Stage 6 - Around Bergen

The sun is scorching and while Chris is doing his morning swimming laps in the icy fjord, I'm frying eggs with bacon and keeping an eye on him.

When we finish breakfast, we leisurely make our way. It's 2 pm. We actually want to visit the Borgund Stave Church, the oldest wooden building in Europe, but we're also drawn to the west coast and it's getting late. So we decide to drive to the nearby city of Bergen.

After a brief stop in the small town of Eidfjord (where the large cruise ships dock), we continue driving. The landscape is impressive. To our right, steep cliffs, rugged by dark blue flowing fjord water. Unfortunately, every few kilometers there is also a dark, ominous rock tunnel. I don't like them at all because they block the view. Chris doesn't like them either. Because they limit the view. And unfortunately, there is also a Porsche in front of us. We wonder who would drive a sports car in this landscape? Exceptionally, off-road vehicles or SUVs seem more justified here. So much terrain and mostly snow. Well, not now, but probably soon again.

After two hours, we are in Bergen and we try to find a suitable parking space using the app. It's incredible. There seems to be almost no designated day parking spaces in this city and very few campsites outside. Even fewer parking spaces. Where do tourists go when they come here? After all, it's full of motorhomes and it's already the off-season.

After visiting two very creepy and uncomfortable makeshift parking spaces and as the evening is approaching again, Chris looks at the passengers' phone again. When he looks, everything looks different in the app. Good spots suddenly become much easier to find. For whatever reason...

He actually finds something, at the harbor. We could try it there, even if it's another half an hour drive away. We dare.

And so we park alone and happy with our camper, which already provides everything we need, at a picturesque little boat harbor in a suburb of Bergen. In the evening light, we walk through the neighboring botanical garden, which is connected to the university. I am blissful. So beautiful, these flowers and trees, small groves and stones. We even find a lake and, quite beautiful - a toilet. And since public toilets here are always well-maintained and inviting, we try it out immediately.

Back at the harbor, we decide to skip cooking and instead ride our bikes to a nearby food truck. So off we go again, just a ten-minute ride. Ta-da! The stand is closed... Instead of getting annoyed, we are happy that we got out again and saw something of the surroundings. Children are being picked up from soccer practice by their parents on the sports field. It's somehow an everyday situation that we know from home as well. Just like home, but in a different place.

Back at the cinnamon roll, where two more campers have joined, we have a creative dinner: rice with corn (greetings to Sami!) and assorted sausages. We're happy, it tastes good. And we watch as a dad arrives at the harbor with his family in a small motorboat. It looks very casual as his 12-year-old son steers the boat and parks it in the designated spot after the parents and sister get off. It looks so idyllic and we smile at the dad. He smiles back and comes straight to us. 'Do you feel like having fish?' He points to the bucket in his hand. 'Sure, always!' I shout and look inside. Four fresh fish. Chris and I look at each other and nod happily. 'We'll take two and give the other two to the Belgian couple next door.'

I'm overjoyed with the unexpected gift and we pack the two fish securely so they stay fresh in the fridge. We are delighted with the unexpected gift and as a thank you, the kind dad receives a bottle of Duvel beer from the Belgians, which we try to top with a bottle of Bavarian Helles as a trade item... The Norwegian dad looks skeptical but thanks us warmly.

Shortly after, we loosely arrange to have a fish barbecue with the Belgians (Stefan and his partner) the next evening in the same place. But we don't make any promises: every day remains unplanned and spontaneous.

For brushing our teeth, we hike up to the nice toilet in the botanical garden again, how convenient. And as we leave, the huge round moon is already waiting for us, shining the way back through the field to the harbor, into the cozy, warmly lit cinnamon roll.

The next morning, we hear a familiar beep. A new day with our cinnamon roll begins...