64 | Viking Explorer Society News
of blue twilight. A Scandinavian sauna on the
edge of the water is a reminder of Norway's
pride in embracing the cold and Viktor jokes:
"If you sit on the toilet too long, you will
miss summer."
A WARM HYGGE
The Norwegian concept of hygge is the
feeling of being cosy when it's cold outside.
But to explain hygge I have to go back to the
beginning, back to when I landed in Norway,
and was ensconced in a warm taxi driving
into Bergen from the airport, the rain
teeming down outside, mist clinging on the
mountains around the city. Bergen is one of
the rainiest municipalities in Europe and
some locals say they have more names for
rain in Bergen than anywhere in the world.
They are also known for their hot dogs. At
Bergen's Trekroneren hot dog stand I choose
the red chilli sausage topped with crispy
onions and with lashings of mustard and
barbecue sauce—a must-try. We wander the
Tromsø Cathedral, Norway
Our tour guide, Viktor, came to Tromsø to photograph the
aurora borealis and was so enchanted he never left. During
"polar night", he explains, when the sun disappears for six weeks
in winter, it's not pitch black but a kind of blue twilight.
Bergen fisketorget (fishmarket), a thriving
hub where live king crabs swim in tanks and
tourists and locals sample mussels and
scallops. Seafood is big business in Norway
with stockfish (dried cod) trade dating back
to Viking times. The fish is preserved in cold
winds and can last up to 30 years in this
format, resembling jerky. Vikings took it on
their journeys—just soak it in water for 30
minutes and then it is ready to fry.
On the other side of the port stands the city's
old wharf, Bryggen, a UNESCO World
Heritage Site steeped in history. The
charming, brightly-coloured houses date
back to the 14th century when the Hanseatic
