Solfari.com presents Bergen, Norway

Bergen is situated in the middle of the fjords on the west coast of Norway. This geographic location causes Bergen to receive rain on more than 200 days a year! So when John and I awoke on the morning of our arrival, we were quite pleased to still see the sun shining on a cloudless day.


Sailboat Silhouette Near Fjords Bergen, Norway	Email Photo

With our journey aboard the coastal steamer ended, John and I found a room with a local resident for our 3 night stay. The woman didn't really speak any English, but the tourist information office handled all of the details for us.

We dropped off our luggage and went to take a ride up the Funicular to Fløyen, a 1,000 foot mountain at the edge of the city center. At the top, there were many students out for an afternoon of enjoying the rare view of the sun. After a little shopping at the gift shop, where Frank Sinatra's 'My Kind of Town' was

playing, we began a not too strenuous hike down one of the many trails . The views of the city were spectacular from this trail and we made sure to take enough photos.

That evening, we were fortunate enough to have Norway playing their final Euro 2000 group match. Having seen the chaos of such a match in England, we made sure to make our way to a local pub and experience Norway's atmosphere.

Rather surprisingly, there were police in the streets hours before the match started. By the time John and I found a good place to watch the match, all the seats were taken and people were in a quiet, but festive mood in anticipation of qualifying for the next round.


Craig Admiring the View of the City Center Bergen, Norway	Email Photo

As the match began, there was an eerie silence in the bar. People sat with their beer in hand and cigarettes lit patiently watching the play unfold. When a good play was made, no one said anything but instead politely clapped. John and I were quite surprised to see this and made more than one comment about the incredible differences between the English and Norwegians. Of course, neither one is wrong but John and I have our preference...

In the end, Norway played a scoreless draw against Slovenia as Yugoslavia and Spain simultaneously played a thriller 4-3 in favor of Spain. Unfortunately for the Norwegians, this was not the result they needed to advance to the quarter finals and they were eliminated.


Craig Enjoying The View at Fløyen Bergen, Norway	Email Photo

Since I had previously been to Bergen, I had a good feel for the city's nightlife. John and I split up that evening to cover more ground. It turned out to be a bad idea for John.

Since we were staying in a room at a house, there was only 1 key for the two of us and I decided to hold it. Therefore, it was paramount that we stay in relative contact or someone would be sleeping under the stars that night.

We intended to meet at 11 pm sharp where we had watched the football match. So John went east and I went west to Finnegan's Irish Pub. Around 10:30, I was talking with a local tourguide, who was from Spain, and was spending a year in Bergen. She was really interesting and the time kind of melted away as our meeting time came and went.

By the time I realized that I had missed the meeting time, I politely excused myself and promised to return after finding my friend. Well, I showed up at 11:15 at the Scotsman but John was nowhere to be found. I had a beer and waited 15 minutes before returning to Finnegan's and continuing my conversation.

About 2 hours later, the pub was emptying quickly and I had forgotten about my traveling partner. When I looked up, I saw a sweaty, angry Italian looking bloke who was munching on a Kit Kat. It was John! I could tell that he had been looking for me for some time but he was able to keep his anger in check as he explained what he had been through the last 3 hours.

After not finding me at the Scotsman, he went back to the bar where he met a crazy Norwegian guy. After spending another hour there, he decided that he didn't want to sleep on the street that night so he took on the task of finding me.

He made 2 rounds of all the pubs and clubs in the city center area over an hour, running from pub to club looking for the key holder.

After a while, hunger and frustration peaked so he stopped and a closing snack shop. Pounding on the doors, the clerk opened up to sell him a candy bar. Nothing was going to stop him at this point .


Bergen City Center Bergen, Norway	Email Photo

By now, he was beginning to think about finding a quiet place to camp for the night. However, he knew of my affinity for Irish pubs and decided to make one last pass. When he walked into Finnegan's, he found me with my back to the door and knew that the night would not end under a park bench.

Continue S2K Trip to Stockholm, Sweden

Solfari : Places : S2K : Bergen

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