Bergen Walkabout

Sunday is a good day to walk around a Scandinavian city, almost everything except restaurants, is closed. Here in Bergen everything is closed except restaurants, tourist shops and the local church. We decided to take a walk anyway and see some of the sites around the harbor. First stop was the Fish Market, it happens to be indoors and it’s still raining.

Bergen Fish Market

Courthouse

The Fish Market is advertised in travel books as a “must see” if you’re in Bergen but honestly, the 3 shops inside were nice, but I wouldn’t classify them as a must see. Pretty cool looking fish and some of the biggest live crabs we’ve ever seen. These guys look like they could put up a fight if you reach in to grab one. Everything from urchin to halibut is on ice, including whale! Easy to pick whale out among the fish, it’s the only red meat in the display. We’re not ready for lunch just yet but we’ll be back to try out the whale.

Doesn’t that look tasty!

Lutefisk

Whale meat

Bryggen

One of the traditions here in Scandinavia is the “fika” or coffee break. Here it is said that “fika” is more than a coffee break, it is a chance to slow down and enjoy life. Personally, I think Starbucks is behind this tradition. How does drinking caffeine help you slow down and relax? But it does sound appealing especially when it’s raining. And what better place to enjoy a traditional “fika” than at Starbucks!

Waffle cookie and jam

Looks like the rain has stopped so after our coffee and pastry, time to scout for souvenirs or just wander the shops. There was a cruise ship in the harbor today so wandering around is a bit of a challenge, especially with 2,000 other people trying to stay out of the rain. Our host, Ole, is the harbor master here and told me that they handle some 350 cruise ships a year, along with hundreds of freight and oil exploration vessels. Sounds like work to me!

Inside a Bryggen alleyway

A Bryggen alleyway

After a couple of hours looking at plastic Viking ships, thimbles, Norwegian flags and trolls, it was time to eat. Headed back to the fish market for a late lunch. Question, why would 2,000 Chinese tourists want to buy plastic Viking ships they made and sent here?

Lunch was an easy selection for Mom-Bear, whale sushi and a glass of chard. For me, baked cod with veggies and of course, a glass of cab. Couldn’t resist trying the whale. Not our favorite but not bad, it had a kind of sea / fish / oil taste to it, and the texture was a bit stringy. Not sure we need to order that again but at least we tried it.

Soft-shell crab and whale sushi

Baked cod and veggies (the green in mushy peas)

Good meal, came to about $95.00USD. Things are definitely not cheap here in Scandinavia. Good thing we do most of our eating in the apartments and save dining out for a treat. Walked back to the apartment for the night, going to take the funicular tomorrow if the weather cooperates.

The wharf area is known as Bryggen and was originally established around the 12^th century. Sometime around the 13^th century, the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of market towns in Northwestern Europe, took control of “Bryggen” to establish their trade port. Up until 1669 when the League disappeared, they dominated trade throughout northern Europe. Today, the wharf is a Unesco World Heritage site. The waterfront is lined with colorful houses, rebuilt after a major fire in 1955, to resemble the original buildings from 600 years ago. It’s a maze of shops, restaurants, alleyways with more shops and restaurants, few if any people live in these buildings today. The area has come full circle, back to a market place.