The first destination of our long term trip was Bergen, Norway (BGO). The main reason we went there was because we got a good deal on a one way flight and it seemed like a good place to start in Europe. Knowing that Scandinavian countries are very pricey, none of them were on our initial list of places to visit. Neither of us really knew much about Bergen, but after doing a bit of research, we saw what a gorgeous, hidden gem it was. Seeing this city in person exceeded our expectations. Even as we were landing, we noticed the beautiful landscapes - green and lush mountains intertwined with deep blue waters (mini fjords). But before I go into our observations, below are some quick facts about Bergen and Norway: 

Geography: Located on the west coast of Norway, on the North Sea, surrounded by green mountains and fjords (long, narrow, deep inlets of the sea between high cliffs)

Population:  Bergen - 274,000 making it the second largest city in Norway, right after Oslo. Norway - 5.1 million people

Demographics:  85% Ethnic Norwegians, immigration increased in the last years with people coming from Europe, Asia and Africa 

Currency: Norwegian Krone NOK, 100 NOK = $16.2

Religion: Mainly Church of Norway 

Best Known for: Being the getaway city to the Fjords and glaciers, picturesque buildings, 240 days of rain a year, seafood & fish market, whale hunting, and ridiculously good looking blonde people.

After taking a much needed post-flight nap, we decided to go out and explore the town. As we got lost around Bergen on our first evening of exploring, we noticed that it was not getting dark - at all. We knew that we should be expecting very long days but experiencing that in real life was pretty surreal. The sun was high up in the sky until almost 11pm. Since we suffered from jet-lag and did not go to bed till 3:30 am we noticed that it got sort of dark only for about an hour, starting at 2am. After that it was just dusk and then bright again. It is amazing how much one can fit into their schedule with so many hours of sunlight. Unfortunately in the wintertime the situation reverses and there is only few hours of sunlight. 

Another shocking thing and something the three of us noticed and agreed on right away is that Norwegians are exceptionally good-looking. There are many tall and naturally blonde men and women who look beautiful in a very effortless kind of a way. They are slim, wear casual and sporty clothing, and not much make up. Their hair is shiny like rays of sunshine and their skin has a beautiful glow. We tried to find out the secret to looking so good and concluded that it must be their diet of seafood. Or perhaps it's their relaxed lifestyle and great healthcare. Not sure... All we know is that it's one handsome nation.

Scroll below for photos and more fun facts. More photos in the gallery page. 

Norway MapNorway Map

Hanseatic buildings of Bryggen, a World Heritage SiteHanseatic buildings of Bryggen, a World Heritage Site

Hanseatic Buildings of Bergen, World Heritage Site 

Hanseatic buildings of Bryggen, a World Heritage SiteHanseatic buildings of Bryggen, a World Heritage Site

View on Hanseatic Buildings from a hill 

Stop for a morning coffee Stop for a morning coffee

Stop for a morning coffee. In Bergen, average small drip-coffee price is 25-30 NOK which is $4-5. 

Cloudy BergenCloudy Bergen

For the majority of our stay it was overcast and rainy, with temperatures in the mid 60s. Despite that, we had a great time.

Colorful houses in BergenColorful houses in Bergen

We loved Bergen's architecture: the colorful houses and pitched roofs painted a beautiful picture of the city. 

Fish Market in BergenFish Market in Bergen

Fish Market in Bergen. Gabi is eyeing some whale with a skeptical side eye. We decided against ordering whale as the methods of killing this huge mammal are pretty brutal but we got a small sample of it and were glad we did not purchase it. The taste was as if someone mixed fish and meat and made a steak out of it. 

Dinner in ZupperiaDinner in Zupperia

What we did go for was a late lunch/dinner at a local soup restaurant called Zupperia. We were not disappointed - our dishes were amazing. Norway is a very expensive country so these were quite pricey but definitely well worth every krone. Vlad had reindeer (or as they call it - "Rudolph") soup followed by a dish of fresh salmon, while Gabi and I shared a seafood soup and this amazing meal of local monk fish. Thank goodness prior to eating it we did not know that monk fish looks like this. Yikes! 

Bergen Funicular to Mt FloyenBergen Funicular to Mt Floyen

We took the Fløibanen Funicular, one of Bergen's top attractions, which is a railway that brings you to the top of Mount Floyen, providing stunning views of Bergen at 320m above sea level. 

Fløibanen Funicular - top of mt FloyenFløibanen Funicular - top of mt FloyenFløibanen Funicular

Enjoying the magnificent views at Mount Floyen. 

Fløibanen Funicular - top of mt FloyenFløibanen Funicular - top of mount Floyen

The three of us on top of Mount Floyen

Testing out my new lens - fish market area from top of Mount Floyen. It's worth to note that this photo was taken around 10PM! 

Instead of taking the funicular down we decided to hike back to the city center. The pleasant hike took about 1 hour. This was our first time hiking so late at night - between 10 and 11pm! As you can see from the photos, it was still very bright out.

slog eating a leafslog eating a leaf

 And lastly, we spotted this cute slug along the way. I think we interrupted his dinner.

pretty girlpretty girl

Here is an example of a pretty girl in Norway - I still have to practice my paparazzi skills but you get the picture - lots of gorgeous blonds. 

*** For more photos of Norway, good-looking people and stylish kids, please visit the Gallery page.