Sadly, we were in Bergen for less than 48 hours. We arrived around 3 pm on a Sunday and caught a taxi to the airport at noon on Tuesday. The first two days, I took tons of scenic images of the town (which I showed in my last post). The last morning we were there, we left the house early to explore the side of town we hadn't visited yet.These photos are from that trip. They are less expansive and beautiful, and more of the "vacation photos" variety, but I love them just the same.The day began when we caught a teeny ferry across the bay. We didn't have time to make the 45 min walk around the water and back, and this ferry was a 5 min. ride and only a few dollars. Both rides we were the only ones on the boat, and the captain let Ezra ring the bell for our departure each time. This might have been a trip highlight for the kid.He had just rung the bell here.I know I'm bad about posting photos of myself on the blog, but honestly I always have the camera up to my face and I'm bad at stopping and posing. I was glad Jamie caught this moment.While inside this tiny boat, the windows were about at water level. This was our view.And that, above, is the boat pulling away, heading back to the other side. Cute, isn't it!? It's called The Beffen. The rest of the photos are just things I stopped to shoot while we walked to get coffee and pastries and then explored for an hour before ferrying back to our house to catch a cab to the airport.I really just wanted an image of this cute street, but ok, I guess I'll photograph the handsome man as well.I mean, I know I showed you that gorgeous Starbucks, but this McDonald's?!? Really?This white house was where we stayed. It was built in the very early 1800s and was fantastic. We had the first floor and the homeowners live on the top two floors. It was quite charming to hear muffled jazz and Norwegian in the evenings, I must admit. And the water is only a block away, so the breeze through those windows? A+.

I am not gonna lie, one of the very main reasons I wanted to go to Norway was because I wanted to photograph the fjords. And it made me so very happy to do just that.We took a 3-hour fjord tour out of Bergen, and it was just what I was looking for. It was the perfect length for having a small child in tow, and it still took us deep enough into the fjords to where I felt like I got to see what I came for. Also? The boat pulled up to a waterfall and we all got cups of water to drink fresh from the mountain spring. That was a nice perk!These are some of my favorite photos of the trip, and I can't wait to pick one or two out to hang in the house. I'll be putting them up for sale soon as well, so if you'd like a print, please let me know. And lastly, I hope these photos aren't too repetitive, but I loved this experience so much that it made the edit much harder than normal.

Bergen, as you can see, is very different than Oslo. And while I loved both cities, I am so, so glad we made it to Bergen. I had wondered if it would be worth the added trip just so I could see some fjords, and the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, while I did enjoy Oslo immensely, if I didn't have friends in the city my next trip to Norway might just be to the smaller villages and towns as I am so enamored with the beauty of the land and architecture.Below are a ton of photos of just Bergen. The fjords will be up later (and please come back for those -- I promise you don't want to miss them).We were there for less than 48 hours, and you can tell I fell hard for the colors and feel of this town. Plus? It smelled and felt coastal (which it is). And the Air BnB we stayed at was a block from the water, so with the windows open and the large feather bed, we all slept like the dead. It was marvelous.These narrow cobblestone streets up and down the hillsides were stunning. And I loved all the flower beds. I took this photo at the playground. If our neighborhood playground had this view, I would live there day and night with Ezra. Sorry kid.This is looking out the other direction. The fog rolled in right when we arrived, and it made for wonderful images. I'm not sure if it's always there or if I lucked out, but I was smitten with it.Just down the street from the house we stayed in was a picnic area. This was the view. Yeah.Behind the picnic area is the government-run preschool (daycare) which costs roughly $250/month for residents. Let me repeat that, about $250 A MONTH. We pay more than that PER WEEK in the states and my kid's daycare overlooks train tracks and a Holiday Inn Express. This center up there? It looks out over the picnic area. Which means it looks out onto the water that I showed above it. These Norwegians are doing it right.Ooooh I love that fog.Down by the water is an enormous fish market. We ate fresh paella there and it was super fun.Is that not the most beautiful Starbucks you have ever seen?And the final obligatory shot of the wooden houses along the water. Bergen, you were a dream.