Monday, March 21: Above Bergen
Dave had stocked the apartment with Honey Nut Cheerios—name brand!—for us to eat for breakfast, since none of the rest of us like the yogurt and meusli he eats. After breakfast, we headed out to see some of the town. Dave planned for us to walk up Mount Fløyen, but he wisely kept it quiet from the kids, who didn’t get grumpy until we were about 1/100th from the top.
First we stopped by the playground again. It was a lovely morning! We checked out more of the areas in the park, including a section with exercise equipment for grownups. On the way, we saw one of the postal carts Dave had described to us—things always make more sense when you see them with your own eyes!
Videos:
We stopped for a cup of coffee/hot chocolate at Godt Brød next to a little pond just down the hill from the apartment.
Mercifully for you, I’m not going to subject you to a transcript of all the whining that transpired as we walked up a combination of roads and steps to get to the top of Mount Fløyen. Suffice it to say, for the grown-ups, it was a glorious day—no rain, plenty of greenery, and nice to get some exercise. About 1/3 of the way up, there’s a nifty slide.
At the top of the hill we found a troll garden, some fun art, and another playground. Consider this a preview: Bergen is full of incredible art painted on the sides of buildings.
So many views! I promise I’ve actually curated these.
When we walked a different way, we discovered a treehouse and yurt for rent and an incredible nature park/obstacle course.
More views, and then we headed back down to town.
On the way back to the apartment, we stopped at a touristy restaurant for a very late lunch. I really enjoyed my fish soup and sweet potato fries! Fed and watered, we stopped to take photos outside Saint Mary’s Church, the oldest church in Bergen, probably built between 1130 and 1170. It wasn’t open to visitors that afternoon.
Back at the apartment, Dave made us some pasta for dinner, and Benjamin went to bed just as he always does. His bed was a tiny couch meant for eating at the kitchen table. Phoebe wasn’t tired, so she and I stayed up very late watching TV shows in Norwegian. We’re pretty sure this one was about a semi-popular Norwegian singer who gave a small concert for an avid group of fans. We think she got a lot of advice and self-esteem boosting from her friend, who seemed to be joining her on a road trip. Eventually, I was too tired to hear any more Norwegian, so Phoebe went to bed, and I read a book for a few minutes before also turning in. (Dave too—with all of us in one room, we couldn’t do much except read after Phoebe went to bed.)
