Bergen - Tysse, Norway

Sunday 12th September 1999

The weather was good this morning as we arose so we decided to have a further look at the old part of Bergen. It rains here 270 days a year so two days straight of sunshine was pretty good.

We headed back to Bryggen via the cobbled streets and decided to take a look at Schøtstuene, the old socialising and drinking halls for the Hanseatic merchants. Things looked even better when we discovered that it was Bryggen heritage day and all museums would be free.

The interior of the hall was wonderfully laid out, full of original furniture and giving the sense that it was ready for use that night. The priorities of the merchants was illustrated by the three high chairs in the main hall reserved for the most important office-bearers. Second in rank only to the chief merchant was the brew-keeper. Third was the wood-keeper, to keep the fires burning. For safety reasons no fires were allowed in the warehouses, offices, or sleeping quarters so the warmth of the Schøtstuene would have been very popular.

We moved on from there to the Hanseatic museum, the preserved office and living quarters of one of the merchants from the heyday of the district. The merchants were so important to Norway, providing much needed grain in exchange for the dried cod fish of the north, that they were allowed to create a virtual city within a city, with their own laws, schools, churches, and administration. We took a guided tour around the building and it again felt as though the occupants had just stepped out for a moment. Everything was in its place and the building was fully furnished as it would have been when it housed the merchant, his journeymen, and their apprentices.

After a fascinating tour we headed for the exit only to find that the rain had come. A more typical Bergen we were told. I rushed back and picked up the car and brought it around to the harbour where we had some lunch.

Our next destination is Oslo, on the other side of the country. We decided to get some distance covered so we headed out of Bergen and along one of the scenic roads heading east. We soon found another great spot to stop, Norway is just full of them, besides a rushing river and beneath the tall mountains. A big day of driving tomorrow so now some rest.