Yesterday was a fun day for Judy and her guest as they spent Day 8 of their Norwegian Experience in Stavanger and Bergen!They were up by 5:30 am to catch their Flaggruten (express boat) that would take them from Stavanger to Bergen. The Flaggruten is a phenomenon that is somewhat unique to coastal countries and is their answer to Greyhound Express buses. Only with nicer accomodations and waaaaaay better scenery. Upon their arrival in Bergen, Judy and her guest disembarked the ship for an auto-tour of Bergen.
Thanks to the amazingness of Borton Overseas, our traveling duo were picked up in a Janguar and taken on a personally guided tour that included all the major sightseeing stops in Bergen, including Edvard Grieg's summer home, a local Stave Church and the posh neighborhoods that overlook the harbor and bay.
The Edvard Grieg House, which is now a museum dedicated to the renowned composer and called Troldhaugen, houses a number of exhibits that bring history to life. It's a definite must-see for anyone who is traveling through Bergen.
The Stave Church that Judy visited is called Fantoft, and is a reconstructed version of a Sognefjord church from around 1150AD. It's had a rough, but interesting, history having been disassembled and moved piece by piece from Sognefjord to Bergen, only to be set ablaze by some pagan, black metal enthusiasts, turned into and album cover, then rebuilt once more.
After that, Judy checked into her hotel, the beautiful Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret. One of Bergen's newest and most fashionable hotels, Havnekontoret is an amazing hotel in the heart of Bergen's historic harbour-front district. The property is also one of the city's most recognizable buildings with elegant, neo-baroque architecture.According to Judy, from her room she can almost see the famous Torget i Bergen (Bergen fish market) and her room also looks out onto a shopping district, where she and her guest spent the rest of the day enjoying some shopping and more sight-seeing.
Sounds to me like Judy is having an amazing time! I'll be checking in with her later this afternoon, so come on back soon and see what she has to say about today's experiences!
The Norwegian Experience Recruitment Contest is a joint venture between Sons of Norway International and its partner Borton Overseas. The contest is open to all Sons of Norway members who sign up a new, dues-paying member between January 1 and December 31, 2009. A winner will be drawn at random in January of 2010. For more information about this year's contest, visit www.sonsofnorway.com or click here.