If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes! I learned firsthand the truth of this local joke! Clouds, sun, rain, and through the cycle again! Today I took a walking tour of Bergen…a fantastic way to learn the history of a place as well as get the local recommendations! The tour began at the Bergenhus Fortress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergenhus_Fortress The photo in the collage is of the Rosencrantz Tower. Notice the cut-outs for the cannons which were pointing at the city! The governor at the time wanted to keep the merchants of the Hanseatic League in line! The only other action the fortress saw was in the Battle of Vågen. They defended a Dutch ship from the British (from the cannons facing the sea!), but learned after the fact that they shouldn't have…oops. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_V%C3%A5gen Some other interesting facts are the cobblestone streets were made from churches which were demolished during the Reformation. Bryggen, the historical section, is an UNESCO world heritage site. Because of this, the buildings can only be restored using the types of tools and techniques from the original time period. Each one can take up to five or more years, according to our guide. Because Bryggen burned so often (wooden buildings and all), they would just build on top of the damage. Archeologists have found layers from multiple time periods.
Lunch was the “World's Best Hot Dog.” The #7 featured reindeer, lingonberries, and mustard! Surprisingly, it worked!
Mount Fløyen is easy to hike right from the city center. I began in the rain with some gorgeous views. By the time I reached the summit, it began to drizzle. Goats were roaming around there! The rain began in earnest soon after and the entire viewpoint was enveloped in fog! Thankfully it was short-lived and the sun was found again at the bottom.
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