EUROPEAN RELOCATION: BERGEN, NORWAY

LAST STOP ON THE TRIP. FIVE DAYS IN BERGEN. WE DECIDED TO SAVE A LITTLE MONEY AND RENT A SMALL APARTMENT FOR OUR TIME HERE. DINING OUT IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE IN NORWAY. A FAMILY OF 4 CAN EASILY HAVE A DINNER FOR 250 EURO. SO WE WERE HAPPY TO ENJOY HOME COOKING AND SAVE SOME CASH.

BERGEN IS A TOURIST DESTINATION TO BE SURE. THE SCENIC RAILWAY FROM OSLO BRINGS PLENTY OF VISITORS AS WELL AS THE DAILY VISIT OF AT LEAST ONE CRUISE SHIP AND COUNTLESS TOUR BUSES. THERE IS A FISH MARKET RIGHT AT THE HARBOR WHERE YOU CAN BUY FRESH FISH AND SHELLFISH TO COOK AT HOME OR YOU CAN ENJOY THE FOOD RIGHT ON THE SPOT. LOTS OF CHOICES. WE HAD LUNCH THERE ON OUR FIRST DAY.

UNLESS YOU ARE GOING BACK IN TIME AS LUCILLE BALL - WHY WOULD YOU NEED ONE OF THESE

NORWEGIANS LOVE TROLLS. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!

NOTICE THE SHOES? THEY DID THIS BECAUSE THIS WAS THE STREET THAT A LOT OF THE BERGEN SHOEMAKERS WERE LOCATED

LEAVING BERGEN TO HEAD BACK TO BELGIUM. THIS GUY WAS IN FOR A WET RIDE WITH NO PROPER WINDOWS.

CROOKEDEST STREET IN NORWAY?

OUR APARTMENT FOR THE WEEK. OH JOY....WIFI AVAILABLE!!

THE ROSENKRANTZ TOWER

THIS IS A PRIVATELY OWNED YACHT. CALLED "KATARA" - THE OWNER IS THE EMIR OF QATAR. IT IS 408 FEET LONG.

WE SPENT A DAY ON THE WATER. WE HIRED A FISHING GUIDE, INGE HATLEBREKKE AND HE OWNS THE "WELLER" FISHING BOAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD IT IS BUT IT WAS A GREAT BOAT WITH A LOT OF CHARACTER. INGE IS A QUIET GUY BUT HE KNOWS WHERE TO FIND FISH IN THE FJORDS. IT WAS A PRETTY CHILLY DAY. WE CAUGHT ABOUT 18 FISH IN ALL. KEPT ABOUT 10, GAVE 3 MACKEREL TO THE CAPTAIN SINCE HE USES THEM FOR BAIT AND PUT 5 BACK IN THE SEA. WE FRIED SOME FISH ONE NIGHT AND THE NEXT NIGHT WE PUT TOGETHER AN AWESOME SEAFOOD STEW.

A DOUBLE CATCH BY MARK!

I TRIED.....NO LUCK THOUGH.

ANOTHER DOUBLE CATCH. WAY TO GO BRIAN!

LAST CATCH OF THE DAY

SOMEONE HAS TO DO THE DIRTY WORK

WALKING AROUND BERGEN WAS GREAT. PLENTY OF INTERESTING STREETS AND GREAT VIEWS. WE TOOK A RIDE ON THE INCLINE RAILROAD AND ENJOYED SOME AWESOME VIEWS. THE SHOES ARE FROM A LOCAL HISTORY MUSEUM. THEY WERE ALL DONATED BY NORWEGIANS. BERGEN WAS A BIG SHOE MANUFACTURING AREA.

AN OLD PHOTO BOOTH!

MARK....OPEN YOUR EYES!!

IN THE DISTANCE YOU CAN SEE THE TOWER WHERE THEY OPERATE A CABLE CAR UP ANOTHER MOUNTAIN

BERGEN IS THE HOME OF 3 MID-EVIL CHURCHES. WE WALKED THROUGH THE BERGEN CATHEDRAL. IT IS SO DIFFERENT THAN THE ORNATE CHURCHES WE HAVE SEEN IN SOUTHERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. THE ORIGINAL CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 900 BUT REBUILT SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO FIRES IN THE CITY. THERE WERE CHURCHES BUILT ON THE SITE IN 1150, 1300, 1500s, AND IN 1880. IN IT'S EARLIEST EXISTENCE IT WAS KNOWN AS ST. OLAV'S CHURCH, NORWAY'S ETERNAL KING.

THEY MUST USE THE CANDLES A LOT. YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE SOOT. PROBABLY DIFFICULT TO GET AND KEEP CLEAN

NOT THE MOST ATTRACTIVE "LAST SUPPER" RENDITION

WE ALSO TOOK A TOUR OF THE ROSENKRANTZ TOWER. THIS TOWER WAS BUILT IN THE 1560S FOR KING FREDERIK II. THIS TOWER WAS INCORPORATED INTO TWO OTHER STRUCTURES THAT HAD BEEN BUILT IN THE 1200s. THE TOWER WAS DAMAGED SIGNIFICANTLY IN 1944 WHEN A GERMAN AMMUNITION SHIP EXPLODED IN THE HARBOR.