Bergen - Fish Prosperity

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the short of it:
Weather ... sunny with some wind ... nippy by late afternoon
Blog entry ... successful
Leper Museum ...closed
Bergen School ...closed
Bryggen Museum ... a little disappointing
A wander through Bergen's history on Bryggen'
Fisheries Museum ... Great
Picture taking ... good
Window shopping ... exciting ... bought nothing ...tempted but was able to resist.
Walking ... not too too far and without the map
People met ... three lovely persons
Grocery shopping ... successful ... had a hot meal.
Shower very good ... am warm now
Bed ...warm and squeaky ...seems I will share the room with someone tonight

the rest of it: Stockfish = Cod = Driedfish =Prosperity

Many commented on the fine weather. Usually it rain in Bergen and sunny days are few and far between. This was to be museum day so the fact that the weather was pleasant was a bonus ... and the bonus seemed to end there!
Leper Museum ...closed Bergen Scole ...closed ... both of these places very close to the hostel were closed. At the Bergen School which was originally a type of seminary and had evolved into a higher education facitility for all A young woman was escorting a visitor to the door. She stopped to explain that public access was closed for the season. She took the time to have a short conversation about the schools purpose. Found this to be most friendly. A worker at the Leper Museum who was walking from one office to another did not even bother to address me even though I was in the courtyard looking to visit the facility. A few shots of the painted wood facade, a peek into a window and i moved on to the next closed museum... it being the afore described Bergen Scole Museum.

Bryggen Museum was to be museum reflecting the city of Bergen. Instead it was a representstion of the medieval times ... when workshops existed on Oevregatan and the Bryggen-Old Wharf flourished in the time of 900 to 1300. Cases filled with artifacts show the importance of:
the comb maker and his hand carved combs from wood and whale ivory;
the intricacies of gold jewellery, the scissors and the then used needles of the tailor;
the imported pots and cups some from as far away as china;
the kitchen and cereals cooked into bread and porridge by the housefrau;
the edicts signed by church officials;
examples of the type of two story houses built at the time;
the hewing and construction of trading vessels that went to sea
and the craft of the shoemaker whose workshop was somewhat removed because of the stench of the tanning and dying of leather.

Wandering through Bergen's history on Bryggen- the ancient Hanseatic Wharf. The tour takes you through Bryggen's 900 years of history, including a visit to Bryggens Museum and the Hanseatic Museum. Schotstuene where the meeting rooms for the Hansa men are located are closed for the season. Here the merchants would gather to discuss legalities, trade matters and socialize.
The Norwegian Museum of Fisheries was fantastic. The gentleman who sat at the reception desk was an amazing source of information. He told me that there were different grades of cod, that roe comes in varied qualities and colours from red to yellow to orange to dyed black. The best and biggest and so expensive that it is kept under lock and key would be the roe that comes from the Sturgeon. Stock fish (dried fish) processing is what made Bergen a Hansa city and a successful trading centre. The tools used to dry, compress, pack and ship the stock fish are displayed in the museum. A large picture depicts a Nigerian testing the quality of the dried cod. According to the info the trade in stockfish began to decline rapidly after Biafra. Have to look up that connection.

The various nets used to catch masses of fish all have a model showing its capacity to engulf the fish in the sea. Some are so huge one has to wonder how they fit on the ship after the fish inside them were put in the hold. It was good that picture taking was allowed because one has to see the size of thwese nets to truly fathom the damage they must do to sea life. And still I mean to eat fish as much as posible while in this fishing nation.

Walking back from the Fish Museum the window shopping was interesting ... beautifully patterned wool sweaters, hats, scarves, sock and mittens; silver in the form of Viking men, Norse crosses, modern creations, and chains with pieces of coloured glass at the end; pst cards of every building in town; t-shirts with flags,sayings and pictures; every other imaginable type of kitch and troll dolls, figurines and key chains with huge noses ...no idea what's under the britches but a troll girl is identified by lifting her skirt and looking for a tail!

Am able to walk about the town without a map. Using The Bryggen and the Johannes Church as pointers it is possible to wander about and always keep ones bearing.

The man at the fish museum and the woman at the Marienkirche were worth the day. They were both to answer questions and spend time just chatting. It is always a pleasure to find characters like that. They create an aura that makes the info and the place easily memorable
Today I shopped so that I could make a hot meal. It was not a Julia Child dinner but it was good: broccoli, instant mashed potatoes, butter, scrambled eggs with fried onions, coffee and a blueberry yoplait. I cannot calll this yogurt ... so much starch ! The re were enough leftovers to have a second meal another day.
I have only been able to find one toilet. There are eight showers. Each shower is large enough to hang up ones clothes behind the closed door. The shower head is adjustable. The shower curtains come from Ikea. All in all, clean and very pleasant. Its only the clump of long hair on the drain that is a bit distracting. Entering the actual room is done with a swipe card anda key is provided for the spacious locker. The Marken Gjestehus was a good find and only cost NOK800 for the four nights I slept there. The good thing was that the kitchen was well enogh organized that one could comfortably cook the food in the utinsels provided.
The bed sheets cost NOK60 were crisp and super white. The bed was squeaky but OK.
Seems I will be spending the night with a new room mate. Hope she sleeps soundly ... I am d i snore.
check out : www.marken-gjestehus.com & www.bergen-guide.comThe short of it
Weather ... sunny with some wind ... nippy by late afternoon
Blog entry ... successful
Leper Museum ...closed
Bergen School ...closed
Bryggen Museum ... a little disappointing
Wandering through Bergen's history on Bryggen'
Fisheries Museum ... Great
Picture taking ... good
Window shopping ... exciting ... bought nothing ...tempted but was able to resist.
Walking ... not too too far and without the map
People met ... three lovely persons
Grocery shopping ... successful ... had a hot meal.
Shower very good ... am warm now
Bed ...warm and squeaky ...seems I will share the room with someone tonight

