From Edvard Greig to Tall Ships Coming and in between all that!

So warm, that I don't even attempt to write this till our early morning hours arrive...  I have always hated to have the air conditioner on in hotel rooms and not being able to open windows... well, now, you will no longer hear me complain about that!!!!

Our day started out with a more in-depth exploration of the city Bergen.  Bergen has been THE place in Norway history for years before Oslo, etc came to have some importance.  The picturesque Wharf Market buildings have so many stories they could tell, including the fact they are collapsing into each other and are being 'saved' at great expense and time. We saw other parts of Bergen, for example, housing once for sailors and their families a couple hundred years ago, are thriving and now, of course, one of the most expensive and prestigious areas to live in.  Folks who are from Bergen, we soon became aware... but in a good way... think they are better than all the other Norweigiens...they even have their OWN national anthem, distinct accent and definate opinions and love to disagree just to disagree!

Drove to the home of Edvard Greig, a Norwegian classical composer I knew very little about but certainly had heard his music.  His life story (died in 1904), his wife, his home location (late 1800's he built it)... only to be topped off with a private concert for the 25 of us in the gorgeous mini-concert hall built next to his house (that, of course, was built just recently...)  I was surprised at how much  I enjoyed it, but the room felt cool, the view was beautiful and the music was wonderful...

Tall Ships are arriving in Bergen... started on Wednesday, and I venture to think, when we walk the docks this AM before the heat, there will be plenty more.  The advertising says 100 will be here... A band we heard in Tennessee and then on our Cruise with Michael W Smith is performing today (the only American Band)... it's a Cajun with a Twist sound... four siblings now in their 20's/30's...L'Angelus.  Definately gonna go see them...  Okay... off of here... time to get out and explore.  Tomorrow we leave for Paris and then, the River Boat Cruise.

Nohting wrong with this porch... it was just pretty!

The cheap sailor housing... no so cheap anymore...

 These are two different houses... and the tiny on on the right... 400 square feet... 

 They are replacing the roof on Edvard's home, so the house is draped in material printed with what the house looks like underneath it...

The house is on a hill next to the water... and the path down to the water... sweet

 and the views... pics say it all!

The outside of the concert hall with the traditional sod roof you see here

The Tall Ships arriving,,,

 The sister ship of the Concordia that sank a couple years ago...