Snorri, Egon and Whale Meat---Velkommen å Bergen.

First up, what I am currently working my way through...I strongly recommend Hauge, wonderful Norwegian poet

Went back into the city today and was able to explore a bit more than I had been able to during my last visit. Mostly I ventured around the historic Bryggen area (old port/docking area and fish market).

Statue of Snorri Sturluson, the author of Eddas and Norse Mythology

Read more about Snorri: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorri_Sturluson

View of the Bryggen, some of the buildings dating as far back as 1702

Odin and Thor, they are damn near everywhere. =P

View of the narrow alley ways in the Bryggen, note the wooden streets

Pelt and fur shop

Reindeer pelts for sale

Everything is crooked!

Restaurant sign in Bergen...Damn, Chicago follows me everywhere....

MORE TROLLS!

Lovely little coffee shop

Finally had a beer. A Carlsberg...for a whopping k33! Beer is cheaper in America.

Pigeon I wooed with the aid of some peanuts

 And just as I was settling into the differences of a European city and enjoying the sheer "Norwegian-ness" of the place--------I saw it....horror of horrors!!!!!!!!!

Just when I though I had found the ORIGINAL McDonalds...I  realized that only the building was what dated back to 1710 (note plaque at top). BOO!

 Damn you, America... Damn. You.

Had to go to an actual Norwegian restaurant chain now to combat the sheer evil that is American fast food...in other words one of the several Bergen "Egon's". This restaurant chain is named after a Norwegian "hero"---a fictional thief and the mastermind leader of "The Olsen Gang" from the popular and almost cult-classic films all about the criminal gang's misadventures.

Norwegians give their children great role-models...

Interior use to be an old meat market

I'm told that the fish market is THE place to be on the Bryggen...so, I have some pictures. Unfortunately, I got there as it was closing (yeah, like 3:30 in Norway, btw), so I didn't see too much. Almost everything closes at literally 4pm.

Stand

Stand selling sausages...whale, moose and reindeer. I bought some whale sausage.

 OH, and disclaimer! The whale meat sold here is not from endangered species and its harvested with ecological consideration, so NO, I'm not going to feel bad for buying it. Its not like I'm buying Japanese whale meat, for pete's sake.

I also had a very nice salesman give me a free whale steak cooked right there on the grill... because I was a cute American girl who had never had it before.

Win!

Odd way to flirt with someone though...looking back on it..."here's some whale meat on me".

I didn't mind. It was delicious. And kind of a weird mix of fish and steak taste...if that makes any sense to you.

Note tubes of "Kaviar", yes TUBES. I've had it...its salty and pink and alright I guess.

Square by the wharf, note the way the buildings go up the mountainsides,  the statue is of Ludvig Holberg.

And if you don't know who Holberg is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludvig_Holberg

Alright, thats enough for now...going to go eat some more whale meat (in sausage form and on flat bread) because it tastes good. So sue me.

=P