Weather ... sunny with some wind ... nippy by late afternoon
Many commented on the fine weather. Usually it rain in Bergen and sunny days are few and far between. This was to be museum day so the fact that the weather was pleasant was a bonus ... and the bonus seemed to end there!
Leper Museum ...closed Bergen Scole ...closed ... both of these places very close to the hostel were closed. At the Bergen School which was originally a type of seminary and had evolved into a higher education facitility for all A young woman was escorting a visitor to the door. She stopped to explain that public access was closed for the season. She took the time tohave a short converstion about the schools purpose. Found this to be most friendly. A worker at the Leper Museum who was walking from one office to another did not even bother to address me even though I was in the courtyard looking to visit the facility. A few shots of the painted wood facade, a peek into a window and i moved on to the next closed museum... it being the afore described Bergen Scole Museum.

Bryggen Museum was to be museum reflecting the city of Bergen. Instead it was a representstion of the medieval times ... when workshops existed on Oevregatan and the Bryggen-Old Wharf flourished in the time of 900 to 1300. Cases filled with artifacts show the importance of:
the comb maker and his hand carved combs from wood and whale ivory;
the intricacies of gold jewellery, the scissors and the then used needles of the tailor;
the imported pots and cups some from as far away as china;
the kitchen and cereals cooked into bread and porridge by the housefrau;
the edicts signed by church officials;
examples of the type of two story houses built at the time;
the hewing and construction of trading vessels that went to sea
and the craft of the shoemaker whose workshop was somewhat removed because of the stench of the tanning and dying of leather.
Wandering through Bergen's history on Bryggen- the ancient Hanseatic Wharf. The tour takes you through Bryggen's 900 years of history, including a visit to Bryggens Museum and the Hanseatic Museum. Schotstuene where the meeting rooms for the Hansa men are located are closed for the season. Here the merchants would gather to discuss legalities, trade matters and socialice.
The Norwegian Museum of Fisheries was fantastic. The gentleman who sat at the reception desk was an amazing source of information. He told me that there were different grades of cod, that roe comes in varied qualities and colours from red to yellow to orange to dyed black. The best and biggest and so expensive that it is kept under lock and key would be the roe that comes from the Sturgeon. Stock fish (dried fish) processing is what made Bergen a Hansa city and a successful trading centre. The tools used to dry, compress, pack and ship the stock fish are dispplayed in the museum. A large picture depicts a Nigerian testing the quality of the dried cod. According to the info the trade in stockfish began to decline rapidly after Biafra. Have to look up that connection.
The various netsused to catch masses of fish all have a model showing its capacity to engulf the fish in the sea. Some are so huge one has to wonder how they fit on the ship after the fish inside them were put in the hold. It was good that picture taking was allowed because one has to see the size of thwese nets to truly fathom the damage they must do to sea life. And still I mean to eat fish as much as posible while in this fishing nation.
Walking back from the Fish Museum the window shopping was interesting ... beautifully patterned wool sweaters, hats, scarves, sock and mittens; silver in the form of Viking men, norse crosses, modern creations, and chains with pieces of coloured glass at the end; pst cards of every building in toen; t-shirts with flags,sayingsand pictures; every other imaginable type of kitch and troll dolls, figurines and keychains with huge noses ...no idea what's under the britches but a troll girl is identified by lifting her skirt and looking for a tail!

Am able to walk about the town without a map. Using The Bryggen and the Johannes Church as pointers it is possible to wander about and always keep ones bearing.

The man at the fish museum and the woman at the Marienkirche were worth the day. They were both to answer questions and spend time just chatting. It is always a pleasure to find characters like that. They create an aura that makes the info and the place easily memorable
Today I shopped so that I could make a hot meal. It was not a Julia Child dinner but it was good: broccoli, instant mashed potatoes, butter, scrambled eggs with fried onions, coffee and a blueberry yoplait. I cannot calll this yogurt ... so much starch ! The re were enoughh leftovers to have a second meal another day.
I have only been able to find one toilet. There are eight showers. Each shower is large enough to hang up ones clothes behind the closed door. The shower head is adjustable. The shower curtains come from Ikea. All in all, clean and very pleasant. Its only the clump of long hair on the drain that is a bit distracting. Entering the actual room is done with a swipe card anda key is provided for the spacious locker. The Marken Gjestehus was a good find and only cost NOK800 for the four nights I slept there. The good thing was that the kitchen was well enogh organized that one could comfortably cook the food in the utinsels provided.
The bed sheets cost NOK60 were crisp and super white. The bed was squeaky but OK.
Seems I will be spending the night with a new room mate. Hope she sleeps soundly ... I am d i snore.
check out : www.marken-gjestehus.com & www.bergen-guide.com

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Photos

Tonnes of Fish
Bergen, and Norway thrive on the stockfish industry.

Buying Quality Stockfish
A Nigerian merchant comes to Bergen to buy dried cod.

Antiques
On the once all important street where workshops did business antique stores now thrive ... What do you collect? ... find it here!

New Trade
In Hansa period houses restaurants and boutiques and souvenir shops now are open for the tourist trade.

Comments

[octavio abarca]

BC.
Aplication for working at packing-fishing-Industry In Bergen or Oslo. BC. Octavio A.