We both have enjoyed our beautifully presented meal at the Scotsman. We have about 2 hours left before the performance at the Concert hall. So we head down Karl Johans Gate towards the Royal Palace. We are going to the National Gallery to see if another version of the Scream is on display.
We have walked a lot today and I have chosen the wrong footwear as I am sure 2 of my toes have detached themselves and floating freely in my boots. There really is no time to change so I make a mental note never to bring these boots on holidays again. Upon arriving, at the gallery it is much to our financial gratitude that Thursday is FREE day and we are waved in. It is hard to tell how large this gallery and we really don't have time to see everything or so I think. I decide to inquire with one of the guards were the Scream is located. She gives me the eyeball roll as to say " ugh there is so much more to see then the Scream" and I know that, and I know we should enjoy it all 'but...but...but'. We find the Scream and it is amazing. The expression pretty much sums up how I am feeling about my feet at that moment! There are a lot of fabulous Munch paintings to enjoy in the Dance of Life collection and others.
This Gallery has many very important pieces by some very important artists and I have a sense of panic that we won't spend the time needed for such a incredible gallery. I then tell myself this is not a "bucket list trip" I have no intentions of saying "been there done that." I can come back here bring Sean and the girls, or come back again with Sharon. Why panic? see what you can see and then plan another trip and see some more. Just enjoy it! Phew! Panic over!
After seeing the works of Degas, Cezanne, Monet Picasso and many others I am most taken with the works by the neo romanic painter Harald Sohlberg. Sharon was captured by the painting Winter Night in the Mountains. I fell in love with Streets in Roros . I wish we had more time here but I fill my shopping bag at the gift shop, stop and gaze and the amazing French Salon coffee shop and we are off to the Opera house.
The part were I am the great organizer can back fire sometimes. I really wanted to see a performance in the amazing Opera house but sometimes over confidence or lack of knowledge can mess things up a little. We arrive at the Opera house with our tickets with time to spare and run into our tourist friends from the subway. I inquire if they are taking in tonight's performance with the Oslo philharmonic and they said no but they thought it was Madame Butterfly tonight....... Sharon and I go and check out the amazing exterior of the building and I recall a article that since Norway was not part of the EU they don't have to worry about the health and safety rules that the member of the EU do, so when it comes to building codes they are much freer. You can note this and appreciate the fact that the architect had less constraints on his/her creativity when designing this building. Since I have the inability to stay vertical on slippery surfaces I have chosen not to climb to the top and slide down!
But this Madame Butterfly thing is nagging in the back of my head. Sure enough when we check at the ticket office we have the wrong venue and 20 minutes to find the correct venue Taxi Taxi !!
We make it with a few minutes to spare. Since my wish was to just see and enjoy a performance in the Opera house I was not to fussy about what it was. And since the Harry Potter evening of music started at 6 and was on the only day we had available that seem to work for me. I didn't really take into account that this evening was really meant for Harry Potter fans that are looking forward to the up coming release of Fantastic Beasts and were to find them. Yes we are spending the evening with lots of young Norwegian Harry Potter fans all dressed in costume for the occasion. Poor Sharon I don't think she was expecting this. The performance was very good but we did forgo the photo op with Hagrid.
Since the performance was for the young of age it is done in a hour and really that is just perfect. Because now we have time for another amazing meal at Smalhans.
We awake to a beautiful Bergen day, the sun is shining and we are heading out to run/hike up Floyen.
There is actually 10 hikes you can take once you get to the top of the funicular station. We are just taking the switch back path to the top with the elevation of 0 to 425m then taking the funicular down.
The view is amazing from the top and we enjoy the panorama of the city before heading down on the funicular
When we get to the bottom there is quite the line up to get on board since it is just opening, thank goodness we have beaten the crowds. We head over to Baker Brun cafe for a coffee and a pastry and plan our day.We decide to spend our day exploring on foot. I really wanted to check out the leprosy museum but it was closed for the season. Bergen had the largest concentration of patients in Europe between 1850 and 1900. Leprosy is often known as Hansen disease, after the Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen who discovered the leprosy bacillus in Bergen in 1873. Sharon and I took some time to stroll the grounds and peered in the windows of which was once St George's hospital.
My cousin had suggested going out to see the home of the Norwegian pianist and composer Edvard Grieg. But the hop on hop off bus was no longer running so getting there was a bit of a problem. We just enjoyed the sights of the town and I stopped in to pick up a few prints from Katrine Lund's shop in the alleys of Bryggen. We asked her about how quiet things are in October. She tells us that this area in the summer is overflowing with tourists and you can hardly move but the buses slow to a trickle in the fall.
I prefer it to be quiet so that is the price we pay for the museums being mostly closed. Our strolling ends once we visit the Rosenkrantz Tower, it is considered one of the most important renaissance monuments in Norway dating back to 1270
The fall colours are in their full glory as we enjoy the grounds. The sun is starting to set which means it is time to load up on seafood at the fish market and feast.
We stop by the grocery store for some aoli and essentials then hike back up to our flat to enjoy the bounty. The shrimp, langostino and salmon are delicious. I am feeling a bit like Fred Mertz when I notice a photo on my Instagram account showing the harbour at night. I mention to Sharon how amazing it looks down there right now so we put our running shoes on and run down!
What a beautiful place Bergen is, but it is time to leave in the morning, our train departs early and we make plans for when we get back to Oslo. I was hoping to get back to the City Hall and see where the Nobel Peace prize will be handed out in December and if time allows we can head over to the Norwegian Folk museum and the Viking ship museum. It is going to be a full day time for some sleep.
