As far as a day through airports go... it has been rather uneventful! A quick 5 hour drive from our home to Dulles International Airport and we were off and running. With our first flight from Dulles International to Copenhagen (Denmark) and then a quick connection flight from there to Bergen (Norway), we were able to start our trip with out any delays or issues!
While enroute, we did receive notification from the Havila that our cruise was changing due to the weather and our boat was now departing a day later from the port town of Trondheim. While this was not the greatest news - like all travel you must be able to roll with the punches and find opportunities in them. In any case, we now have about a day and a half to get adjusted to the time change and roam around the wonderful city of Bergen. We had planned for one night here and already booked a short 2 hour city walking tour right before our cruise, but now we will have two nights and the entire day to explore.
After nearly 24 hours of traveling we were finally ready to check into the Thon Hotel Orion. While this would be a brief 1 night stop, we opted for a quick nap (2 hours well spent) before we ventured out to see what Bergen had to offer. When making our plans we chose this hotel due to its great central location and close proximity to Bryggen and to the Rosenkrantz Tower!
Our first stop was the Rosenkrantz Tower - since it is situated right next door to our hotel it seemed like an interesting but quick excursion :) A few things of interest we learned about the tower and its surrounding area:
One of Norway's most important kings, Magnus Lagabøte, lived here in the 13th century.
During the 16th century it became the sheriff's castle.
In 1944, the Rosenkrantz Tower was heavily damaged when a cargo ship loaded with explosives exploded just outside. The upper floors collapsed. The reconstruction was completed in the 1960s.
Today, The Tower is primarily used as a museum.
If visiting the city of Bergen, Bryggen is a must see...
Bryggen is the historic harbor district in Bergen, one of North Europe’s oldest port cities on the west coast of Norway. By the 12th century this area was established as a center for trade. In 1350 the Hanseatic League established a “Hanseatic Office” in Bergen. They gradually acquired ownership of Bryggen and through privileges granted by the Crown controlled the trade of stockfish from Northern Norway. The Hanseatic League established a total of four overseas Hanseatic Offices; Bryggen being the only one preserved today.
Bryggen has been damaged by a number of fires through the centuries and has been rebuilt after every fire. Reconstruction closely followed the previous property's structure and building techniques. Bryggen’s appearance today dates back to the reconstruction that occurred after the fire of 1702. The buildings are made of wood in keeping with building traditions. The original compact medieval urban environment was preserved along with its long narrow rows of buildings facing the harbor, separated by narrow wooden passages. Today the wharf is made up of 62 buildings demonstrating how this colony of bachelor German merchants lived and worked.
After enjoying the various souvenirs, clothing and art shops throughout Bryggen we decided to have an early dinner and call it a night. We chose a small but classy looking restaurant located on the main road/waterfront area: Bryggeloftet & Stuene Restaurant. I ordered the Langostino Au Gratin - It was so not what I envisioned in my mind, but was excellent! I pictured something along the lines of a Lobster Mac and Cheese - basically bits of Langostino meat in a creamy cheese sauce and then possibly baked or broiled. Pictured below is how it was prepared and served -- Highly Recommend if you like Seafood!
All in all I would say we had a very nice day in Bergen. Good food and plenty of down time for acclimating to our home for the next two weeks made for a perfect start to our trip!
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