More blue skies in Europe’s self-professed rainiest Place — Bergen

Top of the world in rainy (not) Bergen

The weather is astonishingly gorgeous, considering that it rains most of the days in this lovely city by the sea. We walked ourselves silly today, often uphill on brick streets lined with old pristine white wooden houses. After coffee and a pastry at a little coffee house (that was the name), we took the funicular although with many other tourists as well as young members of a school band, toting their instruments, to the top of Floyet, a wooded mountain top with spectacular views looking out onto the harbor. After the band played a rousing number ( one of our favorites) by The group Portugal The Man, we walked about a mile down and around the mountain, through the sun- dappled woods, with moss-covered tree stumps and then into town.

This afternoon we walked out to another gorgeous neighborhood Nordes and a pretty park. It’s very hilly, with rough brick pavements, and unfortunately my knees and heel are giving me some trouble. But even Dirck was hobbling on the way back.

Tonight was our last splurge “new-Nordic” dinner (neo-fjords really) at Lysverket, in the Kords museum area. The food was outstanding and great service and atmosphere. Not as “out there” as Relae in Copenhagen and larger portions. We had a delicious seafood broth served beside a bowl with two shrimp dumplings, well prepared white fish (which restored my faith in fish after last night’s bad stuff) that was crispy on outside and moist inside, full of flavor and accompanied by various unrecognizable but flavorful things. Dirck had some delicious broccolini with spring onions and egg yolks and some sort of delicious pork dish. We really loved this city and our Airbnb in the attic of an old old white wooden house in Bryggen, the historic area, was perfect.