Balestrand and Bergen

Thursday we drove to Balestrand, a cute little town beside the Sognefjord. It is the home of St. Olaf church which is said to be the church that inspired the coronation scene from the movie Frozen. It is tiny and had a 20 minute service described by Trip as “just the perfect amount of time for church.”

We hiked our best hike yet – we even encountered some sheep along the way! There were clover fields everywhere and the kids spent a lot of time trying to find the ever elusive 4 leaf clover.

The next day we rowed and canoed in the fjord. There was also a little beach where the kids built sand structures and Taylor waded in the frigid water. Greg finally got to try out a one time BBQ which is very popular here; he finished the hot dogs right before the rain hit us.

It was a relaxing couple of days there – we had long meals, a trip to a small aquarium to meet the fish that live in the fjords, played cards and board games and had cider flights (alcoholic for the adults and non-alcoholic for the kids).

Saturday we made the drive to Bergen. It was a breathtaking drive through the mountain pass. We stopped at the top and took a few pictures and spotted some sweet looking sheep. We stopped at an enormous waterfall and then arrived in Bergen after all the cruises and tours left in time to hit a fun Ice bar where everything (tables, walls, sculptures, glasses and bar) is made of ice. We were lucky to have it nearly to ourselves. It was freezing but a blast!

Our last day in Bergen was spent shopping the fish markets, sampling some Norwegian foods (reindeer hamburger!) and taking the Funicular up to to Mount Floyen where the kids spent hours on an enormous rope course. They are definitely honing their American Ninja Warrior skills here in Norway.