Bergen, Norway 

Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway after national capital Oslo.  The city is surrounded by mountains; Bergen is known as the "city of seven mountains". Many of the extra-municipal suburbs are on islands. The city consists of eight boroughs.   Bergen Port is Norway's busiest in terms of both freight and passengers.  During World War II, Bergen was occupied on the first day of the German invasion on 9 April 1940, after a brief fight between German ships and the Norwegian coastal artillery.

We took a bus tour which included:

1. Troldhaugen - Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg's house
2. Fantoft Stave Church replica.  

Entering into Bergen's port we just barely fit under this bridge...I mean inches barely


Troldhaugen - Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg's house

Edvard Hagerup Grieg (15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. Grieg is the most celebrated person from the city of Bergen, with numerous statues which depict his image, and many cultural entities named after him: the city's largest concert building (Grieg Hall), its most advanced music school (Grieg Academy) and its professional choir (Edvard Grieg Kor). The Edvard Grieg Museum at Grieg's former home Troldhaugen is dedicated to his legacy.


What an idyllic location.  I could imagine that it inspired and rested him.  Beautiful gardens and views of the waterway.



He was a man of small stature - 5' 0"  This statue is his actual replica in size.


Local concert hall on the property


Winding garden paths everywhere


Grieg's and his wife's ashes rest inside a mountain tomb near the house.

 
Even at the water edges of the property gave a sense of calm


Fantoft Stave Church

The church was originally built around the year 1150.  On 6 June 1992, the church was destroyed by arson; the first in a string of church burnings by members of the early Norwegian black metal scene.  Reconstruction of the church began soon after the fire, taking six years to complete. Since 1997, the church has been surrounded by a security fence.

Detailed and dark exterior


Simple unpainted wood interior



Decorative art intricate wood carving



Chandelier and roof top




A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts are called stafr in Old Norse (stav in modern Norwegian).  TMI?  Just thought it was interesting.

Our own walking tour of the historic (UNESCO) downtown area.





  
My good luck troll for 63 years

And leaving Bergen under that bridge again....Bob got some pictures (I ducked...habit I guess)






Fun little surprise by our cabin stewards...they saw the anniversary card and had some fun:
















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