If you only see the outline below, we haven’t yet gotten to update it with what actually happened. Be sure to check back later!

Today is a day that we knew that we weren’t going to see a lot of each other. This is the first time we can remember where we had multiple days with different excursions. Today we each had two different ones. There were two included excursions in Bergen, and we both had interest in a couple of others.

Alan had the first one: Exploring the Bryggen wharf on bike. It was the first time to be on an electric bike, and he liked it! (Myles, you told me I would!). Joyce was a little anxious about it, as it looked kind of rainy outside, but it was really just a little misty, and the biggest issue was that mist hanging in the hills around the fjord.

That mist did cause a change in plans; originally we were to go up into the hills around town, but instead stuck mainly to the lower parts, and did what the company running the tour called a ‘City Tour’. That was probably going to overlap with Alan’s later excursion, but it was a different experience.

We met at the pier and walked a couple hundred yards to where the bikes were located. We each picked a bike that fit our size. The guide looked at me and pointed me to the XL bikes! They are quite a bit heavier than a normal bike, but it didn’t take long to get used to it. Getting a helmet was a little tougher. Alan typically wears extra large hats, and the guide had to go back into the shop to get a helmet that would fit. It didn’t take too long to get that all in order.

Next came a quick tutorial about how the bike worked and some safety matters. Alan had to adjust the seat height to accommodate the lack of bend in his knee that was replaced in December, but once that was worked out, he really didn’t notice any issues with his knee.

Our first stop was the Bergenhus Fortress, which was basically across the street from the ship and our starting point, though we had to maneuver a bit to navigate the road between us. That worked out, because Alan’s bike had some pretty squeaky brakes, so while we learned about the Fortress and its grounds, the assistant guide took the bike back for a replacement. No squeaks for the rest of the trip.

We had several stops as we made a loop in sort of a U-shape around the fjord. We rode behind the famous Hxxxx shops from the 16th century and peaked in the back yards of those places: another UNESCO site. We looked the other direction at the stairs that were placed often between the houses that allowed access to the houses on up the hill (most of which disappeared into the mist. We rode up to the entrance to the furnicular, a popular place to take a little train up (supposedly) to the fantastic views on the ridge above the city. Harald, the guide, told us not to bother today!

We stopped at a couple of churches (all Lutheran); one of them was the place where a number of of witches were executed in the 1600’s when that was a thing, and the other was the main Lutheran cathedral in town. It was built by the first king Haakan, but didn’t want it to rival his own fortress, so it has tiny windows. It also has a canon ball lodged in the outside wall, the result of a battle in the fjord in 1668? Between England and Holland.

We rode from there down into the village before heading up to the main square in town. We saw a large lake, a statue, and a row of museums, as well as a lot of flowers. From there we made our way up to the outside of the Concert Hall, architecturally meant to look like a concert piano. Harald wasn’t all that convinced, though he he thinks it’s a very nice facility. He told a story about taking his wife and daughters to an annual Christmas showing of ‘Love Actually’ that none of them seemed to particularly like, but liked the tradition, as well as the going out to eat afterwards!

From there we went through a part of the university district, which has a few concentrations, but is ready spread all over Bergen. We tackled some hills as we went through the opposite side of the fjord, stopping at a park above the swimming area, and getting another story about Harald being coerced into a winter dip in the pool/fjord area that he regretted, though he did learn to jump from one of the high dives there as a kid.

We reached a nice view spot on the opposite side from the main attractions for photos, before heading back through the more modern fish market, as well as past the traditional fish market. We got some tips for the best places to get what kinds of fish, both for purchase and raw.

We could not finish the trip without a stop in front of the HXXXX shops, and a little of the history of them as well. We made our way back to the bike storage area, and had a nice finish to a 2 1/2 hour tour.

• Panoramic bus tour
• Walking tour

Today in Bergen was a somber day. Alan was told on his bike tour that the Fortress would be the site of a commemoration of the new king, Haakon VIII, and a reflection on the life of King Harald in the afternoon. We both saw the outpouring of flowers at the Blue Stone memorial in town. While Alan was on his walking tour, we saw people streaming toward the Fortress, and later as we were finishing, there was a stream of people coming from the Fortress, some in national costumes.

• Behind the scenes at the Oleana knitting factory
• Savoring the last full day of the cruise
• Packing before diner
• Very early to bed for very early to rise.