Norwegian Coast Cruise 2012 Bergen & Hardanger Page

Usual welcome into Bergen Fjord...

...but the city was more welcoming.

Up earlier, as we had to muster at 0755 for the drive to the Hardanger Fjord. Bergen Fjord offered its usual welcome of fog & drizzle but things were much clearer in the city & the rain only spat at us. The tour took us through Bergen & showed some areas we had not previously penetrated. I noted Ole Bull Square & Richard Nordraak Gate (composer of the Norwegian National Anthem). ('Gate' = street from the German 'gasse' = alley & becomes 'gate' in English).

Then, South to a ferry point at Hatvik. This took 1/4 hour to cross to Venjanaset.

We went up into the hills between the Bjornafjorden & Hardanger to a lake with a building museum, run by an old Troll lady in her take on national dress, who served hot drinks.

Old buildings museum	Troll lady	'The Maid's House'
'The Farmer's House'	Inside a house	Kitchen
Another kitchen	Farmer's House 'Drawing Room'	Occupied house in Eide
Eide wooden church	Reflexion in Eide Lake	The weather was overcast all day, with little showers but only when we were in the coach. I got the courier Andi (woman & very good) to put on some Hardanger Fiddle music off a CD. She said ordinary violins use catgut strings but the Hardanger Fiddle uses the whole cat. I gave a little Grieg talk & da-da-ed the Wedding Day, so she put that on the tannoy. We eventually got to the Hardanger Fjord at Mundhein.

We stopped for lunch at Oystese, a similar big buffet to yesterday's. I had abbreviated breakfast as a precaution!

Then, back to a waterfall called Steinsdalfossen, but only one visible (fossen = plural). We walked behind it & were photoed by a Japanese (after I had, as usual, photoed him & his) with it pouring down behind us.

Steinsdalfossen

Behind the waterfall

Us behind the waterfall

We were driven back to Bergen & the ship by 1620, giving time to process the fewer photos & prepare for the formal dinner. Then, we had a day at sea on our way back to Dover. During the last show, my talks had a very generous thank-you from Ricky, who described them as 'wonderful'. I looked forward with misplaced confidence to our next Baltic Cruise with Saga, where we were to be employed as entertainers.