Dolly Dimples

Stunningly gorgeous day. Blue skies from start to finish. We celebrated the end of the rain by going up the funicular to the national park of Bergen at Floyen. Very crowded in the carriages but worth it at the top. The view was brilliant. So clear. The complete opposite to yesterday.

View of Bergen from Floyen

Met Dale at the top. She’s leaving Bergen tonight on a liner to Newcastle. Takes 24 hours! She walked down while we took the funicular back.

Then it was off to the twin museums of the Schotstuene (the Bryggen Assembly Rooms) and the Hanseatic Museum. Fabulous places, all real life stuff.

The assembly rooms were in three lots, each from different times. In the Hanseatic there were rooms from merchants and journeymen to apprentices. The apprentices had to sleep in cupboards, two to a straw filled mattress barely big enough for a ten year old.

We then sat on the pier and had smoked salmon rolls again and some lovely plums. Dale was there with another Aussie girl she’d met at the Youth Hostel.

We then trotted off and collected St Mary’s Church. Had to pay to go in which was a bit annoying. We always give something but don’t like being told to do it!! Anyway, it’s a dark gloomy place. I found a Salome painted by Elias Fiigenschoug somewhere between 1630 and 1695. Couldn’t get a picture of it though, too dark.

Dropped into a groovy café for coffee then to a little dolls house shop which we were enjoying until this really rude German woman told me I should take my backpack off and be careful. Cow. I wanted to tell her what I think her parents should have done instead of conceiving her but, of course, I’m too well mannered, so we just left. And I seethed for a few hours. Will have to go back as it looks like an excellent shop. When not crowded with rude Germans, of course.

Went back to the hotel to write postcards and rest. It started getting cloudy but not for long.

I went for a walk up to the station and booked our train seats for Friday. And by God, I got it right! I had no more to pay. Boy am I happy. All trip I’ve had this niggling little thought that I’d somehow stuffed the booking up and today was the joyous day of reckoning. Woo hoo!

We had pizza at Dolly Dimples then walked round town. Lovely clouds in the sky.