Bergen & Flam - West Coast Norway

When you think of Norway many people don't realize how wide it is (let alone how long it is). I live in Oslo which is  pretty far east, and Bergen almost as west as you can go.

My first night train was from Oslo to Bergen, and was approx 8 hours. Luckily my computer is filled with seasons 1-8 of Grey's Anatomy (now done with season 5). Not only did the seats have outlets for my computer, but I got blankets, pillows, ear plugs and an eye mask. Also to top off my journey, the seat next to me was empty! So after several hours of Grey's Anatomy I was able to curl up and sleep the rest of the way.

Other than train tickets I had a free trip to this new city! My cousin Thor was staying in Bergen for work and I was able to crash in the company-paid-for hotel room, and this fancy hotel had free breakfast, waffles from 4-6, a dinner buffet and unlimited fruit/tea/coffee all day. Talk about a sweet deal!

Brygge - What Bergen is most known for

Friday (after a short nap, as sleeping on trains isn't very restful) I explored the Western Port of Norway while Thor worked. The main touristy area of Bergen is extremely small. The city does extend for a large distance though and is actually Norways 2nd largest city (after Oslo). The first thing I did was walk to the docks, this part reminded me very much of Seattle with a fish market, seafood restraunts and boats everywhere. The Naval ships were in port alongside a few oldfashioned fishing boats. The city also has a large fortress the the royal family used to stay at, that hosted many ceremonies back in the day.
That evening we walked up to Fløien Mountain which was 320 metres above sea-level. From here we watched the sunset over Bergen, it was a breathtaking view!

Saturday, we decided to do the "Norway in a Nutshell" Tour. It comprised of: Train from Bergen - Myrdal, an old train from Myrdal -Flåm, next a boat ride from Flåm - Gudvangen and then a bus ride from Gudvangen - Voss. Finally finished with the train from Voss back to Bergen. We caught our first train at 10am and got back to Bergen around 8pm, so it was quite the long day. The tour took us down one of Norways most famous fjords, Aurlandsfjord. While not the best timing to see the scenery (the snow was gone leaving behind dead trees and brownland) there were still breathtaking views and picturesque scenery.

Sunday was truly a day of rest. We walked around the city for a few hours, finding numerous little alleyways, stairwells and cobblestone pathways. It reminded me of a quaint european town. Afterwards we rested and watched TV.. how very cultural of me! However, for dinner that night we went to a traditional Norwegian restraunt. There aren't many places that serve tradtional food, it's considered old fashioned and boring. However, I loved it!! The smells, the decor, the food, all reminded me of my Oldemor (great-grandmother) and my Besteforeldre (grandparents) homes & cooking.

When going to catch my train back to Oslo, once again the night train, I encountered my first major traveling faux pas.. You know that awkward time around midnight where you can say the wrong date without realizing it? It's one of the reasons online assignments tend to be due at 11:45pm, saving us the confusion. Typically I know what day it is, particualry when buying something, however I needed the Sunday night- Monday morning train and accidently bought the Monday night - Tuesday morning ticket. (these are by the way, non-refundable) so I paid 199NOK for a ticket that was a day after I needed to be back. A last minute train ticket, for the correct train, ended up costing 600NOK... So in all, I paid 800NOK to take a train from Bergen to Oslo (equiv of $140). Lesson of the trip, mistakes cost a lot of money!

Bergen was a gorgeous little city with a lot more to offer than I though it would! I hope I'm able to do Norway in a Nutshell, or a similar type trip, sometime this summer when everything is green and flourishing.

Awesome boat!

Fresh fish

Flam Valley

Aurlandsfjord

Our new friend in Voss

Tiny alleys through the city