Day 281 Monday 23 Jul 2007 Sognal to Bergen, Norway

It’s raining this morning so we postpone catching a ferry along the Sognalfjord and instead head for Urnes with its World Heritage stave church. This church, reached via a ferry across the gloomy fjord, was built entirely of wood in 1030AD and was the third to have been constructed on the spot, the first in 900AD. It’s interesting to learn how its flexibility or plasticity had enabled it to withstand the ravages of time and how it had been modified to adjust to the changing demands following the Reformation. The church which preceded Ikea was flatpacked, laid out on the ground and assemble on site, possibly by a Viking with an allen key.

After buying some raspberries which grow in profusion around the village, along with apples, we cross back and travel southwest via Flam and Bekke on the WH listed Naeroyfjord to Bergen. The route involves dozens of tunnels, including one which at 24.5km is the longest and quite possibly the most boring road tunnel in the world. Still darkness is still a novelty. The hotel in Bergen, another in the excellent Clarion chain turns out to be on the harbourfront where our room has a balcony overlooking the WH listed Bryggen district of restored wooden warehouses and across from the wharf from which we are due to catch the ferry to Scotland tomorrow morning.

We set out to explore the waterfront and Bryggen with its labyrinth of alleyways and mix of timber and stone buildings, which are now utilised as boutiques, restaurants, art galleries and cafes. The evening sun comes out making it very pleasant and we find a great fish restaurant for our last supper in Norway. Foregoing the whale carpaccio and roasted puffin, we settle for salmon, angler fish, halibut and catfish.