We are staying in a hotel about 400m from the middle of Bergen and Chris is in a hostel just up the road. We have a view of the Bergen Cathedral which is unfortunately under renovations so covered in plastic and scaffolding.

First order of business today was to get the tyre fixed on our bike. After Greg used his mini-compressor to put some air in the now flat tyre, he set off with Chris to the Triumph Dealer which they thought was 13km out of town. When they got there, they discovered that the service department was actually back in town only anout 2km from our hotel - b*****! Thankfully the tyre was replaced and after parting with $517 AUD - yes, for one tyre - the boys were back and ready to explore Bergen.

Bergen is known as The Gateway to the Fjords of Norway. We had no intention of cruising to another fjord (been there, done that in Stavanger). Our plan was to check out the city. Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. We started our self-guided walking tour at the Fish Market as we were ready for lunch. The Fish Market is the best known and most visited outdoor market in Norway and is in the heart of the city. Not only can you buy all types of fish but you can also get local specialties such as cheese, fruit and vegetables and cured meats, all of which you can sample before buying. We tasted reindeer, whale and moose salami before settling on some prawn and crayfish sandwiches. Greg went for a hotdog but resisted the temptation to have reindeer sausage in it.

The very first buildings in Bergen were built alongside the wharf called Bryggen. These wooden buildings have been ravaged by fire many times the worst being in 1702. We wandered through the narrow alleyways and overhanging galleries. The colourful buildings along the wharf house numerous souvenir shops all after the tourist dollar. Chris boosted the economy by purchasing a new jacket.

When the fog lifted we caught the Floibanen Funicular to take us to the top of Mount Floyen. Without fail, everyone who stepped off the funicular at the top and saw the view just said "WOW!" It is not until you get to the top that you can see just how big Bergen is. The views stretched from the distant fjords, panoramic city scenes, visiting cruise ships, bridges and freeways - basically the whole city was at your feet. We spent a while enjoying the scenery before catching the funicular back down the mountain.

Dinner tonight was down by the Fish Markets before an early night preparing for our ride through the mountains tomorrow as we head back towards Sweden.