White Threads

Bergen – Utne
Sunday 18th May 2014

This morning I woke a little before 4am again (can see a pattern happening there…) It was still terribly noisy on the street outside, with chattering and music. Just after 4am I realised it had gone quiet, so everything must have had to stop at 4. Back to sleep, and I woke at about 7am. I had breakfast and boiled some eggs for lunch and dinner. I decided to risk another shower with the defective plumbing. I just did it very quickly! I packed and at 8:30am I headed out for an explore, sans bags. I made my way down to the waterfront near Bryggen.

The attractive modern design of the Bergen Information Centre

Charming wonky buildings in Bryggen

Beautiful buildings in Bryggen

First stop was Fløibanen for a ride up the funicular. From the top, there was an excellent view of Bergen, and today it was bathed in sunshine, unlike the same time yesterday!

Fløibanen funicular. Parts are above ground and parts are in tunnels

Fløibanen funicular

Another dreadful selfie, this time overlooking Bergen

Fløien Folkerestaurant up the top of Fløibanen

I had a bit of a wander, then decided to go back down to book my ferry ticket at the tourist info centre.

I never made it there! I took a detour to see if any shops were open along the Bryggen waterfront. I discovered one up a laneway, selling hardanger embroidery for tourists. There was none that I couldn’t have done myself (it was not very impressive work), however, around the walls the shopowner had examples of antique embroidery from bunader. For the price of two souvenirs, I bought myself the right to photograph the shop, including the old embroideries (none of which were actually hardanger, mind you).

Hardanger shop in Bryggen. The Hardanger is made for the tourist market.

In the same alley way, I found the most wonderful shop, Ravn Design, selling quality handmade stuff and things to make your own with. I bought myself a tablet weaving kit, a nalbinding needle (I’ll never again be anywhere where I could purchase one, so it’s now or never!), two reprints of Gudrun Stuland books (wowee!), and some hand made hook and eye clasps. We chatted heaps. They looked me up on the internet and decided they would like to stock my Hardanger book for their English speaking customers. (I hope that happens!)

Ravn Design. This business has now moved to Askøy.

Ravn Design

I then raced back to the hotel (I’ll buy my ferry ticket in Norheimsund) to go to the loo, grab my bags and check out. Off to the bus station, which I wasn’t really sure where it was, to catch a bus. Fortunately, I got the time wrong, so instead of arriving just in time for the bus, I ended up with about a 20 minute wait. But I was able to board almost straight away and get a good seat.

On the way in the bus, I felt like I was in southwest Tasmania, apart from the houses, which were all wrong for Tasmania! It was beautiful. Very green, with snow-capped mountains in the distance.

After about an hour and a half we came into Norheimsund, a little settlement built on the hills on the side of the fjord. There weren’t many people around, because it is a Sunday. I sat at a chair and table and ate my lunch. I needed to find out where the boat museum was, and where the boat leaves from, this afternoon.

Not knowing where the local tourist info centre was, I decided to go into the beautiful old hotel right in front of me to ask. The lady at reception looked horrified when I asked about the ferry. “I’m sorry but that goes from Kvanndal.” I showed her the timetable I had been given. “Oh, you mean the boat! Yes, there is a tourist boat. A ferry has cars and things that go on it!” She told me it leaves from just outside. Excellent. And the boat museum was a short walk along the waters edge.

(We obviously have different definitions of a ferry. In Sydney, which is famous for beautiful Sydney Harbour, ferries are passenger ferries. We don’t really have many car ferries. Easy mistake to make. 🙂 )

I headed off, enjoying the beautiful sunshine. The blue of the water, the green of the hills, the dots of colour (houses) and the white of the snow. Very pretty!

The very impressive Thon Hotel Sandven on the shores of Hardangerfjord

Summer time by the fjord (to me it was still quite cold…!)

When I arrived at Hardanger Fartøyvernsenter (Hardanger Maritime Museum), I couldn’t find anyone to pay, so went to the cafe, and learned it was where I was supposed to pay!

Because I’m going to the Hardanger museum tomorrow, which is part of the same group of museums, it was best for me to buy a season ticket. Except that the fellow couldn’t find them!

He told me to come back later to pay, when the other person who was working (off showing some people around) might know where the right tickets were. He was happy for me to leave my bag in the office, which was very kind. I wasn’t really sure what there was to see, because the whole place seemed quite deserted – it is Sunday, so not in operation today. Normally there would be people everywhere.

