I will admit that after the trauma of trying to maneuver around Oslo in my camper van, I considered just skipping through Bergen one afternoon and calling it good. But as it would turn out, I would spend more time there than expected, so I was happy to discover what a beautiful city it is.

I had realized a day prior that I did not have a card reader for my camera. I had mistakenly thought that my MacBook Pro had a built-in card reader. Well, it does have a card reader but for a different type of card. Oops. The thought of not being able to back up or edit any photos or videos over a five-week period did not sit well so I decided I would have to find the correct card reader in Bergen. I feared that this may be the last town large enough to have an electronics store (correct that, camera store) perhaps for the remainder of my trip as I headed into the unknown north.

I found an electronics store and plugged it into Google Maps. And once again, just like in Oslo, there was no parking to be seen anywhere. By some stroke of good fortune, after driving around looking for parking for at least 20 minutes, I saw a bunch of campers congregating in a parking lot. Camper parking, perfect! Okay, one thing that is expensive in Norway is parking. I paid $5 for one hour and set off walking towards the electronics store.

There was some confusion with the sales associate on what I needed and it was eventually determined that I would only find it at a camera store, which had just closed five minutes ago. So there I had it, I needed to find a place to sleep for the night and try again the next morning.

Being in a larger city I found it a bit harder to find somewhere to park for the night even using the park4night app. I ended up spending the night in a train station parking lot, after literally maneuvering through 12 traffic circles in less than 3 minutes. I started laughing as the Google Maps voice announced “At the next traffic circle take the second exit” and just when she finished, she started over “At the next traffic circle take the first exit.” It went on and on and somehow in my delirious state after a long day of navigating, I managed to hold it together and safely pilot my way through the traffic circle bonanza!

The next morning I discovered another incredibly expensive type of item in Norway, electronics. The card reader I needed was a whopping $99 USD. In the United States on Amazon, $17. Needless to say, this was a gut punch. After purchasing I quickly got my mind off of that financial blow by walking to the infamous Bryggen (docks) in Bergen.

The Bryggen at Bergen is a collection of old wooden buildings (pictured above) that is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. From the 1300s to the 1700s Bergen was the center of exporting dried codfish (tørrfisk) to Europe. The German trade organization called The Hanseatic League managed this trade and these buildings housed the German merchants and their exports during that time.

These buildings have now been converted into shops and restaurants for the locals and tourists to explore. I found a coffee shop where I bought breakfast and then purchased my very own Norwegian sweater before departing on my way northward!

Lessons from: Bergen

• It is difficult to find parking if you have a camper. Here is a link to a great location to park a camper in Bergen and explore many of the main attractions.
• Many cruise ships dock in Bergen and flood the city center with tourists. If traveling during the peak season (June-August), try to plan around cruise ships arrivals in port. Here is a link to the port schedule in Bergen.