Bergen 29/05/25

 Home today but time to visit the galleries I missed yesterday. It didn't actually rain until I was crossing to the aircraft from the terminal.

Central Bergen

Back through the city centre to the gallery but it wasn't open yet so I went back to the centre for a coffee.

Ivory figure 

The first museum was fascinating with exhibits about the figures derived from different places in Norway and made from everything from very early wooden dolls through carved ivory, porcelain and sandstone carvings that are somewhere that I can't remember at a Royal palace in Denmark.

And another

The exhibition upstairs was a very impressive collection of paintings by Harriet Bakker many depicting fascinating interiors.

Harriet Bakker

The final Gallery was an exhibition of art and installations by a contemporary Norwegian artist, Lotte Konow Lund, interesting but maybe not quite my thing.

Exhibition poster

A walk round the old touristy part of Bergen that was overrun by Americans off a cruise ship before I decided that I had enough of the tourist thing and found the light railway to the airport.

Bryggen

Little to say about the flight other than it was raining in Bergen and sunny in Aberdeen with some fine views of the lighthouse where I finished the Challenge last week when we came in to land.

Bergen Airport 

The mouth of the Dee, Aberdeen 

I will definitely go back to Norway but I will be a bit more careful with the time of year.

Aberdeen airport 

Off to Orkney on Saturday.

Bergen 28/05/25

Only one rain shower today and that was in the evening and didn't get me wet.

The centre of Bergen 

I had a day in the city doing the sights and a couple of museums. The first, after wandering across to the other side of the city, was the maritime museum.

Model Viking Ship

There is a fascinating display of shipping through the ages, mainly with beautifully made models, starting with the early viking longships and ending with modern commercial vessels.

A beautiful motor boat

The early longships are all modelled at the same scale 1:6 which makes comparison easy, and there are some beautiful small full size boats.

Model shipbuilding yard

I spent ages looking at all the exhibits and then walked through the university district, which was a delight, on the way to see where the venue for tonight's jazz concert was.

Bergen street

The next venue after a 'traditional' fish burger for lunch was again on the other side of the city. The advantage of continually crossing the city was that there were usually a group of musicians on the outdoor stage performing something Norwegian.

Pianist on the outdoor stage 

The Kobe Gallery is in four separate buildings but I only managed to visit one before I ran out of time.

Kobe gallery

A wonderful exhibition of paintings by Norwegian artists including many by Edvard Munch.

Munch, self portrait 

Hans Heyerdal, Girl with kitten

It was time then to head back to the hostel for a shower and get to the Natt Jazz venue.

Munch,Inger on the beach

The venue is an old sardine factory by the harbour and has three stages with a big roofed space outside where the first performance took place with Ola Kvernberg and his sextet performing his composition "STEAMDOME III" with the full Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra. Incredible!

Symphony orchestra and jazz band

The night continued with performances by another six groups of musicians on the three smaller stages. 

Alogte Oho and his sounds of joy

Altogether a fantastic night and when I emerged in the early hours for the walk back to the hostel the rain had stopped and of course at this latitude it wasn't really dark.

Bergen at night

Bergen 27/04/25

Rain again today, sometimes heavy but there were times when it almost stopped.

A road tunnel from the coach

I became a proper tourist today and booked onto a coach, boat, rail and coach tour of fiords.

View from the coach

An excellent drive to Gudvangen, via a quick stop at a waterfall, where there is a reconstruction of a Viking village complete with vikings, some of whom live there year round.

Reindeer skins getting wet 

We were given the tour in cold, heavy rain but it was interesting to listen to our 'viking' guide explaining the history behind it all.

On the water

On the boat then for a trip through the fiords to Flam. A wet cold trip in a specially designed electric catamaran with a good warm cabin area but also well designed so that everyone can get out to see the scenery in decent weather.

Approaching Flåm

The doors were well used as everyone nipped out for a look and a photograph before retreating to the warm and dry again until the next good view made it happen again.

An early locomotive in the little museum at Flåm

 

At Flåm we boarded the famous train which winds its way from sea level to 866 meters in 20 miles and 20 tunnels through the Flåm valley with a stop to look at the Kjosfossen waterfall, amazing!

