Hiking in Bergen

  This morning we had the fantastic complimentary breakfast at the hotel.  We made sure to eat plenty because we were planning to do a lot of hiking today.  

There is a famous funicular in Bergen which takes you up the side of a mountain to a famous view point over looking all of Bergen and its port.  This view is only available if you happen to be fortunate enough to get to the top while the surroundings are clear of all the clouds and rain which frequent this area.  It was raining during our breakfast but when we stepped out later, it wasn’t raining and so we decided to go for it.  We also decided that rather than take the funicular, we would challenge ourselves by hiking to the top instead. 

The funicular in Bergen

Funicular tunnel

 As we got closer to the viewpoint, we noticed that the sky had cleared up a lot and we were treated to fantastic postcard like views of the city.  

Beehives on the edge of a cliff above Bergen

We looked at a map and decided to hike even further up the mountains to a remote weather station building with some metal towers.  However, the clouds settled in as we climbed and by the time we reached our destination there was no view to be had and we could only imagine the vistas beyond the mist.  By the time we got back to our hotel, we had hiked almost 17 km, with an elevation gain of 625 m.  

We picked up a bottle of wine and then went to two different grocery stores in search of a decent meal.  Usually, we have good luck with grocery stores when we travel.  However, I suspect that the local restaurants and grocers must have an arrangement which encourages people to eat out.  We were really needing a good meal after exerting ourselves so much today and so we made a reservation at an Italian restaurant called Olivia’s.  Their prices were more reasonable than most of the other places in this area.  I ended up having one of the best steaks I have ever had in a city that is actually known for its seafood.  Ann had beef and mushroom sauce on some wide noodles and she liked it very much.  

Olivia’s restaurant next to the Bergen Port