Bergen, Norway & Home again, home again jiggety jig.

 May 31, 2025

Our last European day of fun before the long journey home begins.  Norway is notoriously cloudy and rainy and for Bergen, the stats are 198 days of rain.  The locals claimed it was a lot more than that but 198 is the average per year. We were SO lucky to have a lovely day and it happened to be a Folk Festival with many dressed traditionally and old timey boats sailing in the harbor- in addition to the myriad other boats in the area.

Our morning walking tour included viewing an odd little church called the Nykirken (new church) built in 1622.  That one burned down and was replaced by this current version in 1764.  It’s very Lutheran in its décor - i.e. plain and devoid of ornate decoration.

First we were marched into the basement with several burial sites, now used for some get togethers.

Then we went upstairs with this unsual lighting.  I don’t think Martin Luther would have approved.   The angel is lowered for baptisms and then raised again.  We were told not many people attend services here.

To give the place something joyful, they have incorporated some children’s art.

Nice to get back outside after that.

Edvard Grieg statue sporting a pigeon.  The Grieg music academy was named after him though this building is the telephone and telegraph building…..sure.

We were out early so there weren’t many people out.  By the afternoon, every seat was filled and the streets were jammed with sightseers.

We took the funicular to the top of the mountain which was teeming with folks by mid day. Here are a couple of views from up top.

Laura and I videoed the trip down with my comment that this was like a geriatric roller coaster ride.

Ed went off to the Grieg museum while the rest of us headed down for a stroll and shopping.

As I’ve mentioned before trolls are very popular here being blamed for most natural phenomena.  Tourist shops are filled with trolls of every imaginable permutation.

Since no one needs phone booths anymore, they’ve turned into little libraries all over the country.

I went back to the ship to start packing for home (so sad) and looked out the window now and then to see some of the traditional boats going by.  Most of those onboard were dressed in traditional Norwegian wool sweaters and caps. (All men of course, women had no business sailing.)

I wish I had a better shot of this but it’s a floating sauna.  As it went by you could see half naked sauna-ing people inside.  Likely they plunged into the 46 degree water thereafter.

Just a few parting shots of this gorgeous ship as we were waiting to be deported back to the states.  There was live music every evening essentially all evening either by Sergei on the piano or a violin/cello duo. That large screen up the stairs projected ever changing illustrations and works of art by Munch.

Outside, the weather had returned to “normal” for this area.

A troll at the airport trying to entice us to buy duty free goods - they’ve modernized, those trolls.

We flew from Bergen to Paris to Detroit to Grand Rapids - we were up about 24 hours.  Here we are toasting on our Air France long flight to Detroit.  I watched French films the entire time, and never fell asleep.

This has been an amazing journey and am so glad we did it.  Culture shock awaits us in Grand Rapids.

Next up- laundry and groceries! Ugh