This was the last Nordic country we had yet to visit. So, before summer ended and the cold descends we took a trip north to Bergen - "the gateway to the fjords" and the second largest city. The city is located on the Byfjorden and is surrounded by water and lush mountains. The town is filled with traditional colorful wood buildings which have been rebuilt multiple times over the centuries after fires destroyed the city (considering it rains 235 days a year it's surprising anything can burn).
With a bit of blue skies when we first arrived, we decided our first stop would be Fløyen, a panoramic lookout point just above the city and accessible by funicular (or foot for those with time to hike up the hill). From the top the entire city came into view, including a few big cruise ships docked in the city.
We spent the rest of the day exploring the city, including its medieval fort, historic wooden buildings, bustling waterfront, and historic old town. Everything was so cute and colorful!
We even found a totem pole in a park that was given to Bergen from Seattle (its sister city in the US).
There was public tightrope in one of the city parks to practice your climbing skills (or just for fun) - I think we both need a lot more practice; Kate barely made it two steps but surprisingly, Matt fared much better.
On Sunday we took the "Norway in a nutshell" tour which transported us via train to Voss, where we swapped the train for a bus. The road from Voss to Gudvangen is the steepest road in Europe, following a set of harrowing switchbacks as you descent down to the water. From Gudvangen we swapped the bus for a boat for a 2.5 hour cruise along the Sognefjord to Flåm. Unfortunately the weather didn't fully cooperate and there were clouds and scattered rain on the trip, but it couldn't overshadow the spectacular scenery of the fjord.
In Flåm we took the Flåmbana railway from the bottom to the top of the fjord, where we reconnected with our train back to Bergen. Half way out of the fjord the train stopped to allow people to disembark and take pictures of a huge waterfall. During the train ride up there was commentary about the fjord and a legend about magical creatures who have been spotted in the area. At the waterfall, music suddenly started and magical creatures appeared all around the waterfall performing their spirit dances. It was a little cheesy but fun.
Our flight home on Monday had a long layover in Oslo which gave us about 3 hours to quickly explore the city. It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and warm weather. The city itself is quite a contrast to little Bergen - big and modern with lots of people. We started at the new opera house, which has a slanting roof that you can walk up - very cool and ultra modern.
We then walked to the old fort for good views of the waterfront then made our way through the city center, stopping to admire charming streets, pretty buildings, and imposing churches. Although it was a quick stop, we had time for a nice lunch sitting outside along the main pedestrian street.
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