Trip Day 8

Tuesday August  15

We are in Bergen in the Thon Hotel Rozenkrantz. It could not be located at a better place when we have free-time like last night. But this morning we have a program again. First of course = breakfast! The photos don't show it but so far it was always incredible. So hard not to "overload".

I am a bit behind with the blogs but I think it was 9:30 am when we started with the bus to the Oleana factory. This is a family-owned textile company founded in 1992, a time when much work was done with cheap labor overseas. 

We had to walk a little because the bus couldn't drive totally into the street. It was raining, forecasted for the whole day.

It is knitwear, totally made from wool some with some silk. We walk first through a showroom and into one with rows of chair were we see a movie about the company history, designers etc. The emphasis is quality.

We are shown around and can ask any question. It is very interesting and reminds me a bit of when I worked in Germany for Brungsberg manufacturing man's suites, pants and saccos. We are always encouraged to ask any controversial questions we want. Here the workers had recently started a Union.

The machines were impressive. All the technology including the software for translating the designes into the programs for knitting the parts for the different sizes and colors comes from Japan. 

The workers had all gone to lunch except for a few who showed us how they worked and answered our questions. This lady was sewing some knitted pieces together. Each loop has to be matched up with opposite loops. There were strips knitted onto the pieces in different colors and snipping a thread and pulling on it to get rid of that. I am not sure I would want to do that all day long.

After that we went into the company caffeteria for lunch and ate exactly what the workers ate. It was a buffet. 

Back to the Bus. We went up these stairs. I short-cut?

Since we had lunch we went straight to our next "controversial topic". Driver Stig brought us back with the bus to Bergen. This is the headquarter of the "Green Warriors of Norway", an environmental activist organization. A member talked with us about the explosive growth of fish farming in Norway, and its harmful impact on the local environment. 

He was a bit late or we were a bit early so we had to wait. We looked at the historic houses which are really pretty. 

We sat down in this big room with lots of things reclaimed (which was explained to us) and he talked while presenting a powerpoint. 

The delapidated building before it was restored. But the main point of discussion was of course the fishfarms. He brought up many points and it was very interesting.

Because of the rain Stig was nice and came with the bus and brought us to the hotel. James and I were very thirsty and looked into the lounge whether we could get something to drink there. A hearty beer is always good at that time of the day. There didn't seeme to server there but we managed to get at least a coffee. Ha-ha, then fellow traveler Denise came with three beers and we had a very nice chat. 

When it was time to think about the rest of the day (or dinner) we went to the room. When we wanted to go out again I couldn't find my raincoat. Gosh, where had I left it? I recalled very sure that I had gone into the lounge with it and had laid it over the back of my chair. Needless to say, when we checked, it wasn't there any more. I was a bit in a panic. The nice young man at the reception desk had not heard about it. Our beerglasses had been cleaned away. Goodness, a server surely would have brought it to the lost+found. I was resigned to the fact that I might have to buy one ... tonight.

Betty had bought one for Marc (happy that she could finally make a gift to her son of something he wanted) and since we met them when we went to dinner I asked her about it.

We went together to the Agave, a mexican restaurant owned by a young man they had met the evening before. Stig, the bus driver, was also with us. This was mexican food I had never had before. It was not the typical kind I had in the USA before. I had deer with mole. It was very delishes.

James actually had pork.

Afterwards Marc tried the hotel to ask about my coat but could not get any connection. So he just quickly went around the corner to find out. Betty showed us where they had bought his. I wasn't really happy about anything we saw but then Marc came with the good news. My coat had been found and we didn't have to buy anything.

So we decided on a nightcap instead. It is fun wandering the little streets etc.

We had to try out the "no stress" bar were we also talked with a traveler from Nepal.

Time to go back to the hotel but not without Marc trying one of those very famous hot dogs. Everybody was talking about them.

Well, we had to admire a bit of sundown. 

Tomorrow morning we have to be ready to leave at 9 am, suitcase packed etc.

Night, night.