Taking off from Zurich
Approaching Oslo
It was a two and a half hour flight to Oslo. I had a three hour layover there. I had to pick up my checked suitcase, go through customs (there was no inspection at all... not even a stamp in my passport), and then recheck my suitcase and go back through security. I still had time to hit the ATM (called a Mini-Bank here) for some Norwegian krones, and to grab a lunch at one of the fast food counters in the terminal. Welcome to Norway, where food prices are just as exorbitant as in Switzerland. I paid $10 for two wieners and two little scoops of mashed potatoes. (The potatoes were served with some sort of spicy relish.)
At around 4:00 I boarded my flight to Bergen. The flight is less than an hour, and soon I could see the Atlantic coastline of Norway which is deeply indented with fjords.
After a $50 taxi ride from the airport, I arrived at my hotel, Hotel Park Bergen.
The building is quite charming. It was once the mansion of a wealthy Norwegian who was a close friend of the famous composer Edvard Grieg. The rooms, however, are minuscule. This is common for budget hotels in Europe (if you can call $150 per night "budget").
I am standing in the bathroom in order to take this photo, and my suitcases are piled behind the bathroom door.
At least the price of the room includes breakfast. They serve a pretty good breakfast buffet. I filled up on that this morning (although I skipped some of the items such as smoked trout). The travel guides tell you to make breakfast your biggest meal since restaurant prices are outrageous.
Yesterday when I arrived here it was partly sunny. However this morning we are back to typical Bergen weather... gray skies and rain. Well, I guess that I should put on my rain poncho and start exploring the city.
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