Blessed with good weather and encounters, Bergen-Oslo trip September 2023 【100】

A 3-night, 4-day travelogue of Norway.

For the first time, I used Norwegian Airlines to fly from London to Bergen.

There were no other good flights, so we departed a bit late, around 11 am.

It took about 2 hours to arrive at Bergen airport, and then I took the tram to the city.

I bought a ticket at the station's vending machine, but got a bit panicked when no physical ticket was issued.

After that, I took a bus to the hotel, checked in, dropped off my luggage, and started sightseeing.

Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day.

Bergen is known for its frequent rain, and I saw T-shirts designed with umbrellas for sale.

I strolled around the harbor and had a late lunch at the Fish Market.

I ordered a seafood mix.

Everything was seasoned with garlic and salt, but it was delicious.

The Bergen soup was also very tasty.

After the meal, I visited Bryggen, a World Heritage site.

Colorful warehouses were densely packed with shops.

Perhaps because of the rain, there were patches of tourists.

After browsing some shops, I bought a wool jacket.

It was quite cold for September, and I wanted warm gear for the fjord tour the next day.

Now that I was dressed warmly, I headed to the beer festival I had researched beforehand.

It was about a 15-minute walk from downtown Bergen, up and down hills.

When I got to the venue and told the staff at the entrance that I wanted to buy a ticket, I was informed that the same-day tickets were sold out.

As I was about to walk back, I found a sign with a QR code for the ticket purchasing site.

I tried scanning it as a last resort, and as I proceeded with the purchase process, I successfully completed the transaction.

I went back to the entrance, showed my ticket, and was let in.

Although I wasn't completely satisfied, the casualness was characteristic of Europe and made for a good memory, for better or worse.

Inside the venue, many stores were set up, and a variety of beers were on sale.

One beer could be exchanged for one round plastic coin, and we had five coins per person in exchange for our tickets, so we could drink five beers.

One beer was about 50ml? It was a small amount, so it ran out quickly.

The festival ended around 21:00, but while drinking the last beer, I became friends with a group of three local gentlemen nearby and they took me to a recommended Pub.

We talked about various things, and I learned that this beer festival is mostly for locals and not for tourists.

The gentlemen seemed to be from Bergen and said they would be attending the same beer festival the next day.

We parted ways around 23:00 and I headed back to the hotel.

The morning of the second day.

I had bread and coffee at a cafe near the hotel.

Scandinavian cinnamon rolls are delicious.

This day, I participated in a fjord tour I had booked in advance.

There were no assigned seats inside the boat, and the good seats were taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

The boat started moving at the scheduled departure time of 10 am.

For a while, the landscape dotted with towns continues, but after about an hour, the great outdoors comes into view.

Stepping outside the boat, you are greeted with a magnificent view.

Enduring the strong wind and cold, many people were intoxicated with the scenery.

Along the way, the narrow waterways are navigated slowly.

Near the turning point, we got up close to a natural waterfall.

We then turned around and headed back along the same route.

The view of Bergen from the boat was also beautiful.

After getting off the boat, there was some time until my lunch reservation, so I went to the site of Bergenhus Fortress.

This corner alone has a different atmosphere with its Renaissance style.

For lunch, I went to a place called Pingvinen that was recommended by a local gentleman the night before.

I had a cola I'd never seen before and some Norwegian cuisine?

Not only the meat and fish, but also the side vegetables were sweet and delicious.

After the meal, as I was walking to my next destination, I happened upon the start of a marathon.

After watching the start of the marathon, I headed to Mount Fløyen.

You can take a cable car to the top, but since I had time, I decided to hike.

As I gradually climbed higher, the weather improved.

When the sun came out, it was quite hot because I was dressed warmly.

It took about an hour to reach the summit, where I took a break and bought a drink at the cafe.

After enjoying the view from the summit for a while, I started to feel cold from the sweat, so I took refuge inside the cafe.

Since I was there, I decided to wait for the sunset.

The Bergen cityscape was beautiful as the sun set.

On the way back, I took the cable car down to the base, had a beer at a pub near the hotel, and then returned.

Morning of the third day.

As forecasted, a clear sunny day in Bergen.

First thing in the morning, I headed to the train station.

Today is a train journey from Bergen to Oslo.

I bought snacks, bread, and coffee at the station and boarded the train.

It's about a 7-hour train ride, but the scenery outside the window is just beautiful.

Before I knew it, I had arrived in Oslo.

First, I checked into the hotel and dropped off my luggage.

I heard there was a famous cafe, so I decided to walk there.

On the way, it was hot, so I enjoyed some ice cream.

The shop called Tim Wendelboe was just as the reviews said, with a constant line in the city, and the coffee was delicious and stylish.

After the cafe break, I took a stroll through the streets of Oslo.

When I entered a large souvenir shop, there was a group of trolls.

I saw them often in Bergen too, so they seem to be a Norwegian specialty.

I walked along the seaside towards Akershus Fortress.

I was able to watch the sunset from a small hill.

For dinner, I had shrimp, salmon, and fish soup at a Norwegian restaurant by the sea.

Everything was delicious, but there were too many shrimps, and I left some behind.

And with that, the last night comes to an end.

The final morning.

Bread and coffee at the cafe.

After breakfast, I headed to the Munch Museum.

The only place I wanted to visit in Oslo.

I learned about Munch's life and family, and there were also prints on display, not just paintings.

I was able to see two versions of Munch's most famous work, The Scream.

Please note that the paintings on display change every 30 minutes.

Many of Munch's works became darker after a certain period, which almost made me feel sentimental.

After the museum, I visited the Opera House and the library before heading to lunch.

At a restaurant called The Salmon, I enjoyed salmon and oysters.

Everything was delicious, but I found the raw oysters a bit too strongly seasoned for my taste.

After lunch, I walked around the city, went back to the hotel to pick up my luggage, and then headed to the airport.

It took about 30 minutes by train to get to the airport, where I bought some souvenirs in the large airport.

The flight was delayed by about an hour, but I safely returned to London, and with that, my trip comes to an end.

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