The previous evening I'd found a grocery store and picked up a few things for my breakfast - yogurt, a muesli bread roll, butter, apples, orange juice, and - perhaps thinking of saving a few labels - stick one with my pertinent information on the shopping bag and fridge it. Perhaps my lack of sleep has also affected my common sense, as this morning I find my bag balled up, completely empty.
In order to prevent crowding in the fridge, admin regularly empties it and removes unlabeled items. The box of orange juice is on a countertop and someone else is slicing the apple, having found it next to the juice. Darn, I was supposed to label every single item - duly noted!
I don't really need an excuse to check out an organic bakery nearby, Gødt Brød (I found it on Google Maps). I find out that upon purchase of one of their fresh-baked rolls - white, wheat, muesli, what appears to be dark rye and others - there is an option to make it into a sandwich! (It comes to NOK 74 which is close to $12 Cdn. In comparison, a restaurant lunch plate can be from say NOK 100 upwards; or a varied seafood plate with salad at the fish market goes for NOK 249) They also have excellent filter coffee which I quickly finish, considering my brain thinks it's 3am Eastern time.
Today, I have a short day cruise around some of the fjords. There are longer excursions, some of which last several days and involve scenic train rides to other towns (https://www.norwaynutshell.com/) Hoping that I'll return in the near future to experience a longer tour, I settled for the 3.5 hour excursion.
*A fjord is typically formed by a glacier and creates a narrow inlet surrounded by steep cliffs and/or rock formations.
It is overcast and drizzling, which I learn is almost typical Bergen weather. We depart and already lots of pictures are being taken of the surroundings, be it the harbour, the mountains, or the cruise ships that have docked. Picturesque and we haven't actually seen the fjords yet!
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| Raindrop-covered route map (I took the green one) |
- pictures do not do them justice, even if pictures are worth a thousand words, the sights are majestic. The fall colours are starting to show, which makes it all the more amazing.
- fjords create wicked wind tunnels. Dress for windy fall weather which means a good windbreaker, a warm layer like a hoodie. I also had a cap, Buff (that I didn't need to wear) and light running gloves.
- since fjords are narrow, smaller boats are the rides of choice. Smaller boat means less space = leave your selfie sticks at home!
One of the highlights of the cruise was drinking some fjord water. No, no purifying tablets needed. Small cascades of water can be seen on many a rock face, starting at the top and usually trickling through rocks.
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| We tasted the water from that cascade! |
(**Everyone and I mean everyone recognizes the iconic passage of 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'; if not, brush up on your classical music.)
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| The captain taste tests the water |
Back on shore, lunch is on my mind. Bergen being known for seafood, and I'd read fish cakes, I head off to an institution that was founded and still run by 2 sisters, Söstrene Hagelin. Earlier that day, I think I see two fishermen head in there - good sign!
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| Fish soup, and fish cakes with brown sauce |
There are inexpensive and hearty, filling offerings at Söstrene Hagelin. The fish soup is not quite a chowder but pretty much tastes like one (and I'm fairly certain there is nothing dairy or gluten-free about it), and the fish cakes are delightful. Meaty, slightly sweet and with a nice sear. I was skeptical about the cranberry sauce but it works; the potatoes at first felt slightly underdone, but then realized that is a different variety of spud. Not super starchy or waxy, it held up nicely. Oh, and everything had a generous amount of white pepper and sliced green onion as topping.
The hostel had a small list of food and drink suggestions, so I choose the coffee spot called Dromedar Kaffebar because there is also a recommendation to try their brownies.
Besides ordering up an excellent espresso-based drink, the brownie is...how should I put it? AMAZEBALLS. The right moisture content and texture, fudgey-tasting, quality chocolate. Worth the extra calories.
I head to Bergen's hiking mountain, Mount Ulriken. It is a short bus ride from the city centre and very easy to find. I locate a trail map and of course there are routes that are easy, intermediate, and hard. Since I'm at the beginning of my trip and do have a race later on, I set off to find the easy route.
...which is NOT easy! While the elevations are not demanding, the trail is trickier than I'd imagined, as there are zero wide, packed trails. Instead, the terrain goes from mud, to grass, to technical rocks, to narrow gravel trail, and then mixes everything. I barely manage 3km in the time I've allotted myself. Meanwhile, I've spotted seasoned trail runners leisurely navigate the terrain sporting X-Talon 212's.
My last supper in Bergen is at a resto-pub called Pingvinen which I've seen in many lists for dining out. A native Bergen GRT (aka fellow GORUCK enthusiast) that I manage to catch on messenger notes that someone's done their marketing right. We may actually end up doing the same event in February! Besides having a list of local beers on tap, I try the stew called "Lapskaus".
Did I order soup or stew? I'm not complaining! It's a good main course on the smaller side, but full of hearty ingredients like smoked pork sausage, root vegetables, and what seems to be lamb. At NOK 129, it's a good option without breaking the bank.
Unfortunately, I am still running on Eastern standard time and cannot fall asleep. I'm not sure when exactly I manage to lightly doze off, but at least I can nap on the train en route to Oslo.
Links (most sites in Norwegian)
- Gødt Brød (I've linked what they have in-store; basically, an organic bakery that has gluten-free options)
- Söstrene Hagelin
- Dromedar Kaffebar (I visited the Galleriet location) Yes, eat the brownies!
