Bergen, Norway
There is probably no better way to start an expedition cruise than to combine good weather with a good location. Today we had both, with the start of our cruise in Bergen, Norway, under glorious, warm, sunny conditions. Many of us arrived in Bergen at various times on the previous day, and by the end of the day had been introduced to the ship and staff, had dinner, and settled in for the night in our staterooms on Endeavour. The ship remained at the pier during the night, and the next day our adventures began with tours of the city and surroundings.
Bergen, known as the city of seven hills, offers considerable history and monuments for us to see on our itinerary for the morning. We passed by many statues and monuments and old buildings, some of the latter dating back several centuries. Without a guide, we would not have known about the reason for the series of shallow treads on steps constructed on the slopes of narrow alleys. Our guide said that it facilitated ease for horses to manage the slope, but, facetiously, we also heard that it made it easier for men who drank too much to find their way home as they crawled up the slope. We also passed an ‘Execution Stone’, commemorating a location where people were executed for unacceptable deeds many years ago; statues of Henrik Ibsen and Ole Bull (famous violinist), a Monument of Seafarers, a beautiful Gothic church, and a likeness statue of Edvard Grieg, whose house we would see shortly on the edges of the city. The latter visit included a modern museum, and a short distance away, the house (known as Troldhaugen) where Grieg lived. His grave is a short walk from the house. The house has been kept in very nice condition over the years, and was a genuine treat to see where the famous composer lived. Near the entrance is a 12-foot-high metal sculpture showing a likeness of his profile.
Following this stop we visited the famous stave church, a rebuilding of the original, which burned down in 1992. Other features seen during the tour included the king’s castle, which resembled a true castle in its construction, the modern Grieg Hall, where an anniversary meeting was held just the day before to commemorate the 400-year beginning of medical care in Norway. The former Prime Minister, Gro Brundtland, President of the World Health Organization, was the featured speaker. The University of Bergen also was pointed out (22,000 students, making it a sizable institution), the hospital which specializes in burn care, and the Leprosy House and Museum. It was an interesting introduction to the city in only three hours, which also included a special treat on one of the three buses, when the tour guide sang the Norwegian National Anthem for us.
There is probably no better way to start an expedition cruise than to combine good weather with a good location. Today we had both, with the start of our cruise in Bergen, Norway, under glorious, warm, sunny conditions. Many of us arrived in Bergen at various times on the previous day, and by the end of the day had been introduced to the ship and staff, had dinner, and settled in for the night in our staterooms on Endeavour. The ship remained at the pier during the night, and the next day our adventures began with tours of the city and surroundings.
Bergen, known as the city of seven hills, offers considerable history and monuments for us to see on our itinerary for the morning. We passed by many statues and monuments and old buildings, some of the latter dating back several centuries. Without a guide, we would not have known about the reason for the series of shallow treads on steps constructed on the slopes of narrow alleys. Our guide said that it facilitated ease for horses to manage the slope, but, facetiously, we also heard that it made it easier for men who drank too much to find their way home as they crawled up the slope. We also passed an ‘Execution Stone’, commemorating a location where people were executed for unacceptable deeds many years ago; statues of Henrik Ibsen and Ole Bull (famous violinist), a Monument of Seafarers, a beautiful Gothic church, and a likeness statue of Edvard Grieg, whose house we would see shortly on the edges of the city. The latter visit included a modern museum, and a short distance away, the house (known as Troldhaugen) where Grieg lived. His grave is a short walk from the house. The house has been kept in very nice condition over the years, and was a genuine treat to see where the famous composer lived. Near the entrance is a 12-foot-high metal sculpture showing a likeness of his profile.
Following this stop we visited the famous stave church, a rebuilding of the original, which burned down in 1992. Other features seen during the tour included the king’s castle, which resembled a true castle in its construction, the modern Grieg Hall, where an anniversary meeting was held just the day before to commemorate the 400-year beginning of medical care in Norway. The former Prime Minister, Gro Brundtland, President of the World Health Organization, was the featured speaker. The University of Bergen also was pointed out (22,000 students, making it a sizable institution), the hospital which specializes in burn care, and the Leprosy House and Museum. It was an interesting introduction to the city in only three hours, which also included a special treat on one of the three buses, when the tour guide sang the Norwegian National Anthem for us.
