Scandinavia Here I Come!

I arrived in Bergen, Norway the day before the official tour started. When flying long distances, I like to get there a day early so that I can get over any jet lag or tiredness. I also can spend my extra day exploring on my own. I don't know why, but not too many people like to do some of the things I like to do. 

And what did I find to do? The Troll Museum! Norway is the land of trolls and mythical, magical beings. There are all different types of trolls, from the cute little helpful trolls to the trolls who will just as soon eat you as look at you.

This helpful hint was posted as soon as you walk in.  We don't want to have any accidents.

There was a room with a large relief display that told the story of how trolls came to be.

There are many types of trolls

There was one room where you walked into and it seemed just like anybody's living room.

BUT NO...

This is the classic view that you always see when you think of Bergen - the wooden houses of Bryggen.  These houses were primarly constructed after the fire of 1702 and are Bergen's UNESCO World Heritage Site. My cab driver scoffed as we entered this area and said "Nothing but tourists here"

There is one everywhere

Throughout Scandanavia there were all these sauna boats.  Take your sauna and then jump in the ocean. 

A little way out of the 'touristy' area, there was a lovely park. 
The building way up top was where the funicular stopped.

Edvard Munch (pronounced Munck) is famous for his painting The Scream.  He definitely has a distinctive style.  One of the art museums in Bergen had a complete room dedicated to Munch. 

Edvard Munch
The Woman On The Bridge 1902-1903

Edvard Munch
Evening on Karl Johan Street 1892

When I was young, I watched the movie Ben Hur.  In the movie Ben's mother and daughter came down with leprosy.  For some reason it had a profound impact on me - I viewed leprosy with some sort of horrid fascination.  So, of course, I had to visit St. Jorgen's Hospital also known as The Leprosy Museum.

In 1873, a Bergen doctor, Gerhard Amauer Hansen, studied the disease of leprosy and discovered its cause in the local hospital-cum-leper-colony.  He discovered that the disease Leprosy was caused by a bacteria and was an infectious disease. It rocked the medical community back in the day.

Fun fact: Nine-Banded Armadillos are the only known mammal besides humans to be know to carry the leprosy bacteria. 

Bedrooms on each side. 
We had to wear protective slippers over our feet - not because of possible  leprosy contagion, but because these floors are the original floors (from sometime in the Middle Ages) and they wanted to protect the floors

The Music Pavilion in City Park

Trolls are everywhere