I started studying a part-time STEM degree with the Open University in 2020, and one of my modules was called “Environment: Journeys through a changing world”. Its focus was climate change, life in a changing world, and the anthropogenic activities that are causing the (sometimes) irreversible changes to the environment and our beautiful, fragile planet. I studied biodiversity loss, the impacts of pollution and waste, and the extinction of many animals and plants. I was particularly drawn to the subject of the first block that explored the Arctic, and was fascinated by the environmental change going on there. The part of the Arctic Circle that has drawn so much scientific research, particularly as it is known as an early warning system for global warming and climate change, is the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. It is 78 degrees north and only 1500 km from the North Pole. A recent report by an ITV journalist said that the warming of Spitsbergen, one of the islands of Svalbard, is accelerating three times faster than anywhere else on the planet. This is a major concern for anyone of course.
So I was drawn to this remote part of the world through my studies, and tried to figure a way to get there. After a bit of research I found a company called Hurtigruten that does a journey up the Norwegian coast and extends its route to Svalbard. Excited by the fact I could book the September journey (no longer working on school has its benefits), the trip was planned with military precision.
At 6:10am we took the first leg of our flight from Humberside Airport to Schiphol, which is a one hour flight on a small plane. We booked the whole route with KLM to Bergen, where the ship departs on Saturday 7th September. However, we flew with Eastern Airways on this part of our journey. We had to book business class flights to give us a decent baggage allowance, as the temperatures for the whole trip range between 23 and zero degrees. This meant I had to carry my winter coat which was easier to wear rather than carrying, so I was quite hot when moving about. On the flight we had breakfast and a cuppa which set me up for the day.
On arriving at Schiphol, and a bus ride to the terminal, we were stopped by two very pleasant Dutch customs officers, who did a quick skin test for drugs, and a brief check of our bags. We then headed to passport control, which was a bit chaotic. One woman, with her partner and two children, was screaming at an employee as they had five minutes to get their connecting flight. I’m pretty certain the screaming episode was why she wasn’t able to bypass the queues. It took 30-35 minutes for us to clear passport control, before we headed for the lounge for a bit of relaxation and a glass or two of Prosecco.
The flight to Bergen was full and it took a while for everyone to board. Again, with our small mountain of luggage we’d chosen business class. We were given a strawberry smoothie drink before taking off, which was lovely.
The 1.5 hour flight passed quickly and we were very well looked after by air stewardess Krystal. We were brought a lunch of Korean style noodle salad with soy, beans and tuna sashimi, topped with black sesame seeds. Dessert was a selection of macarons, washed down with some Spanish Cava. It was all very delicious.
On arrival at Bergen airport, the next task was to get to the city and hotel itself. Normally, when travelling from an airport, we would use public transport such as a shuttle or train. But, given that we had checked in baggage, hand baggage and under seat bags on top of my very warm coat, we decided a taxi would be the best option.
We decided that getting an Uber was the best option although we realised that it would be more expensive than public transport. On the plus side, we arrived at the hotel before the crowds and were checked in, with bags left in the room, before going out to explore.
The Hotel Clarion Admiral is a modern, clean hotel and is on the edge of a bay named Vågen. This is where the central harbour of Bergen is situated. There are many private boats moored there, as well as some of the smaller commercials boats that offer day trips. On the opposite side of the Vågen is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bryggen, which is the old wharf of Bergen. More about that later.
According to the locals, the weather in Bergen was unusually hot. It was a pleasant 26 degrees when we were out walking.
Our first stop was the outdoor Fish Market (Fisketorget), which is about five minutes walk from the hotel. It is open from 9am-11pm every day. There are stalls selling seafood, fruit and vegetables, as well as more local foods such as moose and reindeer burgers.
There are also some fish restaurants that have menus made up of dishes of local catches, which include salmon, crab, herring, scallops and even sea urchin.
The Fish Market has been around since the 1200s as a place for meetings between locals, fisherman, farmers and merchants. The indoor Fish Market, called Malhallen, opened in 2012.
The original location of the Fish Market was in Bryggen, in the street called Nikolaikirkeallmenning. It was moved to the Vågen area of Bergen to prevent the Hanseatic league becoming too powerful over the locals. This league originated from the Hansa, which is the German Guild of Merchants, who installed their overseas office at Bryggen in 1360. They dominated this area of Bergen for almost 400 years.
After we’d wandered the Fish Market, we headed towards the funicular (Fløibanen). Due to the unusual weather (it’s normally foggy, damp, wet etc) our taxi driver had recommended that we go up the funicular to see some great views of Bergen and the surrounding mountains. It cost 180 NOK (approximately £13) for a return journey to the top. There are two trains, and they run every ten minutes. It took about 5-10 minutes to go up the mountainside in a modern, smooth cabin.
https://www.floyen.no/en/floibanen
It was a bit of a wow moment when we exited the cabin and went outside. The vistas of Bergen were absolutely breathtaking. There was no wind up there, the temperature was mid 20s and the sun was beating down on us. There is a bar and restaurant up there so we decided to try a local beer or two, shaded from the sun. I guess the beer at Lykkeboden (Lucky Booth) is quite strong as it went straight to my head.
We decided to stick to water after that and did a bit of exploring. The Troll Forest is worth a visit and makes a pleasant and cooler walk. There are carvings of trolls dotted around the tall pine trees as well as marked out paths for walkers and cyclists.
https://floyen.no/en/activities/summertime-at-mount-floyen/
Once we’d had a bit of a walk and a cool down, we headed back down to Bergen, and went in the direction of Bryggen.
We found a lovely looking restaurant advertising grilled fillet of reindeer, which attracted JC’s attention straightaway. It was lovely and sunny still, busy with people going out on a Friday afternoon to enjoy the weather.
We chose a table outside the Bryggeloftet & Stuene restaurant and were brought a menu and a carafe of water. The waitress was lovely and helpful with the menu. I ordered a halibut with greens and dauphinois potatoes. It was all fresh and cooked to perfection. It was getting busier down the street. We even saw a procession of Ukrainians protesting about what the Russians are doing to their people and country.
After we’d eaten and polished off a nice bottle of white, we went to explore Bryggen. One of the oldest trading posts of Northern Europe, Bryggen comprises of tall, slim wooden waterfront buildings (siestuer), smaller rooms at the back of the buildings (landstuer), kitchens (ildhus) and rooms used for gatherings (schetstuer).
There is one trading house still in its original condition, namely Finnegärden. It had to be reconstructed in 1704 following a disastrous fire in 1702.
We were still going strong after our early start and went to a bar called Enhjorningen (The Unicorn). There was an outdoor drinking area with an outdoor bar, which was perfect for an evening drink in the sunshine. Another local beer was consumed before heading further along the quayside.
We then walked back towards the Fish Market area of the town and, after a quick freshen up at the hotel, went back out. It was dusk at about 9pm and I wanted to see the view of Bryggen from our hotel side.
Firstly, we visited a bar called Late Monkey, which I would never recommend. The staff were quite rude and had an awful attitude. We had one cocktail and left. The last place we visited was Sapas, a laid back bar that had a nice vibe and nice staff. We spent an hour or so there before deciding we were too jaded to venture anywhere else.
The evening sky was dark enough to see the lights of Bryggen from the other side of the harbour, reflecting on the water. It was lovely and tranquil, but with distant voices and music emitting from the bars and private boats dotted around.
It really is a tremendous place for a visit and I’m glad we are staying there again at the end of our tour up the coast of Norway.
jctraveller 
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