Bergen

On Saturday, we set foot in Norway for the first time. We were in the southwestern town of Bergen, in preparation for heading out on a cruise north along the coast. So, apparently, were lots of other people – I never expected so many other tourists! The old town Bryggen area along the harbor was particularly packed.

The town is beautiful, with great public areas and the colorful houses we expected.

The view from our hotel window often included some wildlife. He/she definitely seemed to be expecting a handout… as all seagulls do. And if you don’t give it willingly, they’ll definitely press the issue. As we sat outside a bakery, people who probably weren’t from a coastal area weren’t protecting their goodies and the seagulls swooped right in. I guess we should be happy they didn’t start tapping on the window…

The fish markets carry an impressive selection of seafood. We are looking forward to be eating a lot of it over the next couple of weeks. I don’t recall seeing sea urchins for sale before – maybe we’ll get to try some!

There are other foods we don’t see at home, too:

We didn’t see any fishing boats, but there are enough other boats and ships around to gladden any naval architect’s heart!