Norway and Denmark Day 4

Bergen to Balestrand

Posted by brian on May 11, 2025 · 11 mins read

This morning I woke up at 6am, beating my alarm clock by 45 minutes, after a night of broken sleep. This is the day I move from Bergen to Balestrand, still in Norway.

There were two departure options for the express ferry: 8:00am or 4:30pm. I waffled a lot on which one to take, weighing pros and cons of spending another day in Bergen vs being on my way. I felt I’d seen what I wanted to see in Bergen and was ready to experience small town Norway, so 8:00am was decided.

The hotel reception desk wasn’t open yet so I left my key next to their keyboard and grabbed an Uber. I’d debated hoofing the 1.3km from hotel to ferry terminal with my luggage but instead opted for an (expensive) Uber instead.1

The ferry website is a little tricky to use but I was able to book the ticket the night before. We boarded at 7:35am and left promptly at 8:00am.

I don’t think I realized how very “express” the express ferry was. Once we’re out of the Bergen harbor, they gun it. Per my GPS we were hauling it at 37mph through these fjords, slowing for the ocassional No Wake zones. If their paperwork didn’t show anyone with a certain town as a stop, and there wasn’t anybody waiting shoreside, they skipped the stop. We made perfect time to Balestrand.

There’s no way for me to adequately describe how amazing the trip was. Even my videos won’t do it justice. Thirty minutes in and I’m thinking to myself “This might be the best $100 I’ve ever spent.”

One note for future Express Ferry travelers: when you’re nearing the stop, be sure you’re ready to leave! This means fetching your bag from the aft storage and making your way to the front of the ferry. They aren’t wasting a lot of time at each stop! Unfortunately I got stuck behind someone whose approach to problem-solving was to stand in the aisle and hope that everything worked out. I had to play my Loud American card, which I do sparingly.

Regardless, I made it off, barely, and made the 100m walk to the Hotel Kviknes, my home for the next two nights. There are two sections to the Kviknes: the historic part, with 25 rooms, and the modern (1960’s) part with 165 rooms. I’m in the modern part, with the main reason being I wanted a nice, affordable balcony. It is not an attractive building, though; it’s at odds with its surroundings. Frankly, it looks like one of the budget accomodations you’d find somewhere like Daytona Beach. But the room itself is nice, the view from the balcony is undeniable, and the staff is friendly. I relax in my room for a bit, then set out around 2pm for some lunch.

I don’t have to go far. I find Pearl by Harbor just outside the hotel. The grilled salmon, mashed potatoes, and grilled vegetables with teriyaki sauce exceeds all expectations!

A meal is served on a small wooden outdoor table under a beige patio umbrella on a waterfront terrace in Balestrand, Norway. The dish features grilled salmon topped with a lemon slice, placed on mashed potatoes, accompanied by sautéed vegetables including zucchini and red bell pepper, and sprinkled with white and black sesame seeds. A glass of water and a carafe sit nearby on a white patterned plate. The setting includes more wooden tables and umbrellas, with a view of the Sognefjord, green forested hills, and a snow-capped mountain peak under a clear blue sky. A traditional Norwegian-style building and a flag with red, white, and blue colors are visible in the background.

After lunch I walk the 200m or so down to St. Olaf’s Church, which “is notable as the inspiration for the chapel in Elsa’s coronation scene in the 2013 Disney film Frozen.”2 Frozen connection or not, I loved spending time in this building, and was blessed to be able to do so in solitude.

The image shows the interior of a wooden church with ornate craftsmanship. The ceiling is vaulted and made entirely of rich, warm-toned wood with exposed beams. Carved wooden columns and arches line both sides, featuring intricate Nordic-inspired patterns. Wooden pews with decorative carvings are arranged in rows on either side of a light green carpeted aisle leading to the altar. At the front, the altar is draped with a green cloth and backed by a large painting of Jesus with outstretched arms. The apse is semi-circular and adorned with stained-glass windows that let in soft, colorful light. Hanging lamps are spaced evenly throughout the space, and a white rope runs down from the ceiling, likely attached to a bell or lighting system. The overall atmosphere is warm and reverent, with natural light illuminating the detailed woodwork.

The image shows a traditional wooden stave church with intricate architectural details, located on a grassy hill beside a road. The church has steep, overlapping slate roofs, ornate wooden carvings, and is predominantly brown with yellow trim around windows and edges. It features several peaked sections, a central tower, and dragon-head carvings at the roof's corners, typical of Norwegian stave churches. The sky is clear and blue, with a few clouds, and the surrounding area includes green hills, a few buildings, and a mountain range in the background. A leafless tree stands on the right side of the image.

The image is taken from inside a wooden building, looking out through an open door. The interior has wooden walls with a shelf on the left holding brochures and a red fire extinguisher mounted below it. Outside, there is a well-kept grassy area with a small bush, a stone path, and a metal fence. Beyond the fence, a person is seen walking along a waterfront area. In the background, there is a large body of water with calm blue waves, and snow-capped mountains under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds. Sunlight is streaming in through the open doorway, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Around 8pm I rally and head out for dinner. There are several close by choices. I select Baalee Restaurant, a family restaurant an easy three minute walk from the hotel, based on positive reviews and a few tantalizing photos of the shrimp scampi. Of course I order that, and it doesn’t disappoint!

The image shows the inside of a modern, cozy restaurant with wicker-style chairs that have red cushions and black tables set for dining. A laptop with a forest scene on its screen is open on a table in the foreground. On the left side of the table, there is a metal holder with a bottle of black pepper, a clear shaker, red napkins, and some small paper packets. The restaurant has large windows allowing natural light to come in and round, black hanging lamps with a warm orange glow above the tables. In the background, there is a glass display case near the counter area. The interior has a combination of dark wood panels and neutral tones, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

The image shows a plate of pasta served on a white dish with a decorative curve on one side. The pasta appears to be fettuccine, mixed with herbs and finely chopped vegetables, and topped generously with grated cheese and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. The dish is set on a black placemat over a red tablecloth. In the background, there is a nearly empty glass, a metal holder with condiments and napkins, and wicker chairs with red cushions, matching the restaurant interior seen in the previous image.

I ate my dinner and worked on my laptop, then went for a late evening walk around 11pm. The temperature was still very comfortable (high 50’s or so). The moon was just peeking over the mountains across the water and I’ve never been more frustrated having sub-par photography equipment.

The image captures a serene evening or early night scene over a body of water, likely a fjord. The full moon is rising or hanging low in the sky above snow-capped mountains in the distance, casting a shimmering reflection across the calm, dark blue water. The sky is a rich twilight blue, with no visible clouds. On the left side, lights from a small settlement can be seen at the base of the mountains. The right edge of the image shows a dark, forested slope descending into the water. The overall atmosphere is peaceful and still.

I tried to go to sleep around 12:30am. The seagulls, of course, never sleep.

  1. Ubers in Norway seem to be regulated by the taxi commision, which seems to dictate a ~$17 minimum fare regardless of time or distance. ↩

  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Olaf%27s_Church,_Balestrand ↩

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