25th May 2019

Bergen, Norway

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Beautitful Norway! I finally made it to the lands of fjords, bunads and Munch (well technically Munch's paintings can be found in the galleries in Oslo).  I was very excited on my plane ride with Norwegian Air, I could not wait for my Scandinavian journey to begin. My place of destination was Bergen, a city surrounded by beautiful mountains. Bergen is the second largest city in Norway following the capital city of Oslo.

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We arrived to weather that was bright and sunny, although it was fairly cold, around 9 degrees Celsius, however nothing this Londoner was not used to. The weather in May in Bergen averages around 14 degrees so if you decide to visit Bergen, be sure to carry a warm jacket that will protect you from the expectant rain as well.

I should mention this trip was a group tour arranged by one of the travel companies in London. So I was in good company of like-minded travelers. We stayed at the Thon Hotel Orion close to the city center. The 3 star rated hotel was lovely, I'd rate it a 4 star really. It was beautifully decorated, clean, comfortable and welcoming. I immediately felt at home.

And then the adventures had truly begun!! We started off on an afternoon tour of the area around the Brygge (meaning wharf). We were greeted with the site of the prettiest streets and hillside houses, colored in hues of red brick, yellow and blue. It was the ideal picture postcard of a coastal town. There was no hurrying or busy streets, just chilled out wandering down the Bryggen, a renowned Unesco World Heritage site. The streets were lined with quaint shops selling everything  from woolen garments to the tastiest baked goodies such as bolle (buns). My favorite was Baker Brun serving up a delicious cinnamon bun. Yum! A very good start to an excellent holiday.