Rainy railway view

We changed to the main Oslo - Bergen train at Myrdal for the journey to Voss where we met our bus again for the return drive to Bergen.

Village from the coach

There was a lot of snow on the heights and when I saw the conditions I wasn't that unhappy not to be walking in it! The views from the train were hampered by the rain on the windows and I think by that time we had enough photos anyway.

Bergen again

The sun nearly appeared for a moment or two as we approached Bergen at the end of a 10.5 hour trip.

For most of the pictures today I used my camera and can't transfer them to the blog

We went through 120 road tunnels in the bus today ( no I didn't count them) ranging in length from about 100 meters to 2.8 kilometres. An excellent day, pity about the weather but it could have been worse, at least the visibility was reasonable.

Back to Bergen

Bergen 26/05/25

A Bergen holiday 

Rain and more rain, my original plan to walk in the Hardangervidda was scuppered when I found out that all the huts are closed and people are being discouraged from walking in that area due to it being the wild reindeer calving season. (only found out two days ago).

Why the question?

Flew into Bergen Airport from Aberdeen in the morning and got the light rail into the centre of Bergan which is a 45 minute ride away.

Listening by the bandstand in the rain

Bergen was buzzing, there is Jazz Festival at the moment and there was a band playing in the bandstand with a few waterproofed people listening.

Bergen 

In the central plaza there is a stage setup for various things, a film festival this week, and there was a recital of music by Norwegian composers being played by University students in the early afternoon and a piano recital early evening.

Stating up the hill

Between the two I walked up the zig zag track to the top of the funicular railway and viewpoint overlooking the city. It did stop raining at times and the views were spectacular.

View from the funicular top station

I am staying at a cheap hostel, it appears to be the only thing that's cheap in Norway, but the food is good if you can afford it.

He's always hungry 

TGO Challenge 2025

Day 15. Maryculter to Girdle Ness (Aberdeen)

Another bright morning but there was a lot of cloud about and there was even a hint of rain at times and the wind was still cold.

Looking back to the Aberdeen bypass 

Just a short walk into Aberdeen today down the Deeside Way which is tarmac all the way and well used as a cycle route.

Deeside way

There are a couple of pitstops on the way as well for both bikes and people but I managed to restrict myself to one.

Cycle path bridge

I noticed that I was in the suburbs but the line retains it's railway character almost to the centre of the city where it spits you out onto the streets near the river.

River Dee at Aberdeen 

As I had been at the source of the Dee it made sense to walk beside the river, past the docks and on to the lighthouse on the headland at Girdle Ness.

Dee mouth

A walk back to the centre of Aberdeen through Torry, which seems to a rather run down area with dirty streets and neglected houses, to the railway station and a train to Montrose and the sign out point.

El Tejido celebrating the finish

A really nice night meeting old acquaintances and swapping tales of Challenge adventures.

Next stop, Norway 

That's the end of this adventure, the next one starts on Monday when I fly to Bergen.

12 miles walked 200 meters ascent 

TGO Challenge 2025

Day 14. Feughside to Maryculter.

Looks like it's going to be a TGO of sunshine the whole way. Woke up to a dawn chorus and a blackbird singing it's heart out on top of a little tree near my tent.

View to the south on the way up Scolty hill

There were just six Challengers on the site and it was a lovely quiet evening. To avoid walking down the road to Banchory someone said it was possible to go over Scolty hill and rejoin the Deeside Way on the other side. I was the only one to try it!

They were damping down a wildfire 

It was a good route if I had gone the right way near the start, just some more scratches on the legs.

River Dee near Banchory 

The phone decided that it wouldn't take any more pictures when I was at Scoltie and I couldn't persuade it otherwise until I was in a café in Banchory and could see it properly.

The end of the Royal Deeside Railway 

From Banchory the Deeside Way is back on the old railway line apart from a small deviation near Drumoak and it is an excellent trail.

Tea and scones at Milton of Crathes

Although it follows the road quite closely in places there are always trees screening it so although you can hear the traffic it doesn't detract from the experience.

Deeside Way 

There are some conveniently placed cafes along the way as well making a perfect day's walk to the overpriced campsite at Maryculter.

The Aberdeen bypass crosses the River Dee

18.5 miles walked, 450 meters ascent.