First Impressions of Bergen

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First Impressions of Bergen

I am sitting by the water at a pub in central Bergen. Silver sunlight kisses reflect off the water and a cool breeze caresses my neck as I sit here sipping my champagne.

I read about Svalbard in the magazine on the plane. Somewhere far north where polar bears roam, a place inhabited by only a handful of the most unlikely characters originally from all over the world, people who came to Svalbard and somehow couldn’t leave, all with a unique story. I made a mental note to put Svalbard on my “To Visit” list.

Comfort Hotel with the not-so-comfortable pillows

I arrived at almost midnight having flown out of Gatwick at 20:45 straight from the office with a quick detour for a couple of glasses of bubbly with a girlfriend to help kick start the long weekend. I slept well despite the fact that the pillows at the Comfort Hotel were not very comfortable at all. Fortunately there was a spare that I was able to use to double up turning the sad lump into something that resembled a real pillow.

The breakfast of cold meats, smoked salmon, and bread the next morning was good quality and uncomplicated, like the rest of Bergen, as I was soon to discover.

A hotel obsessed with sustainability

The best thing about the hotel is its obsession with sustainability. The book on the bedside table is a clever and concise handbook on how to effortlessly live in a way that is better for the world. There were no perfume advertisements or local tour brochures. It was refreshing. Here’s a quote from one of the pages:

“Houston – you have a problem. The earth needs some help now. Every small step you take throughout the day, is a big step for mankind.”

A clean wholesome place

It feels wholesome here. I walked past a father and his three sons on the street earlier in the day. The eldest son was easily as tall as the father and would have weighted 50%!m(MISSING)ore than me. The youngest son was sucking his thumb nervously trailing behind his brothers. Yet he was the size of what I would expect an 8-9 year old to be. Solid, big people with blonde hair and honest faces.

The houses are cute. The people are of the “no nonsense” variety. I liked them instantly. The designs are modern, simple but clever. Cute sculptures, lovely colours, no fuss. I love it.

I was delighted by the most mundane of all things…. the amazing taste of the tap water. A taste that bottled water tries to imitate but often fails, except for the most expensive ones. And it’s free.

Walking along the water’s edge I recalled a recent Ted Talks speech by Elizabeth Gilbert that I found inspiring at the time. Something about “home” being where you belong, something you love more than yourself. Not a place, but a feeling. Although I was miles away from where I lived, I felt like I was home as I walked along exploring this strange new city and breathing in the clean mountain air.

As I sat at the pub by the water I notice several large guys rugged up in the orange fleece blankets provided courtesy of the establishment. Even the big lads get chilly here, not just little me.

A fine evening meal of seafood delicacies…

That evening I sat in Enhjørningen, one of the best fish restaurants in Bergen according to the very helpful hotel receptionist. It’s definitely a posh restaurant. I ordered four starters of whale ham with berry sauce, oysters, asparagus & smoked salmon and finally seared scallops. The Chablis that the waitress recommended is divine!

The restaurant is an old wooden house with wooden floors and walls. The walls are covered in old fashioned oil paintings. It’s all very stately with cloth covered tables and ornate cutlery. My only complaint is that the butter is not salted.

OMG the whale ham is amazing! It’s brown like roast beef and salted like ham served with whipped sour cream, lingberry sauce, a scattering of tiny cubes of a Norwegian cheese and a sprinkling of something green that looks like a weed from my garden.

The second course did not disappoint. Absolutely delicious little oysters with a shell unlike the oysters I’m used to seeing, rounder, smaller and a bit smoother.

I’m feeling quite full now and I’m only half way there! Help! To think that I was considering ordering more…

The asparagus and smoked salmon is to die for! Served with the most divine béarnaise sauce, more eggy and buttery than what I’m used to, in fact, I can’t taste vinegar at all… I wanted to lick the plate. Oh to die here right now after this amazing feast.



One more dish to go. Finally the seared scallops served with a white puree – also delicious. That’s me at capacity. Actually, I’m pretty sure I’m there now. There is definitely no room for dessert. I am satiated and in a state of culinary bliss.

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