Bergen's sights

Jeremy and I slept remarkably late despite the early sunshine, but eventually set off to see the official sights of Bergen. Since yesterday was Sunday, we hadn't been able to enter the museums or other sites of interest.

Walking along, we noticed gutters
 from the downspouts, meaning
pedestrians don't have to cross
raging torrents during storms. Nice idea!

First stop: Johanneskirke. A lovely late-1800s Lutheran church, the insides were William Morris, and the outside red brick. I didn't feel comfortable taking photos of a church interior, so you're stuck with just outside shots.

Next was a local wool shop (definitely a must-see if you're like me) with only minimal damage, and then on to the Rosenkrantz Tower and Hakon's Hall. The Rosenkrantz Tower has early (1100s) foundations that were added onto in the Renaissance. As it was first explained, those were the upper stories of the building. However, based on later photos, the upper part of the tower was completely damaged during an explosion in 1944, so it must be a reconstruction of the Renaissance addition.
Regardless, it was a lovely, convoluted space with spiral stairs and narrow corridors opening into guard rooms and bed chambers. A few cannons to make Jeremy happy, and we can declare that it was a successful visit.

Hakon's hall was huge!

The Hakon's Hall was a banqueting hall that is also of that era, although it suffered roof problems, repurposing as a storehouse, and the like.

Supports under the hall...loved their design

The balconies were set for dining! Sweet!

I was speaking to one of the docents about the town, because Jeremy and I both noticed how (relatively) new the architecture is. Many buildings date to the Victorian time period, a large number of which are in the first years of the 20th century. However, Bergen goes back to Viking times! This is very easily explained: a tradition of lumber construction and 12 (TWELVE!) major city fires during the historic period. So there you go: very little architecture remains from the early periods of the city.

Mariakirken

One very important structure remains, though: the Mariakirken, a church dating to the 1100s, although the interior furnishings are from the 1600s for the most part. We enjoyed visiting the church next.

Dormitory/work area

And on to the leper colony! It is now called the Leprosy Museum, but it is the site of what was a "leper hospital" which was no better than an isolation unit. There was no doctor on staff for many of the years it was in operation, and the people who were sent there were often involuntarily committed. The inhabitants slept two to a room, the room being approximately 6 feet by 7 feet. In this space were two beds (not bunks) and a small desk. The occupants were expected to keep all their provisions, including food. The airlessness of the spaces led to a pretty terrific stench, particularly if you consider a diet that is heavy in fish.

Dorm room

Cupboards, one per room, provided in kitchen area. Thieving was rampant.

One of the communal stoves

A second cooking area, Leprosy Museum

The afflicted passed their days attempting to work despite the lassitude that is an important side effect of the ailment. The building consists of bedrooms around the perimeter on two stories, and a central room that extends up through both floors, affording a lovely high ceiling. It was originally in this communal room that they worked and ate, although they later moved the operations to a cowshed on the property.

Entrance to dormitory

Rector's house

Church across courtyard

We visited the associated church, a simple wood frame construction that was rather lovely in its simplicity. While the church ostensibly was there to serve the hospital's population, other nearby farming families (up to 18 families...considering the average family size at the time, this could be around 150 people!) could and did apply to be members. I asked about the fear of infection, and our docent told us that at the time, the malady was thought to be hereditary or an affliction from God, and was thus not considered to pose a risk of contagion. Interestingly, Hansen (from whom comes the current name of the malady, Hansen's Disease), worked at this hospital and performed a number of investigations into the nature of the disease and pathways of transmission. He was also, as a result of this work, the first doctor to be tried for and convicted of malpractice.

Next stop: a late lunch! We actually went to have a prix fixe (relative bargain at $12 a head) lunch. Of course, the prix fixe assumes a normal appetite. Jeremy needed a double helping of his chicken satay before we could move on.

The (lockable) merchant's office

The merchant's chamber

The office is in the corner
(interior pictured above)

Off to the Hanseatic Museum. A very old museum (fouinded in 1872), it focuses on the German merchants who operated in Bergen through the Hanse, or essentially merchant guilds. The museum iteself is housed in a merchant's quarters, and it offered a fascinating glimpse into the lifestyle of the single, male merchants and their apprentices in those days (1700s to 1800s). Being an all-timber building with sagging floors, just walking around started to make me feel a bit seasick! But I did love seeing all the specialty built-in furnishings and the cupboard-beds. These small, enclosed bunks were shorter and narrower than a standard twin today, yet two young men could be expected to share them.

No cooking or fires were allowed at all. No candles. No light.

Cold meals only to be had here!

Assistant's office

Backgammon: game for the ages!

Bunk beds...two men per cupboard (upper and lower)

Communal room

Because of the construction of the tenements (the merchant houses), the occupants were not allowed to light any fires for cooking or light. Winters must have been tough. As a compromise, the different merchant houses had communal cooking and gathering rooms that were far enough from the tenements not to pose the fire risk. The kitchens had some large cooking fireplaces that routed the chimney exhaust through a heat exchanger in the adjoining room, thereby creating a radiator. At least, that is what it looked like...notes were rather lacking in this particular space.

Communal room for a different trading house

Heat exchangers

Discipline was achieved with a bull pizzle.
Yes, it is what you think it is: an extended, dried bull's penis.

Off to the grocery store to take present-day notes on culture. Breakfast cereal is nearly non-existent, but there is a huge selection of yoghurts and soft cheeses (think cottage cheese and the like). There is plenty of variety in the meat and fish department (reindeer, king crab, and of course lots of salmon!). I did see frozen reindeer stew and some other curious things.

I had a card to purchase, meaning that we had to buy a stamp. Where to get? Turns out, in a bookstore (and this is the ONLY place you can get one), open at least until 8, but probably later.

Back to the Fish Market (yay, free samples!), and time for a rest.

Love,

Alexandra