After a quick flight from Oslo on Sunday morning, we were walking the seaport by 2 pm.  Bergen wharf is famous for the colorful row of preserved Hanseatic merchant homes and shops.  But after five minutes of being there with the hordes of day-tripping cruise-shippers swarming around this compact area, we were not happy.  

Fortunately, our historic hotel was a 20 minute uphill walk to the University area where calm and beauty prevailed.  Anyhow, that postcard image of Hanseatic huts is NOT why we came to Bergen.

We came for the fjords! Several years ago, we went to Stavanger, Norway to climb the monumental hike up to Pulpit Rock. It was a peak experience ( pun intended) of sheer cliff overhanging startling blue waters.  He wanted more so here we are in another fjord-facing city. 

Day 1- we climb the mountain

We originally planned to hike alone. But the ‘wisdom of age’ prevailed and we signed up for a guided hike from Norway Mountain Guides. We were going to hike to the top of Hananipa Mountain about 30 minutes drive outside town. 

We met our lovely guide Kjersti and her puppy Millie at the port and were happy to discover we were her only guests.

The hike was gorgeous, steep, rocky, sometimes muddy and with many overlooks. There were also grazing sheep with their musical bells who didn’t seem the least bit fazed by our presence. Or that of the ever frisky Millie.

We started with three layers and quickly stripped to one. The sunny weather we enjoyed throughout our Norwegian stay continued to hold.

And ohh, the views. The views. So many  fjord waters below. And lone houses hugging the edges, providing a colorful jolt to all that green and blue.

Finally, we reached our peak. We pulled out some snacks, including a smorrbrot with brown cheese on homemade bread that Kjirsti brought for our tasting pleasure.  Below,  were stunning views of several fjords and even a salmon farm.

We learned so much about Bergen life. There is a quiet pride in their country, the social safety net and their gorgeous environment.  Rain or shine—and there’s lots of rain—the locals are out and about. 

We did 6 miles of hiking and our tired bodies dragged up the hill to rest.  For dinner we had custom-made vegetarian soups at Happy Pot, a locals joint our guide recommended. It was filling, healthy and restorative. Then lights out.

Day 2-fjords up close

We returned to the harbor in late morning for a trip up the funicular to get some fantastic city views. We were warned to buy our tix online so we did. We skipped the long queue of cruisers and went right to the head of the line. Took some more pix up there and then descended to head over to the dock.

We were ready for our 3 hour boat ride to see the fjords and tiny fjord communities up close. It was a thrilling excursion. We’d come around a narrow bend and suddenly see little islets and sheer cliff walls. The boat would slow and classical music would gently waft, creating an epic audio-visual experience. It was cold and crisp but we stayed up front to inhale every pristine sea-faring moment.

That night, we had our first truly gourmet dinner in Norway at Almuen where most of our dishes, including the cabbage were fire grilled.  So good. So sated. Then home to pack up.  But first, our evening ritual of fresh brownies and herb tea provided by our charming Park Hotel Bergen.

Today is a traveling day and I’m writing this on the first leg of two flights to Valencia. We had an incident, though, before we left the Bergen hotel.

To manage our constant motion, we need to schedule backwards.

We knew we had to wake up no later than 7 an to catch our cab at 8:30. I woke groggily from a dead sleep, leapt up and started brushing my teeth, etc. I yelled out to Andy to get going. He opened his eyes, looked at his watch and said it was only 3:55 am! I slunk stupidly back into bed and we both slept for a needed 3 more hours! Funny now…

We feel so grateful for a week of sunny weather ( it was raining this morning!) and memorable experiences throughout our Norwegian stay.

Our Pulpit rock hike: https://nobluehair.com/2022/06/16/hiking-to-stavangers-fjord-not-the-big-easy/

Norway Mountain Guides:https://www.norwaymountainguides.com/