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Today was supposed to be the big day that we were going to do the well-known “Norway in a Nutshell” tour route. You take several trains, a bus, and a ferry through the higher fjords but it takes about 12 hours round trip. The thought of another long day of planes, trains, and automobiles right before we fly home was suddenly not appealing. And, the forecast was calling for afternoon rain. We called an audible and swapped to a half-day fjord cruise that left from the harbor right by our hotel. It circled up into a closer fjord that may not be quite as majestic but it fit the bill. We had a lovely cruise and even had bright sun in the morning. On the way out of the Bergen Harbor, a whole family came out of their house on the hill with huge Norwegian flags waving to our boat. They do it every day. We cruised through the Osterfjord and went through some narrow passages with the fjord walls looming up around you and waterfalls cascading down. The boat went right up to a waterfall to get some “Norwegian Whiskey” for us to taste (their term for fjord water). Brian
declined because he thought of parasites. Amy is brave and she tried it anyway (and she’s been worried ever since.) We also saw a tiny “prison island” (a mini-Alcatraz but much nicer accommodations) where the prisoners live in bungalows with no escapes ever. Not for us to question their methods – we saw an article discussing the low repeat offender rate in Norway. We really enjoyed the pleasant, no stress cruise. We realized we’ve been to lucky to see a tiny bit Norway from top to bottom and got several different fjord experiences - from the fjords in the Arctic Circle to here – we flew over them, we drove around them, we walked around them, and we hiked up to look down at them. The rain arrived just as we returned. We got some very good fresh fish & chips at the fish market for Brian (finally!) and bought a sweater and some last souvenirs. Then we strolled back through the rain to enjoy afternoon waffles and coffee at out hotel. The Norwegian waffles are a cross between crepes, pancake, and waffles and everyone loves them. It was fun to make them with the other guests. Amy relaxed in
the massage chair to get ready for the next day’s flight while Brian read his book and listened to the increasing harder rain. Bergen is apparently known for being a rainy city so we lucked out for our time here. This hotel has been a wonderful home base. There were signatures from many famous people who stayed here (from Rihanna and Jaz-Z to Motley Crue and even Sting!). We borrowed the key to go up and see the city from the building’s old clock tower. After another good (and included!) dinner, we packed, and had our last Norwegian wine-thirty listening to the rain. It was a pleasant last adventure. Tomorrow starts the trek home. Stay Tuned.
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