A Norwegian Christmas

I felt like I had stumbled into a dream.

The world around me had been ordinary enough when I boarded the funicular. But, as we gently glided up the side of the mountain, the fog stole across the quaint harbour city, pocketing the mid-afternoon sunset.

In some tortoise-like race to the mountaintop, the tram nonchalantly continued its ascent and the higher it rose, the lower my expectations sank. According to the guidebook, expansive views of the city of Bergen and its surrounds awaited me. But how was I supposed to see the city nestled below through a dense layer of fog?

While the Fløibanen is a well-known tourist attraction in Bergen, most people are drawn to it throughout the long hours of summer sunshine, when the more energetic among us can enjoy the walking trails woven into the side of Mount Fløyen, rather than a return trip on the tram.

With Bergen’s winter weather being too mild for skiers and somewhat excessively wet, few people are attracted to the city’s cradling mountains during late December and I was beginning to understand why.

When I finally stepped from the tram and dragged my feet to the viewing platform, my mouth gaped in open wonderment.

Somewhere along the mountain slope, the funicular had slipped its cable and delivered me unto a mystical realm, where mountaintops peeked above a carpet of cloud to salute the last rays of the sun, as it dropped off the edge of the earth.

Even Time paused in tribute.

The reverential silence of the scene was broken only by the echoed murmurings of the handful of people in the souvenir shop behind me.

I was completely mesmerised by the unassuming majesty of it all. In that moment, I believed I could step onto the damp white floor and fearlessly walk to the horizon, to shake hands with the darkening sky.

It was one of those sights that was far too big for a camera lens and no matter how I angled it, the picture would only be a mere shade of what lay before me.

All too soon, I was reminded that mine was a return ticket. I had forgotten about the city that was buried far below, with its busy movement and noisy reality.

For anyone who wants to visit, the weather is the gatekeeper to this magical kingdom in the sky and determines who may enter and who must settle for a mere view of Bergen. Don’t let that deter you though. As I learned, even if you don’t see what you had hoped, you are bound to witness something that will make your journey worthwhile, possibly something that is truly unforgettable.