I saw a sign saying “rope” with an arrow pointing up the stairs, so up I went. There was a display of rope stuff, but all the signage was in Norwegian, and I didn’t have a hope of deciphering it. I was just about to go, when I saw booklets with all the signage in English. So I read the whole thing and understood what all the display was. They have the only official ropemaker in Norway, and she’s the first in 80 years. The rope walk is about 80 metres long, which seems long until you learn the old ones were about 320m long to be able to make the standard lengths of 220m.

The 80m long rope walk at Hardanger Fartøyvernsenter

Ropes at Hardanger Fartøyvernsenter

A church boat at Hardanger Fartøyvernsenter. Church boats were used for going to church in!

You could have a go at making your own rope, but you needed two people to do it. So I didn’t.

I went back to the cafe to pay, and was duly given my season ticket. I told the fellow that I had seen the ropes, and what else was there? He offered to take me around as there were no other people visiting. Yes, please! A personalised tour!

He asked if I’d made some rope. No, there’s only one of me. Would you like to? Yes, please!

So we made a length of rope from something (he wasn’t sure what fibre it was, nothing special though, just something cheap!). It was a very interesting process. Not so different from making cord, like I’ve done before, but with proper tools to make the job easier than with just a doorknob! He said mine was one if the better ones he’d seen. Not sure that I’ll be able to get it back into Australia due to customs and quarantine regulations, but I’ll certainly give it a go! (I did get it home. 🙂 )

My rope made at Hardanger Fartøyvernsenter (Hardanger Maritime Museum)

He took me to the blacksmith’s workshop. He said that on cold days, the blacksmith has the plum job, while the boat builders freeze.On sunny days the boat builders have the plum job, and the blacksmiths are cooped up inside, unable to enjoy it. Apparently it rains a lot in these parts. So today is not a day for blacksmiths!

Their blacksmith is very proud of his skills, because all he needs to make anything is his furnace, anvil and hammer. There were other pieces of equipment there, but he doesn’t really need them, they just make life easier. The room had small windows because the smithy needs relatively low light so that he can properly see the colour that the metal goes. Too hot or too cold, and it just won’t work.

My guide showed me the new slip, where the concrete was only poured very recently. It is a beautiful large wooden structure. He said previously the old one was much smaller, and this new big one will really help the shipyard.

He showed me the big boats and the little boats. Building the big boats is what brings in the most money. They have a boat that is from the 30s that they’ve been restoring since he was a little fellow (he might have been in his twenties?). It all comes down to money though – they need money to work on it, and it is few and far between.

He showed me the difference between the little boats from the west coast and the ones favoured on the east coast. West coast have very wide boards and are much more flexible. The board nearest the hull is actually carved into shape, not steamed. East coast boats have much narrower boards and are much more sturdy and less flexible. He doesn’t think the east coast people know what’s right in a good boat!

Beautiful wooden boats at Hardanger Fartøyvernsenter

I went back to get my bag and thanked him very much for his excellent tour. I then went around and took a few photos. It was about 3:40, so I had a bit of a wait until the boat at 5:40.

I went back along the foreshore and sat in the sun, and wrote this. A beautiful way to spend a few hours.

The boat (not ferry!) came into view at about 5:30pm and made its way to the wharf. Maybe 16 people got off and four of us got on. And off we went. The boat guy came over to me and another couple from Scotland to tell us that we wouldn’t be able to pay as the ticket machine wasn’t working. I was so glad that I hadn’t bought my ticket that morning in Bergen! I saved myself kr 195!

Well, it was beautiful. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t as gorgeous as that! Because it was such a lovely day, the water and the skies were blue, with the green slopes and white snow above it. Dotted asking the edges of the fjord were little houses and settlements. Closer to Utne, there were orchards, with blossoms almost finished.

Sailing boat on Hardangerfjord

Hardangerfjord

Houses and farmland on the shores of the Hardangerfjord

I was the only one who got off at Utne, and the Scottish lady yelled out “Bye!” and waved from where she was up the top of the boat. I arrived at about 6:30.

Utne looks charming. My room looks charming. Totally. I’m staying at THE place to stay in Utne – the Utne Hotel. Unfortunately I don’t have a room overlooking the fjord, but it is in the main section, and I look out to the side and back.

