Next stop BERGEN

WOW another great day! I don't know where Husb got his "Be Prepared" attitude from because he was never a Boy Scout (or Girl Guide for that matter) but before we came away we bought a Bergen Card giving us access to trams, buses, museums, galleries etc. As we were only in Bergen till 3pm we had to make sure we got value for money with the card so...

ROOM SERVICE!! YEY!!!!! Breakfast in bed!! 

And we were more or less first off the boat.

We headed straight for the Fløibanen Funicular and what a good job we did because the queue when we got down was enormous (and we didn't have time to stand in a queue!) 

Thr Fløibanen Funicular is Scandinavia's only cable railway. From a viewing platform at the summit, 320m above sea level, we had wonderful views of Bergen and the surrounding mountains.

And what a lovely day for it - a gorgeous blue sky!

The angle of the train coming down was a bit like a roller coaster!

Naturally I bought a mug (because we REALLY NEED another mug) (NOT)

Same angle as the train WOO

Feeling VERY SMUG as we walked past the long growing queue (haha! Breakfast in bed peeps! Room Service! YIPPEE!!) we had a quick look in the Bryggens Museum which was built in 1976 over the excavated ruins of Old Bergen. Is is considered by UNESCO to be one of the world's most foremost showcases of the Middle Ages.

The Bergen quayside is full of brightly painted wooden warehouses reminiscent of medieval times. Tall and narrow and totally wonky and also featuring on my mug (same mug I hasten to add)

This looked much wonkier in real life.

Note to self... I took this to show how high the Fløibanen Funicular goes.

If you zoom in to the sky line by the building you can just make out the viewing platform.

Me : "So how much did we just pay for that cloudberry jam? 60p?"

Husb : "No, dear, SIX POUNDS."

Better go steady with THAT on my toast.

The Fish Market (Fløibanen Funicular again)

Looking across to a very clear Fløibanen Funicular track.

 The Bergen Card gave us entry to the Art Gallery to see Edvard Munch and Rasmus Meyer but we were more impressed with the Picasso drawings - he definitely could draw!

Time for a trip on a tram - free with the Bergen Card, where shall we go where shall we go???

Four miles from Bergen stands the Fantoft Stave Church. The original 12th century church built entirely in wood without using nails, was destroyed by fire in 1992 so this Stave Church is an exact replica.

It had a fabulous roof with ornamental dragons...

..and it was very nice inside but I didn't feel humbled and insignificant and in awe as I usually do when entering churches (and especially cathedrals) To me it was a wooden building in a church shape.

The altar

We had half an hour left so guess what.... TIME FOR TIGHT SCHEDULE!!!! again.

So we bombed it (good stomping) to the interesting looking Rosencrantz Tower, built in 1560 and climbed the spiral stairs to look out over the quayside.

Of course we didn't miss the boat!! There was even time for a photo on the stepping stones by the fountain. 

We really liked Bergen. It is the second largest city behind Oslo (238,000 people) with plenty to see. It was SOOOOOOO busy. Admittedly there were 4 cruise ships in, but it really was buzzing with people.

A great day and yes we got our money's worth from our card!  Husb just wished we had had time to visit Dolly Dimples Pizzas though. (!)