Promise

As promised I will show you several photos I haven't yet shown of various things I saw on my trip last week. And the first is a photo of a giant wooden fish I found in Bryggen. This small girl showed no sign of moving out of the shot, so I decided to keep her in. She was definitely fascinated by it! The fish is probably a stockfish as they seem to call them in Bergen and was very important to the economy. It was caught in great numbers and then dried. That way they could be kept for long periods without going bad, which in turn meant they could be shipped to countries further south who had need for fish like these.

The second photo is of a manhole cover. If you look closely you can see it shows the Bryggen quarter, a ship, some clouds and the sun. Quite a few of the manhole covers in the tourist area of Bergen were like this, sometimes even the small ones. Further in town they were more regular though, although still quite pretty.

Photo number three shows you one of Norway's most well-known playwrights: Henrik Ibsen. It is quite a modernistic statue, but I must admit I quite like it. He is probably best known for his play 'Peer Gynt'.

This is it for today (I can't upload any more for some reason), but I have plenty more to show which I will do over the next few days and weeks.

'Happy'

I posted this photo only the other day, but with a prompt like this one, how could I not? This photo certainly makes me happy! Whether he was happy I don't know. It certainly can't be nice to be in such a small place being photographed by everybody and their aunt!

This is my 34th entry for Photo Theme for Thursday. Why not join?

Photo taken in Akvariet, Bergen, Norway in August 2012

G is for...

Gobble gobble

I know, I am cheating a little, but I couldn't find another (recent) G I was happy with, so turkey it is! Turkeys originally hail from the Americas (North and Central) and are related to the chicken. They are now almost synonymous with Christmas as most of the English speaking nations of the world will eat turkey for their Christmas dinner.

This is the letter G for ABC Wednesday. Why not join?

A bit fishy

Stop with the photos already!
I know I don't look my best...

So, I didn't feel like spending more time on a boat (especially since the wind was quite a bit stronger today than yesterday) and I didn't think I could visit another museum filled with artefacts from yesteryear. So, in the end I made my way up to the aquarium of Bergen. Which also housed penguins, two seals, a couple of sealions, a few marmosets(?), a crocodile or two, many species of snake and they even had some fish. 

Hi!

Some of the penguins were molting and looked decidedly dreadful, one of the seals was busy with a plastic milk bottle and the sea lions kept disappearing in the murky water. The snakes didn't do much, the iguanas, crocodiles and caymans dito and the fish just swam. They did have some nice looking fish though: herring and salmon amongst them. Of course they also had clown fish and crabs and whatevers, but the herring and salmon were there in great numbers. 

Don't rays look funny from the bottom?

After my visit to the aquarium I went to see the area behind the hotel. A nice quiet area made up of mostly wooden houses in quiet streets and alleys. Oh, and did I tell you it was very hilly? Well, it was! Knees and hips were not happy I can tell you. I didn't take any photos there, though, I was too out of breath. Later that afternoon I took another walk through the Bryggen area, visiting every store I hadn't yet been in and that was open. 

Salmon

And now I am back in the hotel. I had the cheapest meal yet, in the hotel itself. I had ordered fish, but there wasn't that much of it. Fortunately there was plenty of salad. Tonight I will take it easy and tomorrow it's back to the Netherlands. Over the course of the next week I will show some great photos I haven't shown yet and tell you a bit more perhaps. For now though: ha det bra!

On the road

'It rains in Bergen'

Have you ever been seasick? Feeling like a dirty dish cloth and looking even worse? Well, I have and that's the reason I went to the pharmacist yesterday and asked for something to help with my seasickness. I didn't get seasick today, although I did sleep through some of the five and a half hours on board. Boy, did that stuff make me drowsy! A great sleeping aid if you ask me...

When it was dry we would have views like this

So, today I ventured out of Bergen. According to the weather reports it was supposed to be the best day of the week. And if you are a duck, it probably was. Since I am not a duck though, it wasn't too good. It started off with rain (see top photo, still taken at the quay in Bergen) and finished off with rain in Bergen. Fortunately in the middle we did have some dry spells and the sun did try its hardest, never quite making it. During the dry spells we did see enough water anyway: we were on the water for those five and a half hours!

Sme

We left at 8am and by 10am we had made it to the longest and deepest fjord in Norway: the Sognefjord. At its deepest it was 1,3km deep! That is over three quarters of a mile! Of course you can't really see that from the boat, so you just have to believe the captain when he says stuff like that. He could have been making it up of course!

