Bergen is Norway’s second largest city after Oslo, the greater Bergen area has about 400,000 people. Just on 300,000 of them live in or around the city, clinging to the shore land and a little way up the mountainside. The old town was founded around 1100, so it is not an old Viking town, post dating the viking era.

The town had its origins in 1070 when it was founded by King Olav. He was the son of the Viking leader who was defeated by the Anglo Saxons at Stamford Bridge in 1066. This was just a few months before the Normans (who are of old viking stock) invaded England and defeated the English at the Battle of Hastings. Enough English history!

St Mary’s is the oldest building in Bergen, formally a Catholic Church it is now Lutheran. The Anglicans are let in these days, probably pay a premium.

From the 1400s it became an important trade centre for dried cod.The trade being controlled by German merchants for several centuries.

We are here for three days before leaving on the cruise aboard Viking Vela up the Norway coast as far as Alta. We plan to take it easy.

One of the prominent features of Bergen is its wooden houses. The wooden houses and fire we were told is one of the prime architectural drivers of the city. There have been a lot of fires over the last thousand years. Many destroying large swathes of the city scape, by necessity buildings were replaced by more wooden ones. Not a lot of stone available for house building. Only the wealthy and important could do it in stone.

We had several strolls around the old port area. Lots of cobbled footpaths and roads. The residents though don’t seem to have garbage bins like us. The streets are narrow and large dumpster type bins are dropped here and there for people to throw their refuse in. It makes for a rather messy neighbourhood.

The Fish Market is a must stop off point to see the great array of fresh local product available to the residents. Some less than appetising items were on display, plenty of crabs of all shapes and sizes.

Bergen is also famous for its weather and is the rainiest city in Europe. Two in every three days have rain, we have been lucky as two of our three days have been sunny.

Allthego has been waiting for some clear skies to ride the Funicular up Mt Floyen, one of the seven mountains that lie behind Bergen.

Some great views from the top. Homealone did not join him, a rather steep ascent in glass windowed cars allowed great views as we ascended and descended the track.

We had a night in Bergen aboard the Viking Vela before leaving the port late in the day and headed up the coast. It was a bit chilly, but not as cold as it would be in Alta.