A Different Part of the World--A Cruise Embarking in Bergen, Norway

Ships docked at the Skolton

Having never been to northern Europe, we decided to add this part of the world to our “Places We’ve Been” list. So back in February we booked a cruise on Viking Ocean that would take us to 8 countries—Norway, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden. We like Viking for their inclusiveness of services most cruisers want: included shore excursions, beer and wine with meals, non-alcoholic drinks always available, free wifi, great food and service, double-ply toilet paper, and no formal nights and pestering picture taking; plus it’s a young company with clean, newer ships.

A slice of Bergen

In other words, one check covers most everything. We would be sailing on the on the Viking Sea; the same ship we sailed on the Mediterranean in 2016.

The Bryggen

Leaving New Orleans, we traveled over 5,000 miles to embark in Bergen, Norway, via Washington,  D.C. and Copenhagen, Denmark. This journey involved 12 flying hours, 6 layover hours, and 7 different time zones—all of which are starting to take their toll! The trip went smoothly until a fellow passenger one row and two opposite aisle seats from us stopped breathing.  The gentlemen’s wife said something to a lady sitting in front of Capt. Larry, who bolted from her seat to inform the

Walking the Bryggen

 staff. Staff attempts to revive him weren’t working, and after 3 minutes it wasn’t looking good. Then the pilot put out a call for a doctor onboard and two responded. After they established he had a pulse, they administered an inhaler, broke out the oxygen, and were able to bring him around. Capt. Larry offered his aisle seat to the wife so she could be near her husband without having to stand. Jane learned that they were traveling from Norfolk, VA to embark on another cruise, but now their plans changed.

The Hanseatic Museum

After landing, Copenhagen EMS responders got him off the plane and to a hospital. Reflecting on these events reinforces our belief in traveling while one can, because one never knows when something will terminate all future travel.

Three of Bergen's seven mountains

The Fish Market

Stepping off the plane, the 69° temperature felt really great. After retrieving our bags, we were met by a hoard of Viking representatives who escorted us to the buses that would take us to our ship. Located on the Bergenshalvøyen peninsula, Bergen is Norway’s second largest city with a population of around 290,000. However, this population is spread over 180 mi.² of peninsula, fjords, and islands.

Getting ready to sell some fish!

Established in 1070 as a Viking settlement, and known as the ‘City of Seven Mountains,’ we quickly learned how it got this moniker when our 20-25 minute trip to the ship involved around 15 minutes of driving through mountain tunnels. Arriving at the Skolton cruise terminal that juts out in Bergen Havn, we were quickly checked into our cabin where we received our luggage, took refreshing showers, and changed into fresh clothes. We were human again.

A side street

We braved an hour-long Bergen port talk and struggled mightily to stay awake after 36 virtually sleepless hours. Choosing to dine in the lido deck buffet so we could get to bed earlier, we crashed around 1900. But jet lag has a strange effect on us and we were wide awake and drinking coffee at 0100. We manage another couple of hours from 0400-0600, but full recovery was definitely going to take longer.

Another side street

In the 13^th century, Bergen became the bureau city of the Hanseatic League which mediated trade between the Baltic region and the rest of the world. One of Bergen’s landmarks from this time is the UNESCO-listed Bryggen wharf, a gathering of quaint, historic wooden buildings that are now shops and restaurants.  After breakfast, we decided to walk to Bryggen and sight see the quay and adjacent fish market. The architecture in this area expressed the changes in thought and construction methods over the various time periods, adding to the area’s charm. We perused some of the shops that mostly proffered Norwegian knitted clothing.

A Norwegian Louisiana Creole restaurant??

Capt. Larry had wanted a new neck scarf, and when we found a fine merino wool scarf at what seemed a fair price, we decided to buy it. However, checkout taught us that we needed to learn the currency conversion better as the price in USD was nearly 3 times what we thought it was! Oh, well, now it is an even finer item. We continued our walk to the famed fish market at the head of the Vågen harbor. Just about every imaginable offering the ocean can produce is

Through these old doors...

available.

Artistic Bergen manhole cover

But the driver who transferred us to the ship told us not to buy there and pay the touristy prices. ‘Go to a local grocery store and you’ll do better,’ he said. We continued around the Vågen to get some more distant shots of the Bryggen, and then decided to see some side streets before heading back to the ship. After lunch we headed back out for our bus tour of Bergen. We saw some good sights but the tour guide, talking incessantly, provided almost too much information.

Some old construction

About halfway through the tour the post-prandial slump and the guide’s droning voice had just about every passenger slumped over and fast asleep. As we were enjoying our evening meal, our cruise began as the ship was eased out of port and we left Bergen behind.