Pretending to be interested: we were still in the station

After arriving in Flåm, I had about an hour to kill, so I hit the souvenir shops. There were plenty of trolls to choose from, but in the end I picked up a small hand carved wooden viking. I don't often buy souvenirs, because I would need a bigger house then, but I liked this one. The train was on time and once everybody had gotten off, we could get on. It was a lovely old fashioned one, with quite high vaulted wooden ceilings and windows you could actually open. Which proved to be a menace as much as a joy: everybody wanted to take photos out of our window! It was a great trip though, although at times very loud: some oil for the wheels wouldn't go amiss.

Sme in front of the Kjosfossen Waterfall

When I got to Myrdal, I only had to wait a few minutes before my train to Bergen arrived. Since I had a reserved seat I went in search of it and found a gentleman sitting there. He had misread his reservation: he had car 8 and not 6. I left him to it and went in search of car 8, where it turned out to be a lot quieter. I slept most of the way and arrived back in a very wet Bergen around 6pm. 

I would love to do this trip again, but then without the seasickness pills (I will take my chances) and with a companion. Oh and better weather of course!

Nerves

View from Ulriken, which stands 643m above sea level.
Notice the lack of a fence behind me!

The last time I had an interview is over 13 years ago. To be a bit more precise: the second week of January 1999! I had just gotten my driver's license and was looking for a job then. I made my way towards a place I didn't know and it was only by sheer luck that I managed to bounce in right on time! In my memory I was out within ten minutes again, but in reality it will probably have been a bit more. Whatever it was though: I got the job. 

View from Floi, taken yesterday

So, when I got the interview for this morning I was getting more and more nervous. I didn't sleep as well and while I was waiting for my interviewer to come down (I was early), I was thinking of what I should answer and how over and over and over. I needn't have worried. She was really nice and friendly and put me at my ease immediately. She asked why I wanted to move to Norway and I completely forgot to tell her that part of it was the winters. How silly, since it is quite a big part of it. After a while she told me that my level of Norwegian was enough to actually be hired. 'If they were hiring that is'. Which they weren't. 

The cable car towers going up Ulriken 643

Now, before you all jump up and shout at the screen that she could have told me that before: she had. I knew I would be wait-listed if I were to be hired. However, I had also done a bit of homework myself and knew there were other branches of the same company and when she explained about those I told her I wouldn't mind that much if I wouldn't move to Bergen but to Haugesund (or Trondheim). She then proceeded to call to Haugesund and they did need people there!!

Self portrait on Ulriken 643

Anyway, the interview went on, she asked me about my hobbies, my life, whether I had a car, whether I had had any accidents ever(!) or damages and she explained about what the work would entail. It sounded as if I was listening to a Dutch person explaining the work at a public transport company. During the interview she also arranged a test-drive for me, which took place almost immediately afterwards. I didn't drive for long, but I guess the instructor saw enough in a short time and he let me go again in the center of town!

I now have to wait for news either from the Bergen office or the Haugesund office. But from what I felt: it's looking good. Just hoping they felt the same...

Seven

He must have waited a long time!

I visited one of the seven hills of Rome Bergen today. But not to start off with. First I took advantage of the discount on a tour through the town. I saw places that were as beautiful as Bryggen and with a lot less tourists running about. I listened to the Norwegian commentary where a man was rattling off a lot of things. At first it took a bit of time to get used to his way of speaking, but in the end I managed to get quite a bit of information. 

After the tour I decided to go up the Floibanen. It's a fenicular (is that it?) train that goes up one of the seven hills: Floi. The view from the top was beautiful and it was certainly helped by the fact that the sun tried to come through and actually made it several times! It was now possible for me to see how big this town actually is. Huge! After all, there are about 250,000 people living there, but unlike many other towns with that number of inhabitants, it is quite spread out due to the large amount of water. 

One of the many many stairs

When I had made my way back down, I decided to go and visit two of the attractions I saw from the outside yesterday. I had wanted to see them yesterday, but they close at four. This time however I did manage it. The first was the Rosenkranz tower and if you're talking about towers: this was one! Not good for people with a bit more weight on the hips (there were a few doors I had to squeeze through) or with disabilities: the amount of stairs I had to climb...

Hakon's Hall was a bit of disappointment on the other side. It had originally been built by King Hakon I back in the 13th century and was used for the marriage and the coronation of his son (amongst many other things). I had expected a lot of decoration and pomp and over the topness. Perhaps it is not the Norwegian way, but it looked a bit barren. Mind you, it was mostly destroyed during WWII due to a German ship exploding almost next to it. But, it still looked great and grand, despite the lack of pomp!

