Her Perspective....again!

#3 Her perspective, he's been working on pix
Again, playing catch up. Two 12+ hour days of touring & a cold have left me way behind!
The Midnatsol docked on schedule in Bergen at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon.
A taxi to the Hotel Terminus which has an added benefit of being literally across the street from the train station. We checked into the hotel & we were ready to see Bergen.....the gateway to the fjords.
With a lot planned in Bergen, our first stop was to buy fjord cruise tickets. We ate dinner outside - beautiful harbor nearby, brightly colored buildings dotting the hillsides & a lot to explore. But back to the fjords.
First up, early Wednesday morning, a 5 hour boat cruise to the Sognefjord. It is Norway's longest(200km) & deepest fjord. Absolutely beautiful scenery all around us. The majestic fjord, the waterfalls, the tourists all trying to manipulate their way to the front for the money shot....oh, wait, maybe that was not part of the beauty. Just human nature.

Sognefjord

The fjord was nothing short of spectacular. During the cruise an announcement was made for passengers connecting to another town. Our ferry met another in the middle of the fjord, a gangway was connected between the ferrys and several people transferred to the other ferry. Novel.
The boat docked at the small town of Flam (at the end of the Sognefjord with a population 400 which looks to explode into the thousands with tourist season). On this day, there were 2 large cruise ships in port.
We had about an hour to wander around before boarding the UNESCO World Heritage train that would take us up into the mountains(800m) , through 10 tunnels, stopping for a photo op at the spectacular Kjosfossen waterfall. Above the waterfall there was music & suddenly a dancing woman appeared....or did she?

Kjosfossen siren

Here's what we were told - The dancing woman of Kjosfossen is known as a 'huldra' (Nordic mythology).
She is similar to the sirens of old roman/greek mythology. She lured men into their doom with her stunning beauty & beautiful song but in real life she's an ugly troll.
The train took us to a city train which took us back into town. All told, gone about 12 hours. Hungry, but not willing to go too far, we had a mediocre meal at our hotel.


Thursday morning was fjord day #2 - Hardanger fjord. This time, we were headed for a train that would take us to a bus. The bus went high into the mountains, manuevering through switchbacks after switchback. Once we encountered a big rig.....the rig backed up to make room for the bus.
All along the way, beautiful summer cabins with lots of flowers, stunning waterfalls and steep cliffs.
The first of two boats took 30 minutes out to Eide. We were there 3 hours. With about 30 minutes until yet another bus tour, we were encouraged to visit the local mseum and also watch a 20 minute movie.
Not a fan of stuffed animals in nature diorammas......& preferring to spend the time outside, we made it a quick tour. we opted out of the movie.
The next bus took us on a 2 hour tour up to the fabulous Voringsfossen waterfall. I think this is where we both decided Norway is one of the most spectacular places we have ever seen. 

Voringsfossen

We are always reluctant to name a 'favorite' place....everything has its own unique appeal. New Zealand & South Africa always rise to the top of our list. Now, Norway is right up there as well. In NZ we decided we were just out of adjectives. We are very close to feeling the same way about Norway. This is a country I would love to see again. A driving trip, outside of the big cities has been added to the bucket list.
From the waterfall, the bus took us to our boat. A 3 hour boat ride back to Bergen. A really good dinner at a Chinese restaurant ended a wonderful day.

Hardanger Fjord

Friday, our final day in Bergen was when we finally had time to see Bergen. A 45 minute wait for the Floibanen (funicular) took us to the top of Bergen for a beautiful view of the city below. After just 10 minutes or so on top of the world, the skies opened up & we ran for the funicular going down.
Wandering around Bryggen, the wharf area took us several hours. There were shops to visit, cappucinos to drink sitting outside & souvenirs to purchase. A few minutes before closing time we walked into Bergenhus fortress. Some of its buildings date back to the 1200's.

Bergen byrgge

Venturing out for dinner in the rain (one of the few rain showers we have encountered) to a restaurant about 15 minutes away turned out to be just a walk in the rain. Closed for the summer.
Back to another Chinese restaurant near the hotel. This turned out to be another very good meal & interesting conversation with its 23 year old owner. Born in China, raised in Norway, he plays & follows basketball. He commented on Bob's Mavs shirt - but sadly, from the perspective of a Laker fan. Across from us, a couple from Houston who now reside in central California.
Friday morning we took the 10:30 train from Bergen to 'almost' Oslo. 'Almost' because the Oslo Central rail station is under construction this summer & closed for 6 weeks.
Another spectacular train ride filled with gorgeous scenery for the next 5 hours. A lot of this scenery I viewed through closed eyes.....giving in to the exhaustion of fighting a cold while travelling. What I did see....nothing short of magnificent.
The train stopped in Honefoss where buses waited to take us the final hour to Oslo.
Back in Oslo, we decided Italian food sounded good. Turns out, the #1 restaurant on Trip Advisor for Norway is.....Italian (weird). Off we went, in search of Ruffino's. A wrong turn, a quick stop to confirm our directions at the tourist office & we were there. And......it was closed for renovations. Strike 2 in restaurnt planning!
There were plenty of options to choose from in the area near Radhuset, city hall. Borggarden Biffrestaurant, featuring steaks from French Limousin beef turned out to be an excellent choice. I am normally not a big beef eater - this was excellent & I enjoyed every bit of it. The piece of cheesecake we shared for dessert....not so much. It had a strange gelatin layer on top of it & basically no flavor! We were able to sit outside while we enjoyed our very good dinner. Turns out one of the waiters is Danish, born in the same city as our brother in law, Frank. Cool!
From dinner, a leisurely stroll back to the hotel, admiring flowers that are blooming everwhere. Enjoying the cool temps, such a contrast to what awaits us at home!
Last day in Oslo....this trip is coming to a close very quickly.