Coming into Utne on the tourist boat

The famous Utne Hotel

My charming room at the Utne Hotel

It’s 7:30, and still very bright. These late sunsets are weird. I can’t imagine the midnight sun!

I’ll probably sew and then go to bed. What a lovely day!

Bergen
Saturday 17th May 2014

I’m so tired it is not funny. I slept until about 4 am on the train. Outside it was already light, though the sun was not up. It was snowy and white out. Very cold, I imagine! I went back to sleep, then when I next looked out at about 6am, it was green and raining lightly.

Velkommen til Bergen

I arrived in Bergen at about 7am. The rain was thankfully just nuisance rain. I was unable to use a luggage locker at the station as I didn’t have the right coins and didn’t think anyone would break a 50 for me.

I headed into town, following my nose. My hotel’s reception didn’t open until 10, so I was stuck with my bags. I hitched them together so that I could carry them with just one set of straps. They were still very heavy though, as they have my food supplies in them too.

The first parade was a little low-key. There was probably 200-300 people maximum.

The first parade of the day in Bergen

After the first parade, there were some formalities on the banks of Lille Lungegårdsvannet, complete with Viking ship

Hardanger bunad

Beltestakk bunad from East Telemark

Beltestakk bunad from East Telemark

The next parade didn’t start until about 10am, so I headed down to Bryggen, near where the parade would start. I sat and watched the world go by. It was cold, but thankfully the rain had stopped.

Waiting in the early morning in Bryggen (though that isn’t me in the photo)

More and more people were turning up. I kept taking photos. Before the parade started, I found myself a position on the kerb, near the beginning of the parade.

I think this is the Bergen bunad. There is also a cream version, rather than the blue.

Waiting for the parade to start

After a while I struck up a conversation with the lady next to me, who was beautifully dressed in her bunad, but also by herself. Her name was Ana/Anna, and she was lovely. She answered my questions about what I was seeing, and gave me a bit of commentary of the parade. She pointed out the PM (a native of Bergen, so marching in their parade), and various different bunader and where they come from. She said she was pleased to be using English, as they’re going on holidays to Turkey, so she needs to practice it for that.

She’s two years older than me, has five kids ranging in age from 21 down to 5. She said goodbye when two of her daughters turned up in the parade with their gymnastics club, and she joined them. She was a lovely companion to have!

The parade went on for about 2.5 hours. Fortunately I didn’t have the bags on my back all that time. I put them at my feet and stood over them. Otherwise I’d be even more tired than I am!

I took so many photos. I hope there are some useable ones amongst them. (There were!)

Parading in Bergen

Not only were community groups parading. There were also businesses in the parade, such as this tiling business. And yes, they were tiling the wall as they went along!

Parading in Bergen

I’m still as puzzled by this as the little girl in the photo is…

Anna told me that Bergen is famous for its drummers

Re-enactors in the parade

People of Bergen parading

Both the Mayor of Bergen (wearing the mayoral chains) and the Prime Minister are in this photo. The PM is the one with short blonde hair that everyone is looking at. Security guy in front talking into his lapel…

After the parade, I went to the visitor information centre and they gave me all the info I needed about buses etc for tomorrow (getting to Utne) and for a few days’ time, getting to the airport. I sat for a while, overlooking the throngs of people. There were people everywhere. Thousands upon thousands, and many dressed in their bunader. Many more women were dressed up than men, though many men were wearing suits.

17th May celebrations in Bryggen

17th May celebrations in Bergen

I enjoyed my quiet sit. I had actually been feeling quite visually overwhelmed! There was so much to see, take in, and learn from.

My view at lunch

I then emptied all I had seen, and learned from Anna, from my head, into my notebook. That took some time.

I checked into the hotel at about 3pm. The kitchen is opposite me, so I hope that doesn’t end up being too noisy. I just had a shower and discovered the water drains SO slowly as to be almost imperceptible. I’ll mention that when I check out…

It’s now after 4pm, and while I’d like to go off exploring, I’m not sure I can today. I think I’m too tired. (Actually, I’m exhausted!) And, there’s too many people out there. I’ll do it in the morning before catching the bus to Norheimsund. I’ll go to the boat building museum, then catch the ferry to Utne.

Oh, maybe I’ll go for a wander. Sigh. Great day. Tiring day. So visually overwhelming. 🙂