Bergen - Day Twenty-Three

Last day in Norway! It's another HOT one here in Bergen...got up to 31.5 degrees today when we left for the airport!!!

We were packed and had breakfast by 9:00am this morning...had a stroll around the plaza and popped into a couple stores...might have found a couple things...out of necessity really because we are not prepared for this heat...the mall is in an old structure in the middle of the plaza but once you go into it, it opens right up to the sky! Very nice and it's small enough to manage...seeing as malls are NOT my favourite places to be!

 

 

I think that these little short boots, especially Doc Martens, are coming out in full swing this season...they are everywhere and super cute don't you think?!!

 

 

 

 

I LOVE looking at shoes...now we just need to find some of these brands in Canada...good luck huh?!!

 

I also wanted to find some blunt nosed scissors for the flight so I can continue working on my cross stitch in flight :) apparently they allow small knives on board but tiny pointy scissors are prohibited!??

 

We found a great little bistro/bakery behind our hotel a couple streets...had a sandwich for a light lunch and shared a custard and strawberry dessert of course! Mom has to get her last bit of strawberries in before we leave Norway, apparently they are the best she's ever tasted! They are pretty awesome...

 

 

and a double shot Americano is the perfect compliment to dessert ;)

 

 

All packed up and ready to carry on to our next destination...Frankfurt, Germany!

 

 

 

Our taxi driver was very nice and showed us the Royal Castle and the construction they are working on at the Bergen Airport...best part about the ride to the airport was his nicely air-conditioned taxi actually!

 

We decided we might as well wait it out at the airport in the hopes that it was better air-conditioning in there then at our hotel and downtown Bergen...it was slightly better. Had a game of Phase 10 to use up some of our extra waiting time...I won!

 

 

The food area at the Bergen Airport is really cute...and it was quiet and less crowded up there too!

 

 

 

Had to chuckle at the signs indicating where the restrooms are...

 

 

We are at the point where we just wanted to check our bags and get through security, process our Global Blue tax refunds and fly to Frankfurt! I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but the tax rate here in Norway is 25% on most things...so when you purchase goods as a guest here at a Global Blue retailer...you can get your tax back when you leave...so after a couple line ups and stamping of my receipts...I can see my 450CDN credited back to my Visa in about 5 days apparently!

You know how that happens when it's time to go home, you just want to go home!

 

Good-Bye Norway!

The flight to Frankfurt was a bit turbulent but otherwise non-eventful, the way I like it, and travelling in Business Class is really lovely too...you'd think with the extra money you pay for Business Class they could provide no turbulence...something they can always work on!

 

Mom reserved a suite here at the Sheraton in the Frankfurst Airport...it was very handy getting out of the baggage area, head up a couple escalators and we are at the hotel...even nicer in a huge room!!!

 

 

I have room to unfold all of my luggage and we can still walk around in here! Funny how you make due staying in the closet size rooms in Europe...

 

 

Everythings here...bathtub, shower, toilet and bidet...

 

Off to bed...leaving for YVR tomorrow! Getting excited to see my family and sleep in my own bed!!!

 

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Bergen - Day Twenty-Two!

It's our last full day in Bergen today...we lounged around in our hotel room with two packets of instant cofee, a chocolate bar and left over pizza...

 

 

Mmmm...that's breakfast!

 

So by the time we showered and left the hotel room it was about lunch time! We had plans to travel to an island to see some interesting bridges and a series of museums...unfortunately though with today being Sunday, there was only one bus scheduled to go after 4:00pm and not return until after 7:00pm...that plan was out!

 

Instead we are planning on taking the funicular up to the top of the mountain to see a view of all of Bergen...after lunch of course!

 

 

This restaurant Egon is in our hotel and at the end of this street near the fish market. It is seriously HOT out again today...not sure why I showered as I was sweating like crazy before we even went outside!

No air-conditioning in these hotels...the cost of electricity here is insane! so I guess the luxury of cool air is out of the question! So what to do to cool down you ask? Why, sit in the shade outside with the breeze and have a pitcher of beer perhaps!!?

 

 

 

 

 

This is the view from where we are sitting...

 

 

This is the fish market under all those tents you see..

 

Oh, and isn't this a cute Mcdonald's...looks like an old heritage building...

 

 

 

We are on top of the mountain looking down! That is part of Bergen...you get about a 280degree view...remember that all the water you see is the Atlantic Ocean...

 

Our Thon Bristol Bergen Hotel is smack dab in the middle of this photo below...yellow large building with tiny red flags on the roof...

 

 

 

 

We were so hot that we came back to the hotel in the hopes that it would be cooler here...we had a nap and left to get dinner around 9:00pm...went to a place called Dickens and ordered burgers...not like home but kinda...

 

 

I just woke up before dinner here...nice bags under my eyes huh?!!!

 

Leaving for Frankfurt tomorrow. We are staying at a hotel there overnight as our flight is direct to Vancouver on Tuesday...a bit of a break in the commute home...I've saved one of dad's sleeping pills for the last flight...hopefully it works!

 

 

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Bergen - Day Twenty-One

Farewell Travel Mates!

 

 

The girls left us just after 10:00AM this morning and they decided to walk to the airport shuttle bus location which is about three blocks away...on cobblestone!

 

 

Mom and I had made arrangements to change to a better room today...we had our suitcases packed and orgaanized and brought them down to the lobby knowing that we would likely need to store them until our new room was ready...once we arrived the desk staff informed us that our new room was actually all ready too go! Yea, they have been so helpful, I think they made that happen quickly for us!

 

 

So we actually have a tiny bit more room for our luggage and we have a couch to sit on instead of the beds...which are pillow soft...so actually uncomfortable for sitting or sleeping for me ;)

 

 

We dropped our bags and walked to the bus area around from our hotel...you get to walk through a pedestrian only plaza with fountains and official looking buildings, very pretty.

 

 

 

 

 

So we stood and waited until we saw the FREE big blue Ikea bus! Yes, you can take it for free to the Ikea which is outside of town...took us about 15-20 minutes on the bus, so not that bad ;)

 

 

It looks just like home but perhaps a little bit bigger in size.

 

 

 

 

Mom and I sat on a couple different couches and had some chats about house organizing etc. when we get home...if we had a coffee it would've felt like we were already home in our living rooms!

 

I noticed that the eating area here is waaayyy larger than at home...there is at least double the seating and they have several areas for comfy seating on couches and chairs too.

 

 

 

I thought this was interesting to see this modern looking Ikea and a lovely old white church in the distance...

 

 

 

It is HOT out today!!! So we waited in the shade for a bit then moved out to the bench so we wouldn't miss our FREE bus back!

 

 

Well that shopping/sightseeing excursion was exhausting so we better grab a beer! No we actually went to cool down in our hotel room for a bit before heading out to dinner tonight.

 

We have been passing Peppe's Pizza since we've been here and decided to try it out...it is always super busy there so that looked like a good sign...

 

 

Ringnes Beer is Gluten Free! and super tasty...now it could've seemed super tasty because we were still hot and the temperature even at 7:30PM was about 24degrees...

Thin crust Chicken Chili with olivies, sundried tomatoes and arugula lettuce...Mom said she could've done without the lettuce but I liked it :) Oh! and check out those pizza scissors...that's a new one for me!

 

 

Supreme Boston Heavier Heaven...basically onions, meat, meat and meat...

 

 

Oh and check this out...order two coffees and they come in the French Press...and he said when the timer is up, your coffee is ready!

 

Our time was up too...so we had a leisurely stroll back to the hotel, fiddled on our iPads, I started a cross-stitch a couple days ago so I carried on and then it was time to sleep!

 

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