Hello everyone!
Took my time getting ready again today. Today was a spare day that I wasn't initially aware I would have! I was going to do the Norway in a Nutshell round trip today and then travel to Oslo tmro, but dad realised you can do it Bergen to Oslo. So tomorrow I am killing two birds with one stone - sightseeing and getting to Oslo!
The chemist was open today, but I decided at $20 a pop my throat could live without Listerine. Come on immune system, get your act together...! I am a little better today though :)
I set off in the rain this morning. There was a huge thunder storm with lightning and all! Apart from getting soaked it was kind of cool. I walked to the train station and picked up my train/bus/ferry tickets for tmro! Then I walked to what I thought was the Edvard Grieg House. According to Google it was! Oh dear. I had one of those moments like mum and I in Vatican City realising we had booked our tour a day earlier than intended to....! I soon realised that this building was a concert hall named after Edvard Grieg. The receptionist laughed at me and directed me to tourist information. Here I found out they run a tour every day for $50 where you get a return bus (it's 20-30 minutes away), entrance to the museum and villa, a guide and a half hour concert. I thought this was a pretty good deal for Norway!!
So off we went on the bus. It was five million Americans and me again. This time though there were a few Canadian ladies whose husbands are here for a week at an engineering conference. I sat next to a different one each way and we chatted about all of our travels! They'd both been to Iceland last week. I'm going there next year when I'm in the UK and am now even more excited - there photos looked AMAZING!!!
We arrived at the museum and it was so crowded with tour groups. Managed to squeeze my way through and read all info. Then our guide, Eva, took us through the villa. It was really beautiful. Edvard Grieg was born in 1843 and is a famous Norwegian composer of classical music. He married his first cousin Nina (yuck!) and they built this house together in Troldhaugen (Troll's Hill) which they laughed about as they were each 152cm tall and nicknamed themselves the trolls of the hill. They make me seem tall - I like it! They built the house in 1885 and it's now open to the public. Edvard loved using nature as an influence for his compositions so there were huge windows to let lots of light in. The gardens were pretty too. I saw his composition hut and his and Nina's tomb.
I asked a man to take a photo of me with the house. Asking ransoms to take pictures of me is actually becoming a joke. He cut half the house out!!!! I give up. Mum and dad, once you're here, I'm expecting great photos ok??? Lol.
Finally we enjoyed a half hour concert of Grieg's work. The pianist was very talented and I enjoyed the music!
Headed back into town and got back about 2.30. Lashed out and treated myself. Bought a prawn roll from the Torget (fish market). It was delicious with mayo, lemon and cucumber. So it should be for $12 when it was tiny!!! Then I bought an ice cream. Had two huge scoops and it was $9, was just thinking "what a rip" when the girl said "also you can have soft serve on top with sprinkles for free". Score! Was amazing!! I had blackberry and caramel. I want another one :(
Tonight I'm just chilling out and relaxing. It's still raining on and off so nice and cosy in the apartment (I will attach photos of it as promised). I did some grocery shopping, have started to pack up and will quickly head out for some fish soup from my favourite takeaway place soon. Have also bought some 2 minute noodles equivalent if I get the munchies later on.
Have absolutely loved Bergen! So beautiful. And have well and truly proven to myself I can figure things out and cope on my own which I'm quite proud of!! Let's see how I go tmro though with 8 minute connection times - eek!!
See you all in Oslo ;) joking, but I will actually see Dad on Friday which is so exciting!!!!!! Safe flight !!!
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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