Last Week and Preikestolen

Last Week in Bergen

I am down to my last week in Bergen and the formal part of my Fulbright visit to Norway. It has been a rush of activities as things come to a close. For good and bad, the progress on my research has slowed. This is good because it means that I have been taking advantage of opportunities that are more local to my visit in Bergen. For example, I have two more presentations that I will be giving during this final week. It is bad because the progress on the research has been slow throughout the visit. I am also squeezing in some last minute tasks around Bergen, such as deciding on what souvenirs and keepsakes I want to bring home with me. My brother, John, and my sister-in-law arrive in Bergen on Saturday. I will spend the weekend showing them around Bergen and the surrounding area. My sister, Krista, and my brother-in-law arrive on Monday. I will be giving a send-off seminar presentation Monday morning, which will be my last activity at the University of Bergen and NORCE. My family will be able to be at that seminar presentation. The five us will pile into a rental car the next morning for adventures starting along the western fjords of Norway and ending in Oslo.

The Latest in Bergen

Bergen continues to gain more and more outdoor life as the temperatures continue to warm. Last Tuesday the fountain was installed and turned on in Lille Lungegårdsvannet (the small lake in Bergen Sentrum). I have noticed that the shops are now open with later hours into the evening. This past Friday, May 1st, was the Norwegian holiday: Labour Day (also called May Day or International Workers Day). Labour Day always falls on May 1st, which means this year was a unique year in that it provided a three-day weekend. There were more activities around Bergen, including a stage with bands near the harbor.  I am also starting to see preparations being made for the 17th of May (Syttende Mai) day, which is the Norwegian Constitution Day. It is the Norwegian equivalent to the Fourth of July. I’ll be sharing more about Syttende Mai in a future post.

Preikestolen

This past weekend I did a quick day trip to outside of Stavanger to do the Preikestolen hike. The Preikestolen hike is one of the most famous hikes to do in Norway. Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) is a steep cliff that is approximately 2000 feet (600 m) above the water of Lysefjorden. Preikestolen has a flat top, which makes it a great place to hang out in the sun and take a break before the return hike. Overall, it is 5 mile round trip hike. I did the hike during my visit to Norway in 2010. It was something I wanted to repeat on this visit, even if it was a five-hour drive away. I had originally tried to do the hike as an overnight visit two weeks earlier. That effort was aborted after a failed effort to get a rental car. I kept an eye on a day with clear weather, and last Friday was the day. It was a beautiful day for a hike and to hang out at Preikestolen.