Bergen, Norway - Day 1

Hej from Bergen, Norway! Three flights from Charlotte, NC, to Bergen made for a long travel day, but that didn't hinder our terrific first day. The final plane ride from Amsterdam to Bergen ended with spectacular views of the coastal islands, and traveling to the hotel from the airport was easy thanks to the ByBanen, or metro here in Bergen.

Landing at 10 AM was a bit rough since this felt like 4 AM back home, but some sleep was achieved on the last flight, and a quick nap at the hotel allowed for an afternoon of exploring Bergen on foot. Stop number 1, however, was a department store to buy a heavy coat – the wind makes this city much chillier, even when it is 60° F!

The walk from the Citybox hotel to Bergen's city center involves cutting through the park Smålungeren, which is a large pond and fountain surrounded by beautiful landscaping and some meticulously gardened floral arrangements. Just on the other side of this park is the Port of Bergen. There are many restaurants, some shops, and a fish market in the area, attracting tourists and locals alike toward the water.

A brief stroll through Bryggen and a couple of stops at local souvenir stores led us right to our dinner spot. This ended up being an Italian restaurant called Vilani Skostredet, which hit the spot after a long day of travel.

Bedtime is 9 tonight for 2 main reasons – first, long travel days are tiring, and second, 6:30 AM will come quickly tomorrow morning for a full day of fjord sightseeing! Check back in tomorrow for a rundown of tomorrow's adventures!