On a drizzly morning, we made the short drive west to the village of Evanger, to a quieter railway station where we would leave Winston for the day. With no services at the "station", not even an automated machine, Jane bought our tickets online instead as we waited. This is why we're early!
We caught the 805am train, and began the roughly one hour ride into Bergen. Upon arrival in the downtown, we paused in the station for our first coffee of the day (and fresh cinnamon buns), before setting off into the light rain for a fifteen minute walk to the waterfront.
Once there, we explored the historic Bryggen district, a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring tall old wooden buildings with colourful facades, and a warren of narrow alleys. As nice as the "famous" facade is, the alleys were actually a lot more interesting.....and also gave us a slight reprieve from the rain. We wandered up and down these legendary lanes, with multiple stories looming and leaning overhead. One could easily envision this as a bustling spot on the waterfront some thousand years ago, as a vital part of the Hanseatic Trading League.
Walking further along the harbour, we also explored the Rosenkrantz Tower and surrounding fort, before heading back to the head of the inlet. At the busy fish market, we found a quiet spot and enjoyed some seafood with a nice albeit rain-dappled view of the waterfront. Jane even declared that her fish and chips may have been the second best ever, after the Nailed It food truck at Jokulsarlon in Iceland. Even the fresh crusty bread was pretty spectacular.
Walking back to the train station, we caught the 120pm train on the Bergen-Myrdal line, back to Evanger. As we purchased another coffee at the station to take onto the train, Jane managed to smash her shin against a crate of bananas on the floor in front of the cash register - painful, to be sure - but as we waited for the train, blood began to well and seep through her pantleg. We managed to get the worst of the bleeding stopped with many coffee napkins before we had to board the train.
Thankfully, Winston was still there when we got back. We drove east and make a sketchy run to Voss in heavy rain and poor visibility. At Voss, we stopped for diesel, washrooms, coffee and beer (in THAT order!). We also realized that really long mountain tunnels are quite lovely as a prolonged break from the heavy rain.
Crossing the Hardanger Bridge once again, we stopped for the night at the familiar rest stop near the southern terminus of the bridge.
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