A Funicular, A Rocky Outcrop and some Quiet Back Alleys

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Good times! Things have been going swimmingly well. I managed to get my washing done, buy tickets for a special excursion tomorrow, scale a mountain, scale my uke come down the mountain and brew myself another excellent cuppa!

Even the sun has been out. I started out finding a nice bakery and getting myself a hefty cinnamon roll for breakfast. I also ordered a sandwich to take for my picnic lunch, always thinking one step ahead when it comes to food... Then I found the Information centre as I'd decided I'd take an excursion on the famous Flåm train. I ended up booking a round trip by train and then back by boat which is very exciting and financially crippling. In my most cunning moment of the day I also bought a ticket for the Funicular which allowed me minutes later to stroll past a massive queue waiting to by tickets at the station straight on to the next funicular! Tee hee! 

This place is perfect for me; sea, mountains, funiculars, ferries, spectacular train rides, rocky outcrops...

So once at the top of the funicular there was a fantastic view which showed me Bergen really is a city even if it does feel like a bit of a village from within. From there I took a path that no one else seemed to take. Many people didn't even take a path, preferring to stick to the funicular. It was such a lovely and quiet forest walk. The air was fresh and coniferous and I thought I'd walked into an advert for Glade, my nostrils flaring with delight at the lush scents of not chemically manufactured stench but the natural goodness of dear old mother nature.
I found a small unbeaten path and it trekked up to a peak that was by far the most glorious rocky outcrop of the trip. Best of all no one else seemed to know about it so I stayed for a couple of hours working on a new song I'm writing. I even saw marsh tits and possibly a cross bill though without binoculars it could have been a donkey for all I know. I would love to see a cross bill though, they always look rather vexed with their skewed beaks. I'd like to see a cross bill try to eat spaghetti. My descent was easygoing and I found my way back here via some lovely quiet back streets. I've hung out my washing, drunk my tea and now will take another stroll about town. More back streets I think and then to the moose shop which I spotted yesterday. 

Bergen is lovely. It's all about the quiet back streets for me. They're a bit on the quaint end of things but in a useful, lived in way. Most houses are white and wood clad. Some of the alleyways are very steep. I had to walk down them with my feet splayed outwards because my toes were getting squished at the end of my trainers. A good place for ballet dancers to live to strengthen their toe muscles I should think.

I did try to imagine Bergen in the snow. No doubt very beautiful, but those steep alleyways must be potential deathtraps. Well perhaps that's being a little over dramatic. I suppose Norwegians have all kinds of special footware to deal with the conditions. I think I would also invest in airbags for my buttocks, which upon impact would billow out to avoid nasty bruising. They'd be nice and bouncy too. The tricky thing might be in non slipping over scenarios such as at the discotheque when a nice chappie goes to grope a buttock and pfwat! You're arse balloons out and the aftermath doesn't bare thinking about.

I can't believe it's nearing the return journey time. I've had a fantastic time and only the occasional disappointment- well it was just the ICE train thing really. Other than that everything has been super. I do love these lone travels, though I do occasionally get a bit self conscious when dining alone, but it's not so bad unless some bastard waiter creates a nasty scene. Here in Bergen it's been nice because I've eaten at home with the friendly Melbourne people.

Well I'm now about to head off on my excursion which I'll fill you in about tomorrow perhaps.

In Fact Please Note: I will be posting 'tomorrow's' post tonight too and want make sure you are not put off with the overload. Tomorrow is going to be an excellent read too, at least I think it picks up towards the end, post beer drinking.

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