Because, when you go to Norway, you have to visit Bergen

Bergen is beautiful seaside city with a historic harbour district, and is a UNESCO World Heritage City. If you do an internet search for Bergen, you will get stunning photos of amazing, colourful  buildings, straight out of a fairy tale.

The whole time we were there, it rained.

We did attempt the funicular (cable car) up the side of the mountain. The views weren't too bad because the clouds were high enough, but the winds threatened to blow us right off the mountain. We took pictures, to prove we went up, but they would not make good postcards!

It was obviously time to find indoor things to do. The buses and trams were simple enough to get where we needed to go, so we didn't bother with the Hop On Hop Off bus. We spent the morning at the Aquarium, which was much bigger on the inside than it seemed. There were outdoor areas for the penguins and sealions. There were demonstrations throughout the day - feeding penguins, sealion show, tide pool talk etc. 

Then you descended into the depths. There were huge fishtanks, of course, but also tortoises, crocodiles, snakes and reptiles. We found Nemo and Dory- they are doing well!

Oslo bit us with the art gallery bug, and we discovered that Bergen has a collective of art galleries, called the Kode Galleries. Two were currently having exhibitions that we could visit. The first was modern art - a lot more Munch, some Picasso and many other well known artists (I would name drop more, if I could remember!)

The second gallery exhibited art from about the 1600s to the 20th century, Much of it was from the Romantics period, which is much more to my liking. It was easier to find things here that evoked contentment and joy! 

Interspersed throughout these exhibits were breathtaking antiques. Tables, chairs and cupboards with the most exquisite carvings hinted at the splendor that once graced the grand homes of the day.

Bergen, as a city, is phenomenal. I have never seen a city put so much effort into it's appearance. We had to take an underground tunnel from our tram stop to get safely across the tracks and large road to our hotel. Usually these tunnels are nasty and sketchy- a necessary evil. It Bergen, the tunnels were painted with murals from floor to ceiling! While on the busses and trams, as we went through underpass tunnels, the walls were decorated with neon lights or artwork. I have never seen anything like it!

Even though it was raining, we spent a lot of time wandering around the city center. There is a beautiful square with water features and sculptures and gardens and pedestrian only streets lined with shops and cafes. This is where I discovered that I prefer Norwegian pastries to the the flakey Danish pastries. Very important research results from extensive field testing!!