds the protective piece in place. The air is nippy enough for a fire. According to the man at one of the two stall at the fish market the temperature here fluctuates between 5 and 15 degrees. No lengthy snow conditions. Lots of rain though.

I am liking this town. The terra cotta tiles and the slate tiles help to make the place picturesque. Sorry to say have not seen any drop dead goodlooking men yet. Maybe tomorrow.

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Photos

Last Bite of Lunch

Kaffi Anyone
An Americano is the least expensive.