Norwegian Cruising Adventure - Bergen - Day 10
It is always bitter sweet on departure day from the ship. So many good memories and tangential relationships with people we will most likely never see again.
We were on our bus at 8;15 am and heading off for our tour of Bergen. We passed by a pile of luggage being off loaded from the ship.
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. It was the capital for many years. Bergen harbor is ice free year round, just like Ireland and Iceland, Bergen and Norway benefit from the warm flow of the Gulf Stream. This keeps temperatures moderate even though they are located as far north as Alaska. If you recall, our Ireland blog mentions Ireland has palm trees. No palm trees on Norway.
Bergen like all Norwegian cities burned down several times. The worst fire was on 1702. The entire waterfront and city center were rebuilt after that fire. Then in 1944 a ship carrying 1,500 tons of ammunition for the Germans exploded at the downtown pier. This decimated the city on both sides of the harbor. As a result of the explosion 158 people (including 98 civilians) were killed and some 4,800 wounded. 131 houses were destroyed outright, while 117 were so damaged that they had to be condemned. The Nazis declared the explosion to be an accident. That might be true but the Norwegian resistance was very active during World War II.
Norway had intended to remain neutral during the war. Unfortunately the Nazis had other plans. Overnight they invaded and took over the airport and all major ports. The airport had one of the few concrete runways in Europe and the ports would insure the year round water transport of iron ore from Sweden to Germany to supply the German war machine factories.
A view of the harbor in Bergen after the explosion in 1944.
One of the cultural traditions in Norway is trolls. There are troll statues all around Norway.
Yes, there are trolls in Norway.
Norwegian trolls are believed to be mythical creatures that live in isolated rocks or caves. They tend to live alone or in small families and are hostile towards humans. As per the troll legends, they are evil and dangerous beings that prefer the wilderness.
If you are lost in the woods while exploring the rugged landscapes of Norway, you don't have to worry about being served as dinner to trolls. Trolls of Norse mythology have bigger appetites and can eat anything from a stone to a human (but not adults).
Troll folklore suggests that they have sharp teeth and can eat whatever comes their way. One tale has it that naughty children and goats are their favorite snacks. Perhaps this was a ploy by Norwegian parents to scare their children from wandering around in the woods.
You can buy trolls in almost every store in Norway.
My segway from trolls to Norwegian music includes a visit to the Edvard Grieg homestead and museum. Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907) was a famous Norwegian composer. I am most familiar with his composition “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” It is a piece of orchestral music he wrote 1875. It was included in the sixth scene of act 2 in Henrik Ibsen's 1867 play Peer Gynt.
A life size statue of Edvard Grieg. He was 5’4” tall some people suggest he resembles Albert Einstein.
The music hall at the Edvard Grieg museum has a traditional grass roof. There are many grass roofs in Norway. The tradition is traced back to the Vikings.
We were treated to a piano concert of Greig’s music while visiting his residence. The pianist was Lars Fredrick Nystad. Here is a link to the music of the “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” You might have to cut and paste the link.
This is the stage in the concert hall in the Grieg museum. The back wall is glass and looks out on the fjord.
Grieg loved his summer home so much he arranged to be buried in a hill next to his favorite beach. The location of his grave is the spot where that last ray of sunlight touches the hill at sunset each day.
This is Edvard Grieg‘s grave on the side of the hill at his favorite beach.
Our next stop was a visit to the Fantoff old stave church. There are only 26 of these historic wooden churches remaining in Norway. They are 72’ long and the roof is constructed from the upside down design of a Viking ship. This one was built in 1150 and was burned by satanists in 1992. It was completely rebuilt to its original specifications. At some point the government decreed that all churches must be large enough to hold half the population of the town. That was the end of 72’ churches.
Fantoff old stave church.
We had lunch at a water front restaurant called the Wave. Our Tauck guide gave us 300 krona ($30.00) of our own money to buy lunch. We had a bowl of seafood chowder and fish and chips with no drinks for $48.00. No worries it is the thought that counts. If we each had a reindeer hotdog and a glass of water we might have stayed within our allotment.
The fish and chips and seafood chowder were delicious.
So ends todays saga. I will start the next blog page with our walking tour of Bergen. This blog page was getting too long.