Not suitable for cars. Or wheelchairs for that matter!

I then found the shops where I found a book I really wanted (a Norwegian dictionary), a cd I really wanted (Odd Nordstoga and it was on sale) and a thing to keep me warm I really wanted (a red, pink and white scarf). I didn't get to talk to any of the busdrivers, because by the time I had finished sight-seeing, it was rush hour. I did however take the tram and saw where I have to go tomorrow and what stop I need. 

So, that was my day between the seven hills of Rome Bergen!

'Growing'

I don't know whether it fits this prompt perfectly, but there was only one set of photos that fit, at least in my view!

I always love watching a small, young family, especially of the animal variety. This duck family was desperately trying to get to water and was finding it rather difficult: there was a wicker wall in the way that was blocking one side of their route and people blocking another side of their route. In the end though, one of the humans (my colleague) took pity and with a firm hand and a lot of coaxing he managed to get them on the right track. After which they all took the plunge into the water. Aaaahhh...

Of course part of the whole trip to the water was to make them swim more and trust the water. Find food and grow up, become like mum! Big and strong. Quack!

This is my 33rd entry for Photo Theme for Thursday. Why not join?

It rains in Bergen

One of the fish stalls selling food from the sea.

I once read that the slogan that Bergen uses is: 'It rains in Bergen'. And day two showed me that was true: it rained today. Fortunately not all day long though, there were plenty of dry spells and there were plenty of places to go in case of rain. 

Bryggen seen from across the harbour

After breakfast this morning I made my way first to the Tourist Information. There I booked myself a seat on a boat (don't forget to get some anti seasickness pills) and on a train. Both on the same day: Saturday. I really wanted to see Flam and had planned to go by train on Saturday and then by boat on Sunday. But money is going fast and this option was also available: boat in the morning, train back during the afternoon/evening. 

My evening meal: salmon with potatoes and vegetables

After that I started walking and seeing what I wanted to do. I went to the Fish market, which is really hard to miss: if you do, you have got no olfactory or visual senses anymore. On that market you can get anything from sardines and herring to lobster and whale. I actually had some fish dinner tonight: it is definitely cheaper and it tastes great. I was thinking of doing a Betsy (not getting a hot dinner, just going to the supermarket and getting some salads and such), but I got tempted by all the fish. I might have to go back tomorrow!

The Hanseatic headquarters run by the Germans
(later by the Norwegians)

During the afternoon I went on a guided tour. I had decided I would follow a Norwegian tour instead of a German or English tour, just to give myself a chance of hopefully picking something up. In the end, I had a completely private tour, since I was the only one! She did propose to do it in English, but we decided she would do it in Norwegian and if I didn't understand, I could ask in English. I admit, I didn't understand everything, but she really made an effort of not speaking too fast and I think I got about 75% of it. I occasionally had to ask and I tried to do that in Norwegian as well. She told me I spoke very well Norwegian (wasn't she sweet). 

Fish was the main reason the Hansa was there,
hence the fish hanging from the ceiling: decoration

Anyroad, she showed me the Bryggen area of Bergen and told me all about its Hanseatic history (which basically is the medieval version of the current EU) and about fires and customs. I think our tour took close to two hours, by which time she had explained an awful lot about fish as well, the main reason the Hansa took up residence in Bergen.

A big fire in 1703 burnt down the whole town basically.
After it was rebuilt and the Germans took over that quarter
they said: no fires or lights (candles) were allowed in any
of the buildings, bar a few at the very back, where meals,
parties and heat and light during the winter took place.

The day was a good day, despite the occasional shower. Whether my feet agree is another matter: they feel as if they have been locked up, especially after several weeks of bare footedness and sandals! I made it back to my room early and now they're enjoying their freedom again. 

Tomorrow I will try to get on the bus. Just see how it all works, see some of the routes and perhaps even chat to some drivers. Just so I know what I am talking about on Friday.

F is for...

Fun Fair

So, when is the last time you went to the fun fair? And did you go on any of the rides? Get jostled on the bumper cars, get sick on the fast things, get scared in the haunted house? The last time I went was in May 2012 and I went with my friend and her two children. We went on a fast ride that went backwards and forwards, we went on the bumper cars, we had cotton candy and french fries, the children fished for duckies and they loved the caroussel.

The only thing missing was the haunted house!

This is the letter F for ABC Wednesday. Why not join?