Welcome … again!
"Bergen is not only a place. It is more of a spiritual condition", says the songwriter Ole Paus. How true! The rich Bergen spirit originate from many sources; From right behind the nearest islands, the mighty and salty North Atlantic give and take, no negotiations, as oceans do. With easy access to both England and the continent and ruling the long coast of Norway, trade has been great in Bergen ever since the town was founded in the year 1070. The green surrounding mountains block both the view and the passage and make of Bergen a jammed town, with small houses and narrow streets. Through the last millennium quite a few generations have had time to go abroad just for the sake of returning back to the beloved home town, to settle down, to build and redecorate their homes, expand their shops, make a million, build museums and give birth to world composers and prime ministers. All this give to Bergen an unmistakable international flare and strong urban flavour.
In fact, the urban and cultural density is so thick that I don’t have to tell you where to go to make the most of it. You are already in Bergen, enough for most people! Just relax and explore. Everything is within walking distance. The limits of steep hills and the waterfront will see to it that you don’t get lost.
And reconsider your attitude about the rain; First; it does not rain as much as they say. And if there is a shower this is what you do; slow your step, look upwards to feel the mild June rain on your skin and then think about it; - “water” , probably the most important, most sought for and fought for, the most exclusive, healthy and vitalizing commodity of the 21 century (says the “water professor” Terje Tvedt), right in your face. No charge.
In short; As the home town for Norwegian kings, Danish governors, German traders and as a haven for sailors from around the older world, Bergen used to be, for centuries, the most important town in Norway. Today Bergen is as vibrant as ever with its rich cultural tradition, especially on the music scene and in education, with growth in oil related and other technological adventures and quite proud of its beautiful scenery.
All 240 000 Bergensers are easy going folks, very patriotic and happy to talk. So don’t miss addressing one or two. Just make a simple remark or question about the weather, the beautiful buildings, the boats or the football team “Brann”, and you will have them eating out of your hand.
But then again, if your stop in Bergen is much too short, then do at least one thing that the natives do; Make an appointment to meet a friend at “the blue stone”, then walk together across the main common and the fish marked to catch the cable car to the Fløyen view. There, on the mountain, on a clear day overlooking the town and with the ocean in sight, folklore hold a promise that all sorrows will be forgotten - .
Peter Magnus 2007