Day 1
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Hurtigruten Day 1: Arrival, Overnight-Stay in Bergen
Shortly before 9.00 a.m., we depart with Andreas to the airport, terminal 2. First, we queued at the wrong counter, but then we rapidly check in. I quickly change some euro into Norwegian crowns and after a short exploration walk through the terminal, we pass the security control. This is annoying but neccessary. In my case, everything goes fine, not even the belt causes some beeping. In case of Rita it gets more difficult, somewhere there is always a piece of metal. Also the underwire of the bra is thoroughly checked. But we make it. Then, the usual waiting until the machine is ready; We are driven by bus to the movement area where a modern A320-400 stands. 
The flight starts shortly after 11.00 a.m. The weather is fantastic, at the beginning, the climb flight is a little bumpy, but once above the clowds, the plane slides to Oslo as it was on rails; At Lufthansa, there is even a remaining bit of service: for lunch, we had the choice between three sandwiches! Turkey or cheese, we take one each, and due to the reason that in the end some were remaining, we get a third one. We were not supposed to be that fine later again! We are in Oslo-Gardermoen around 1 p.m. A very modern terminal, wide extended, but it doesn't matter after having sat so long. We take our luggage from the conveyor belt, as now we are in a foreign customs country. We pass the customes without any stop, apparently, they are having lunch. Then we check in again at Scandinavian Airlines. Done. Dozens of service people are running through the whole airport and distribute these important plastic bags for the liquid stuff in the hand luggage. Rita also takes one, puts obediently her little cosmetic bottles inside and then no one is interested in that! What a nonsense! )
Around 2:30 p.m. we take off in western direction to Bergen. Soon, we recognize the first snow fields that merge into a closed snow cover over the western highland. For the first time, Rita guesses that my concerns in relation to heat and coldness were probably justified: down there, there is still winter! But the closer we get to the North Atlantic, the first fjords are below us, the greener it gets. The approach to Bergen from the south takes place over hundreds of little islands, the archipielago, many streets and bridges are recognizable and soon also the coloured houses that are so typical for Scandinavia. A real patchwork expands below us. Then, it rumbles, were are on the ground . It is half past three. We take our luggage and try to follow the lady of Hurtigruten. The bus that drives to the city centre is already waiting. The drive is quite long, I hear something about 20 km and it is the evening rush hour. Occasionally, there is an extra track for buses, then it goes faster, otherwise traffic jams like at home in Munich. But there is something to see: Troldhaugen, this way leads to the house of Edvard Grieg, then the castle of the Norwegian royal family, then a a long and low building: the ropewalk of Bergen! In former times, ropes and dews we made here. Through the city tunnel, passing the university and we arivve at the Hurtigruten terminal were the first passengers get out. We continue one station to the hotel "Neptun" in that we will spend one night. We want to see Bergen again, as in the last visit some things were left open. We get a little isolated room, very quiet, clean, everything O.K. )
The most neccessary things are soon unpacked and we make tracks, as the weather is fine, a thing that is not common in Bergen. After a few steps we are already at the harbour and walk over to the old wood houses of the Hanse-Brygge. Then we continue in direction of the cathedral. There we find a little local in which we have a fish soup. The beer is unenjoyable, too cold and too expensive. We look for the shortest way from the hotel to the terminal, as we want to get there on foot with our luggage. And it isn't a problem, just over the mountain, then about 200 m and then one already arrives at the harbour. This makes us save 150 crowns, more than 20 euro transfer costs. From the ridge of the old town, we watch shortly after 8.00 p.m. the port leaving of the "MS Lyngen" and look forward to tomorrow, beacause then we will be in! We are really tired and have a bath in order to relax. It is 9.30 p.m., outside still daylight, but we go to bed and are soon asleep! 
Back to the index Norway-Hurtigruten Author: Rudi Kronenberger; Copyright: Patrick Wagner, www.urlaube.info |
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