Month: October 2023

The gift of surprise in Bergen

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Been there - places, Food and drink, Restaurants, Trips and travel11 Comments

The good traveler has the gift of surprise. W. Somerset Maugham

On Thursday in Bergen discovery was the entree, surprise the piece de resistance.

We started the day by discovering that there is amazing beauty in the fiords of Norway. Our travel in the far north was a stark arctic desert beauty, Oslo did not inspire me, but Bergen and the fiords we sailed were stunning.

Off the boat, a bit chilled and hungry, lunch was our priority – pasta puttanesca for me and risotto for Tricia at a snug restaurant seated by the window to watch the parade of people enjoying the cold sunny day. Sated, we wandered the waterfront a bit, shopped for a friend or two, then took a break at our hotel. We were staying at the Magic Hotel Kloverhuset.

The sun was hovering over the rooftops as we headed out, but where to go? Our hotel had a beautiful lobby bar, we looked at each other and said why not? So we settled in to one of the overstuffed leather couches at Sjø, it means “sea” in Norwegian. Soon, Sandra, the bar manager, set glasses of dry white wine and nuts on the heavy wooden table – the ambience was perfect. The next two hours were magical.

Thanks Tricia for the photo

We were enjoying the time and chatting about the day on the water when Sandra returned with two small coups of bubbles to try, they were a delightful surprise. It was Saint Martin de la Garrigue, a label of the hotel, which also owns the vineyard.

Bubbles are the perfect accompaniment for caviar, which I remembered seeing on their menu. I went up to the bar to place an order. Sandra was chatting with Gabby, the head server, who would become our new best friend. She was not sure if they had caviar at the moment as they were out the day before, so she headed off to talk to the chef.

When she returned she moved us to a table in the restaurant, explaining that the chef was going to do something special.

Thanks Tricia for the photo

After a few more sips and a bit more conversation Gabby returned with a plate of Antonius Cavair, a Siberian cavair from Poland. It was accompanied by smoked sour cream, chives, pickled red onions, and of course bilini – nous étions très contents. Tricia discovered that she loves caviar, bien sûr.

The only thing as good as caviar with bubbles is oysters, which of course Gabby recommended, and we accepted. She said the chef was doing something special for us, we were quite curious. The next plate she brought is best shown in a photo:

Each oyster was topped with a dollop of foam made from oysters and edible flowers. I love oysters but have never had anything like these, the foam gave it a slightly sweet flavor – a magical surprise.

Next we met Chef Mateusz. He came to the table to see how we liked the oysters. We realize now that we have most likely met a future Michelin Star chef.

We chatted a bit, thankfully the restaurant was not busy. He asked if we liked scallops, which of course we did, then he headed off to create the next bit of magic. Through all of this Gabby stopped by to chat and keep the bubbles from running out.

The uncooked scallop was topped with trout caviar, and mayonnaise made from the liver of the scallop. It was a taste of the sea, Tricia said “it had a taste like rose petals.” In a lifetime of experiencing impressive food this scallop pretty much tops the list.

What a day! We discovered that there actually was some green beauty in Norway, we discovered the best restaurant in Bergen, and we discovered an amazing chef. We hope to taste his food again one day.

Thank you Sandra, Gabby, and Chef Mateusz. You gave us the gift of surprise from the time we walked in at 5:00pm until we left two hours later. Most of all, your smiles and kindness will be one of the best memories of our time in Norway, thank you again.

What about Norway?

On By Terry ChristophersonIn Trips and travel2 Comments

This week we have been in Oslo; tomorrow morning we catch an early train to Bergen. This train is considered one of the most beautiful routes in the world, so we are looking forward to it.

Even though there’s some Norwegian blood in my veins, I’ve never been particularly inclined to visit Norway. Yet I’ve now been to Norway twice: in June we departed Tromsø (above the Arctic Circle!) on a cruise (Tricia wrote a blog with photos), and this week we met friends in Oslo.

On that first visit to Norway (the cruise from Tromsø), we anticipated steep, forested mountainsides that pitched down into fjords. And we realized such scenes early in our cruise. Here is Tromsø, a beautiful place and so far my favorite place in Norway:

Yet as we sailed north, the terrain became barren, even bleak. No more charming fishing villages, clinging to the edge of the fjords: the views quickly became stony, treeless, windswept—a kind of beauty that I wasn’t expecting. You can see here the bleakness of Longyearbyen, in Svalbard, the most northerly point we went:

Now on our second visit to Norway, we had no particular expectations of Oslo—Nordic population, maritime history, modern Scandinavian architecture, yes. Yet…yet… Folks in Tromsø warned us that their countrymen in southern Norway were not especially friendly—which has been our experience. What we have experienced is that the most conversational, outgoing, friendly folks are not native Norwegians, but immigrants, or children of immigrants..

I guess Norway just doesn’t dazzle me.

Except, maybe, its cuisine. In Tromsø:

The food in Oslo has been wonderful.:

So here’s hoping that Bergen is all of the picturesque Norway we have hoped for. My sketchbook is ready to capture that wonder.

Some Things About France I Would Miss

On By Terry ChristophersonIn France3 Comments

If we ever left France and returned to the USA, which would not be a bad thing since we love the PNW, there would be things I would miss. Here are just a few that come to mind.

When we first moved to France we spent a lot of time visiting châteaux and old churches in the area. However, after seeing a bunch of châteaux they do tend to all look alike. After a few months we just quit looking for new ones to visit. We do still visit churches whenever we can, but that is for more than the architecture, there is a spiritual element going on there. Yet I would miss living in a country where views like this, the citadel of Carcassonne, are the norm, not the exception.

We drive through village after village, each one is postcard-worthy, but, here in France it is the normal ambiance, the terroir of the place, and I love it. I would miss living in a place where old buildings are a common site, not torn down to “put up a parking lot.” (Joni MItchell)

Being the foodies that we are we love the outdoor eating scene, with city squares filled with restaurants, each with an outdoor eating space. In the USA many restaurants do have outside seating, but it is hard to find a place with ten restaurants within a 200’ x 100’ square like we found in Arles. This view is along the Sorgue river in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue – there are five restaurants in this photo. Most of the river in the city is lined with wonderful places to eat and enjoy friends.

In France, and much of Europe, eating outside is just the way you eat out, unless the weather is so inclement that it is impossible. I have had coffee, wine, and food many times in the winter months, sitting outside, and no one thinks it strange. I would miss living in a place where al fresco is the first choice, not an afterthought.

As often as I write about my morning coffee and sketches it is quite easy to understand how I would miss that. Starbucks just isn’t the same as something like this.

Then there is the cheese, oh my! Not only is the variety mind boggling, the prices are unbelievable. Here are some of my favorites, and just a few at that. None of these is over 4€ here. Most would not be readily available in Seattle or Portland unless it was a specialty shop with specialty shop prices.

There is more than food and history I would miss, how could you not miss a country where in the park you can’t ride a bike, play soccer, or walk your dog, but there is an urinal close at hand. Such facilities are the norm in this country, no one thinks a thing about it.

For years we loved visiting France and Europe, as a place to travel for les vacances it is wonderful. Now that we have lived here, it is the everyday environment that becomes more appreciated.