We left Stavanger on bus to reach our next destination the city of Bergen, even though it was only 200 Kms away it took us over five hours as we took highways, narrow roads, underground and underwater tunnels and two ferries.
The Norwegians are known to be the biggest tunnel builders in the world with over 1000 in the country. Many of them are very long and one of them we went through was so big it even had a roundabout in it!
From Stavanger we drove along a beautiful coastline with little farms and small villages…
Stone fences with flocks of sheep…lamb is one of the main meat sources in Norway.
Calm, sheltered coves, the coastline reminded us of Nova Scotia…
Small coastal villages…
The ferry system was so efficient as it was drive on and off and no time was wasted. We were also amazed that only two employees handled the loading…
There is an extensive ferry system in Norway as there are so many small islands and isolated communities…
After a long travel day we arrived in Bergen which is the second largest city in Norway with a population of 290,000. It is also known as the rainiest city in Europe with over 200 days of rain and we discovered this on our visit.
We stayed in an apartment on the second floor of a townhouse built in 1876. It was modernized but still has some historical features and we really enjoyed our stay here, and yes the beds were in the living room.
The first day it was very rainy and cold so we didn’t do a lot, but we did take the funicular up the mountain to get the view over the city.
Bergen is a very hilly city and is known as The City of Seven Mountains…
At the top of the mountain there were many hiking trails, playgrounds, goats and trolls…
One thing we have noticed as we travelled Norway are the many play areas they have for children such as this one in a natural setting…
As we walked in the rain we saw lots of street art…
Some streetscapes…
There are also lots of green spaces in the city centre…
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As the rain stopped and started we managed a walk down to the harbour to the fish market where stalls
are set up selling all types of fish…
The city of umbrellas and it was freezing…
The display of fish was amazing…
and I chose some of the best sushi I have ever tasted…
While we were in Bergen there were two public holidays with one being Constitution Day which is the biggest celebration of the year and it was a day long one for sure.
The Constitution of Norway was signed on May 17, 1874, it declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden. And during World War II when Norway was under occupation by the Nazis, it was strictly forbidden for Norwegians to celebrate 17 May, participate in any procession, or to use the colors of the Norwegian flag on clothes. At the liberation on 8 May 1945, the Norwegian flag therefore became a strong symbol of Norway’s freedom, and on this day it is flown everywhere.
Trees covered in the flag…
A woman decorating her balcony with flags…
The day starts at 7am with canon fire from the castle and groups gathering in neighbourhoods to sing the National Anthem and we started to see the people going by dressed in their traditional clothing depending on what region they were from.
Our host Gloria and her daughter are from the Canary Islands so they wore their traditional clothes…
Here are some of the traditional outfits…
There were tens of thousands of people everywhere and at 10:30 another canon was shot from the castle to begin a huge parade which we watched with the locals. We were fortunate enough to have a woman from there standing next to us so she would give us the colour commentary. Some pictures from the very long parade…
The police led with their motorcycles…
Lots of service groups…
Marching bands…
And little soldiers…
And then all the schools in the city participate which was very nice to see…
Having to wait a little too long…
There is a huge party and fair like atmosphere all around the city…
Musical groups throughout the city…
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Dancing in the streets… |
Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century.During this period this section of the city was very busy and prosperous due to the trading of salt fish around the world. Many of the original buildings are intact with others being restored, today it is a very busy part of the city with bars, restaurants and shops. And on this day with everyone drinking and celebrating the holiday…
Exploring the alleyways…
A view of the old Rosenkrantz tower which was built in 1270 and is a part of a larger Norwegian Castle complex and the Ferris wheel from the large midway on the waterfront…
There were students everywhere in the crowds…
This was a great day to be in the city and to see the way they celebrate their freedom and loyalty to their flag, it made up for the cold, damp weather!
Now on to the mountains…
Beautiful !!
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