Day 13: All Day in Charming Bergen
To the Top of Mount Floyen
We slept in a bit today which felt good. Then we headed down to meet Lori for breakfast. It was quite an impressive spread, the biggest of the trip. The scrambled eggs were delicious, and the bacon was crispy and perfect! We met our group at 10:00 am in the lobby. Asa went over a few logistics and gave everyone their funicular passes for the day. With tickets in hand, it was off to the funicular and up to the top of Mount Fløyen for some spectacular views of the city. The rain had stopped, and the skies began to clear a bit with peaks of blue between the gray clouds. We must have beaten the cruise ship to the funicular because we got right on and headed up. Nice! At the top, we walked around and took in the views. It was stunning in every direction, and it provided a nice overview of the area. That gave us some additional context for how the city was organized. We followed a few of the paths at the top, including the one that led us to some goats. That was Abby’s favorite! And those goats sure had personality! |
The Fortress and Wharf
After heading back down to town, we walked along the wharf to the fortress, which included Hakon’s Hall and the Rosenkrantz Tower. Pam and I paid to climb the tower and visit the Hall. It was worth it. Queen Elizabeth had been a guest at that hall, and it was interesting to see a fort that was still in use, even if not for fortification purposes. After that, we walked back along the shore in search of cloudberry jam to bring home as gifts. Most of the grocery stores were closed because it was Sunday, and the gift shop we found was sold out. I guess it's a popular item! Eventually, we stumbled upon the fish market on the wharf. That was really interesting to see, and I'm glad we found it. Alongside the fish stands were shops, and in a couple of them we found the cloudberry we were seeking. Yay! I bought one for my mom’s 80th birthday. Pam bought the Scandinavian version of Kit Kats for her team at work since Kit Kats are her trade mark candy. |
Farewells and a Final Group Dinner
Since this was the last evening of the tour, it was a time of farewells. Asa gave a nice recap of our travels and expressed her gratitude for a good tour. We did the same and gave her a small gift to thank her for all she had done for us.
We enjoyed our final meal with our group. We shared memories and many laughs as we reflected on the past two weeks. It has been a great trip. We learned a lot, saw some incredible sites, and met some amazing people. We are grateful.
Since this was the last evening of the tour, it was a time of farewells. Asa gave a nice recap of our travels and expressed her gratitude for a good tour. We did the same and gave her a small gift to thank her for all she had done for us.
We enjoyed our final meal with our group. We shared memories and many laughs as we reflected on the past two weeks. It has been a great trip. We learned a lot, saw some incredible sites, and met some amazing people. We are grateful.