Bergen

I am drawn to faraway places.

Bergen, five thousand miles from home, qualifies. While Bergen is known as the gateway to the fjords, there are simpler, and far more accessible, pleasures much closer to City Center. Wake up early. Go for a morning run through the Fish Market, past the row of Hansa houses on the Bryggen, along the coast road to Old Bergen, and back to your hotel, to enjoy a hearty breakfast buffet, with gravlax, thin Norwegian pancakes, topped with lingonberry, and, of course, coffee. Stop by the local supermarket, perhaps Rema 1000, and pack a lunch, with cold cuts, cheese, fresh bread, and plenty of water. Start walking toward Floyen, but, if you can, skip the funicular, the Floibanen, and hike, for a mile or two, up the mountain (but at a reasonable incline) to the Troll Forest (pictured above). With each turn, the view of Bergen and the surrounding fjords becomes more and more expansive, until you find yourself perched one thousand feet above Bergen, with water and mountains in all directions. Enjoy the view, for a few minutes, or perhaps longer, but keep walking, for another fifteen minutes, to Skomakerdiket Lake, where you can rent a canoe (for free!). On the way back, if you have smaller kids, explore the Floyen playground and obstacle course (http://floyen.no/en/activitites/activities/best-playground-bergen/), tucked in the Troll Forest, about ten minutes from the terminus of the Floibanen, and enjoy an ice cream, especially if it is a warm day, at a kiosk adjacent to the Folkerestaurant, before starting your hike down the mountain. Once at the base, explore Bergen at your leisure, but conclude your explorations at the Fish Market, where you can sit down, rest, and enjoy fresh salmon grilled to order and reflect on the day (and your 20,000 steps).

To many (who had never visited Norway), Norway seemed an odd choice for a vacation destination. Time is, of course, finite, and while many could understand my other choices (England and Ireland), Norway required some explanation. Like the other Scandinavian countries, I am quite sure, Norway is notoriously expensive (but this can be managed, by planning ahead and, as suggested above, packing a lunch). For some time, Norway had been on my bucket list, due largely to the fjords, and, to that end, the cruise down the Sognefjord, ending in Flam, did not disappoint. A relatively recent episode of The Amazing Race, in Alesund, north of Bergen, cemented the decision.

With any vacation, there are choices. Do I spend more time here and less time there? Should I skip a place altogether? Should I add another to the itinerary? If I am this far away from home, should I not venture farther? Have I picked the best, or most appropriate, modes of transportation? Is a self-guided tour the most responsible option? As with anything, there is no exact science in travel, but, rather, experimentation, with pleasant (and occasionally unpleasant) surprises, depending on the choices. In retrospect, I could have added a day in Oslo, which, if only for its parks (including, and especially, Vigeland Sculpture Park), open spaces, water, and museums, requires at least two full days, and shortened my stay in Bergen by a day. That said, the train from Oslo to Bergen, zipping past green pastures, climbing, and ultimately revealing alpine lakes and glaciers, cabins with SUVs parked outside and smoke ascending from chimneys, stopping in myriad small towns, including Myrdal, the upper terminus of the Flam line local railway (which connects to the Sognefjord), and descending, through verdant valleys, to Bergen, was spectacular. As intimated above, there were other ways to see Bergen, including via a cruise, and for those seeking adventure, the Hurtigruten, which sails north from Bergen, past the Artic Circle, Tromso, Hammerfest, terminating in Kirkenes. If your passion is faraway places, this may be the vessel for you. But, again, time is finite, and choices are unavoidable.

Writings about exotic and faraway lands are as old as time. Somewhat more recently, Mark Twain chronicled his (mis)adventures in Europe and the Middle East in The Innocents Abroad, which paid for his steamship voyage and helped launch his literary career. It is only natural. Those of us who write about travels seek to share our experiences and to reflect on them as well. Conversely, those of us who read about travels seek to learn what we do not know, to broaden our horizons, and to experience new worlds. Where is your next adventure?

Comments welcomed.