It was our second full day and our last night in Bergen. For this day, I had one planned activity. One that was a surprise for my son. One that would last four hours. We also did another unplanned activity which involved snow. Something that I had wanted to do yesterday and knew my son would enjoy.

There was no snow on the ground, but we had to be careful of the icy roads. Slowly, we made our way down the streets towards our destination at the pier, avoiding the black ice along the way. Our scheduled departure was at 10,15h.

We had some time, so we stopped by Espresso House for a flat white coffee, hot chocolate, mud cake, and a slice of cheesecake with a strawberry layer on top. Though I would have liked to sit for a while to enjoy our drinks and treats, we had to be quick in order to meet our departure time.

‘I still don’t know what it is’, he said. But as soon as we reached the water, he knew we would be getting on a boat. A cruise of the fjords.

The view as we left the harbour was beautiful with the full moon lingering in the sky above the ships. The scenic landmark of the Bryggen harbour shops was slowly fading into the distance as we sailed away. It was a very cold day, but we were bundled up.

We passed by large bridges and then came upon an island with a statue of a dog. The island was a memorial to a dog who rescued a little girl long ago. The girl survived, but the dog did not.

About an hour into the cruise, as we sailed through thin sheets of ice, the captain announced that we would be turning around due the amount of ice. We would be taking another route to the western most point. This meant we would not be seeing the fjords as planned. The ones with the waterfalls, as stated in the description when I booked the cruise.

The boat swayed back and forth as we rode the waves. My son and I spent most of our time inside as it was cold and windy. The seats were mostly taken, but a few times we were able to sit in seats near the front. Other times we either stood or walked around.

The cruise continued up and around the western most point. We encountered more waves as we returned to Bergen.

Though we did not get to see the waterfalls at the Mostraumen strait, we did enjoy the reflections of the houses in the villages along the way.

Four hours later, we were back at the port of Bergen and ready for our next adventure.

From a window in our corner apartment, we could see the mountain tops. If you looked closely, you would notice the funicular riding to the top of the mountain. As we exited the cruise boat, we walked up the street towards the building where we boarded the Fløibanen funicular and rode it to the top of Mount Fløyen. A short ride that took merely three minutes.

As soon as we exited the railway cars, my son was overwhelmed with all of the snow. He ran around and immersed himself in the white powdery snow whilst I stopped to admire the beauty of the city of Bergen from above. The view was stunning. As it got darker, the lights below shone brighter.

There was a café at the top of the mountain where we sat at a table with a group of Spanish ladies and enjoyed hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon buns. After my son was finished, he went outside to play in the snow and the woods.

The Spanish ladies eventually left, but were soon replaced with a British woman who asked me about my being in Bergen and if I was from the States. She was from London, on holiday with her boyfriend. Their first time in Bergen. I mentioned how lucky people in Europe are to be able to travel such short distances to see another country.

Almost an hour after he left, my son returned to the café covered in snow. He had a lot of fun and found ‘the perfect woods’ to play in. At 16,45h, we boarded the funicular back down the mountain.

Now that Christmas was over, some of the shops reopened but closed early. Other shops remained closed. We walked into a souvenir shop that was closing early and a three-story bookstore. And we kept looking for a larger grocery store.

We still hadn’t had a real meal and were desperate for something other than cinnamon buns or bread and cheese. We walked around the nearly deserted streets, guided by Google maps, looking for shops that were listed as open. Most of the places were closed. Finally, we had to settle for the REWE grocery store close to our corner apartment. Today it was open. A hot meal would have to wait until tomorrow.

Once we were back at the apartment, we put together some bread and cheese and began the process of packing up our things. I still had to make the shortbread cookies, so I left the butter out to soften whilst we ate. After about two hours, my son helped me by stirring the butter in a pot with a spoon.

The apartment did not have many things needed for baking. No wooden spoons or whisks. No scale for measuring. I made sure to bring my small scale I had bought in Germany many years ago when I started baking whilst travelling. In fact, the place had nothing other than baking paper and the flat pans which come with the oven.

Often when I book a place which is not a hotel, I make sure to bring a small cake pan and measuring spoons along with my scale. This time I did not. I also wish that more places would provide at least the basic ingredients. Such as salt and oil, and perhaps sugar and flour.

In all of my travels, I have stayed at only one place which had a fully stocked kitchen pantry. An apartment in Berlin that I booked when I visited my older daughter when she was attending school for half a year. The place with a loft and a red kitchen. There was everything one needed to prepare a complete meal and dessert. Sadly, many places provide the cheapest possible utensils, minimum prep tools, and close to no basic necessities such as salt or oil. I end up having to buy most of the items and try to use them up or bring them back, if possible. Sometimes I have no choice but to leave them behind.

Once I put together the shortbread dough, I placed it in the refrigerator and continued with the packing and planning. It was going to be a night with little to no sleep, but we were left with pleasant thoughts of our day visiting the fjords and Mount Fløyen.