Norway's Southwestern Coast

 

Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) overlooking fjord

Bergen

We traveled from Flåm to Bergen on Dermot's birthday, passing gorgeous waterfalls and towns perched precariously on mountainsides along the way. We were pleasantly surprised by the nice small lakefront Grimen campsite so we extended our stay to three nights. 

View from our campsite.

The ride into Bergen via public transportation was crowded. Stepping off the tram, we went forward to get out of the rush of passengers who knew where they were heading. Then we checked our phones for directions. A man we assumed was drunk made his way towards us unsteadily and began speaking in Norwegian. Dermot replied that he didn't understand him and we both headed towards our next destination. After a few steps, I heard the man slur in English "I'm gonna kill you." but we were out of knife range by then so I didn’t feel too threatened. Dermot seemed not to notice. I asked and he said he hadn't heard him. So there you have it, our first real, but not very serious, threat of a violent death. And here I had predicted that would happen in a pub while watching a game when we were rooting against the hometown team.

Click here for our photos, "i" for information

After popping into Scruffy Murphys to see if they'd have a particular soccer match on, we bought tickets for a walking tour for the following day. We strolled to the Bergenhus Fortress, admired the medieval stone walls of the Rosenkrantz Tower and Håkon's Hall but both were closed. 

Håkon's Hall

This being Monday, it was apparent we'd just missed a big music festival on the grounds. We climbed the ramparts for a nice harbor view and watched an enormous Danish battleship enter the port. According to RS, Travelers in the 12th century described how there were so many trading vessels here "you could cross the harbor without getting your feet wet." 

Having cooked most of our dinners in the van, we splurged for Dermot's birthday. We had delicious meals of seafood stew and Norwegian leg of lamb. Then we found a bakery for dessert and back to Scruffy Murphy's for a pint of Guinness to round out the evening.

The next day we strolled to the Bergen harbor enjoying the distinctive wooden buildings. Many are obviously leaning and they're being restored using medieval techniques and materials behind glass windows so you can see the old and sometimes singed wood.

We cruised the great seafood variety on offer at the fish market. There was whale meat, urchins, many fish and tanks stocked with giant crabs. RS says locals don't shop here - we found it crowded with tourists but we accepted our plight and tucked into a lunch of decent fish and chips. 

Our walking tour was led by a tall young docent from the Bryggens Museum sporting a red "dress"/ medieval tunic. The museum was literally built on the excavated ruins of the multiple fires that burned the city to the ground over and over. It housed many of the items found during the excavations. One memorable item was a tiny coffin made for a fetus that had been found within the stone wall of a church. Since stillborn babies weren't buried, it was the only hope it's parents had of their child making it to heaven and they had risked much to secret it there. Had they been caught, they would not have been allowed a Christian burial themselves. Though the city has a long and fairly unique history, we didn't find the tour very interesting. I did like the recreated kitchen of the Hanseatic Quarter. 

Preikestolen aka Pulpit Rock

According to its own guide, "Preikestolen is the most iconic natural landmark in Norway. Atop the 604 meters high cliff, you will find the most dramatic views Norway has to offer. The trail has significant shifts in terrain, and includes marshes, forests and stone stairways built by Nepalese Sherpas." It sounded too good to pass up. So we drove through Southwest Norway experiencing one of the most beautiful drives we've ever taken. If you look at a map of this area, you'll see dramatic fjords and countless islands. Many islands can only be reached by ferry or tunnel - our drive took us two ferries and many tunnels. The ferries are efficient and fun. Tunnels dive deep under the fjords and then ascend. I've included pictures taken from the ferries and passenger seat of the car but they don't do the trip justice. 

Preikestolen Camping is large and has a free-for-all approach to sites. They don't take reservations, and there are no space numbers or boundaries. We had arrived early enough to find a reasonably good spot, but those who arrived later had to get creative. We've had mostly sunny days and we were especially lucky to have a day with no rain in the forecast on the day we planned to hike.

We were advised to get to the trail by 7:30 at the latest to avoid the crowds and to take breaks whenever we needed to so we there at 7. Unfortunately, the midges were out in full force. They bit and harried us for most of the trip up and there was no rest without a swarm. Though the view from the cliff down to the Fjord is spectacular, the hike itself was mostly stone with some forest and marshes. Except for the few boardwalks over marsh, each footfall had to be placed carefully on the rocky trail so there was not much chance to enjoy the view. It's an exceptional photo op but don't let those smiles fool you, we suffered for it. 

Stats:

Flights climbed: 90 - that's approximately 900 feet of elevation gain but doesn't count the times you descend and then have to climb up again.

Wildlife: Besides midges, one black slug and several birds. 

Midges inhaled: lost count.

Kristiansand

The drive to Kristiansand was also scenic, but the ferries were less efficient and it took us most of the day. The last few photos in the album are of the beach at the campground and the coast of Norway from our ferry to Denmark.