“There’s no bad weather, only bad clothes!” Apparently a popular Norwegian phrase although, to be honest, I never heard it said once. I’m from Northern Ireland where it rains a lot. And I mean A LOT! So when I read that Bergen was the wettest city in Europe I didn’t worry. Could it really be wetter than Northern Ireland? It seems so. Apparently it rains two thirds of the time. I was in Bergen for three days in March and it rained two out of the three. The statistic is correct. Never one to be caught out in such inclement conditions, I had brought good clothing. Not good enough though it would seem, as we arrived at the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra concert hall like two drowned rats. Literally dripping. The Bergenites arrived dry, having chosen a much more appropriate mode of transport (ie by car, not on foot like those of us trying to save a few pennies). The coat hangers that greeted you on entrance to the concert hall told the story of a nation that are strong, resilient and not beaten by torrential rain. I think that is how I would describe the Norwegians. They are Vikings after all. A little reserved I would say..definitely no small talk. Maybe that’s a good thing? Also not a place to practice the very basic toddler level norwegian that had been learned in preparation for the trip. Having said all of that, it is a place of immense beauty. The fjords are spectacular. Peaceful, perfect and stunning. You will be speechless. Bergen is an easy city to walk around but make sure you take the funicular to the top-definitely worth it and there is a little hidden lake at the top where you can sit and read and ponder. Booking a walking tour is useful to help you get your bearings-just make sure you bring your coat and brolly! Things are generally quite expensive but we found a free war museum which was really interesting just a short walk from the Fort. So unfortunate that the only phrase that came to mind as I stepped into the war museum was “Jeg kommer fra Tyskland..” I never did learn how to say “I come from Northern Ireland”. I guess that’s what happens when you use a German based company for language learning! As I finish, Suksessterte is something that you must try when in Norway. Called success tart because it’s so easy to make apparently? The strange thing is that I couldn’t find it anywhere. When I got home I looked up a recipe and made it-very delicious. Maybe next time, if I visit again, I will have more success in finding it!