Bergen!

Bergen is a beautiful city!  Our train trip from Oslo to Bergen was spectacular!  Lush green farmland, forests and red barns!  Climbing high, we came to snowy open areas like you would see on the Beartooth Plateau.  Unbelievable landscape.  Then back down into lots of tunnels and peeks out to mountain streams and later, blue fjords.  Colorful houses on a green hillside as we came into Bergen.

Tønnes and his son, Ole Gunnar, met us at the train station.  We drove to Tønnes's home, for refreshments.  Then we drove back to town for a walk around the harbor:  the Bryggen is a famous wharf area where merchants set up shop dating back to medieval times.  We walked around to the Fish Market, where Tønnes bought some "Sjøkrepps", that look like large crayfish or small lobsters.  He fixed them back at home for an appetizer to go with our fish and vegetable soup for dinner.  He is a wonderful host and is bending over backward to take care of us!!

Today, Warren and I hike the Vidden!  Tønnes drove us to a tram terminal at Mount Ulricken, which we rode up to the highest mountain above Bergen. Incredible views of Bergen and the harbor.  From there we hiked over to a high long ridge called Vidden.  The area is barren and rocky, very wild looking.  The trail moves in a big U around to the other side of Bergen to another mountain, Fløyen, and we could have taken another tram car down to town.  Instead we continued down another ridge and ended up very close to where Tønnes lives.  It was a long day!  I think we hiked over 10 miles and the long downhill at the end was painful in my knees.  But the hike was so worth it! and I could feel the benefits of hiking at Lone Pine this spring!  Hiking in Norway: dream come true!

I am using Tønnes's computer to post this blog, so I won't be able to post photos yet.  My computer is out of battery and hopefully I can get it charged up soon.