Tuesday in Bergen

Downtown Bergen, Old warehouses at the dock, Small village and church in fiord

We woke up in Bergen, Norway today and it is building are but no rain at the moment. The ride over was a little bumpy but not too bad. Judi decided to have breakfast in the room and I went up to Sabatini’s’. After a quick breakfast I departed for another fiord tour.
I had to catch a shuttle into Bergen proper. The city is so much more interesting than Stavanger. The streets are clean and the building are very nice. After being dropped off at the city center, I proceeded to the fish market. You can tell when you are approaching it. There I found the White Lady tour boat. After buying my ticket I boarded the boat and hooked up with friends from the ship.
The tour lasted 4 hours and was different from the one in Stavanger. This one did not have the spectacular vertical cliffs, but showed farms and homes of the people living in outlying areas. It was very interesting and the small hamlets were quite quaint. There was very little industry showing, but we did learn that some of the villages were textile producers, some provided crushed rock and then some were fishing and farming communities. We saw some fish farms, which the guide said the fish were exported to the European continent.
Returning to the city we encountered rain and strong winds. The walk back to city center to catch the bus was interesting. I could not keep the umbrella into the wind, so had it turn inside out several times, which meant that I got a little wet.
Bergen was founded in 1070 by King Olav III Kyrre. In the Middle Ages there were five monasteries and over 20 churches in this small community. It was a major fishing and timber port for centuries. Everywhere in Byggen quarter, the old harbor docks, two and three story wooden buildings retain the red and ocher colors of the old warehouses and shops. These old warehouses contained offices, workshops and sleeping quarters. Even in the dead of winter there was no heating or cooking done here because of the danger of fire. The nearby Schotstrene, which served as a collective residence, had a large kitchen where food was prepared for a communal dining room.
Once on board Iand back in the cabin the rain and wind really started to come down and blow. The rain was blowing almost horizontal. While sitting down and relaxing a very loud alarm went off. Fortunately it was a small fire set off by a welder in the engine room. The Captain said that he sacked the welder. We doubt it as the Captain has a sense of humor. It did get our attention.
We got ready for dinner and went down to the dining room. We met our table mates again; they thought we did not like them since we had not been back since the first night. We still have not met the third couple at our table, although the other couple has.
After supper the Captain announced that we would not be leaving Bergen tonight as the winds were 65 knots out in the North Sea and the swells were 15 to 20 feet. We agreed with his decision even though it means that we will be passing up the Shetland Islands and heading for the Faroe Islands. To celebrate our staying in port we decided to go down and have some Gelato and chocolate chip cookies. It was very good. Then it was back to the cabin and hopefully a good night’s sleep. The Captain says that we should be leaving around 3:00 AM.