Fjording til Mo island

The cruise lasted 4 hours, starting at 10:30 and returning to Bergen’s city center at 14:30. The cruise through the Norwegian fjords was an unforgettable journey, one that started in the charming coastal city of Bergen and took me all the way to the tranquil Mo village, nestled deep in the heart of the fjords. This trip gave me a front-row seat to the natural wonders that have made Norway famous—a blend of rugged mountains, serene waters, and picturesque villages that seem frozen in time. Along the way, I met a few fellow travelers, which made the experience even more enjoyable as we took in the incredible views of the fjords

The Departure: Bergen’s Coastal Beauty

The starting point of the cruise was at the heart of Bergen city. Certainly, Bergen’s rich history and maritime culture made it ideal for this route. As we set sail, the iconic Bryggen Wharf slowly disappeared behind us, and we glided into the open waters of the fjords. The interplay between the cityscape and the surrounding mountains is not only visually striking but also emblematic of the city’s identity.

Into the Fjords: Nature at Its Best

As we cruised deeper into the fjords, the scenery became breathtaking. Sheer rock faces loomed over us, plunging straight down into the dark, pristine waters. Waterfalls cascaded down from great heights, their waters glistening in the sunlight before vanishing into the fjord below. Each turn brought something new—whether it was a hidden cove or a small village tucked away at the base of the mountains.

Mo Island

Mo Island is a small and remote island located in the fjord region of Norway. It’s known for its rugged landscapes, steep cliffs, and proximity to the fjords. The island is relatively quiet, offering a glimpse of traditional Norwegian life and the natural surroundings typical of the region. It’s a stop for cruises, allowing visitors to experience the area’s dramatic scenery up close.

Monstraumen Waterfall

October 11, 2024October 13, 2024

Landscaping in Bergen!

Bergen’s geography and landscapes are scenic views and I consider them integral to the city’s cultural heritage. For me, fully experiencing this nature was key to understanding Bergen’s city’s culture. The city and the character of Bergen, much like its landscapes, is dynamic, evolving, and deeply intertwined with the natural world that cradles it.

Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, is not only renowned for its cultural scene but also for how its geography and natural landscapes have shaped its history and identity. That’s why, during my visit, I made it my mission to explore as much of Bergen’s natural beauty as possible.

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The Fjords and Maritime Heritage

Bergen’s location at the gateway to some of Norway’s most famous fjords, like Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord, makes the sea a central part of the city’s identity. As I strolled through the city center, with the Hanseatic wharf of Bryggen towering above me, I could spot that the sea has always been Bergen’s lifeline and identify its role as a major trading port during the days of the Hanseatic League can be identified today in Bryggen’s historic wooden buildings. The city’s economy, culture, and everyday life have long been connected to the fjords and the vast ocean beyond.

Mountains and Outdoor Culture

After a day of exploring, I was drawn toward Mount Fløyen. I initially took the funicular, but in true Bergen fashion, but then I also opted to hike up the mountains instead. Bergen’s seven mountains, particularly Fløyen and Ulriken, form a natural embrace around the city, and as I climbed, I could see how the mountains are not just a scenic backdrop, but deeply embedded in the city’s outdoor culture.

Bergen’s love for the outdoors became apparent as I passed locals and tourists alike, all drawn to the mountains for hiking, cycling, and a breath of fresh air. The view from the top of Fløyen, overlooking the city, fjords, and forests, was breathtaking, and I could see why these trails have been a part of Bergen’s culture for generations. The mountains not only offer physical escape but also emotional connection to the natural world—something that’s been preserved as part of the city’s cultural identity. And that’s exactly why I focused on seeing as much of this natural beauty as possible during my stay. Each walk revealed another layer of Bergen’s relationship with its landscape.

Hestekum (Trough for Horses)

The sign explains that this trough was originally built for horses by the Bergen Forestry and Tree Planting Society in the year 1890. At the time, roads were steep and horse-drawn carriages needed water stops along the way. This particular trough was placed in the Fløen area, which lies along one of the most traveled routes for horse carriages between Bergen and Fløien.

“This simple piece of history sheds light on how vital horses were to daily life and transportation in Bergen’s past, before cars took over. As part of a network of horse stops, this trough is a small but significant remnant of a time when horses played a central role in how people moved through”. It’s interesting to see how the practical needs of the past are memorialized along hiking paths today, blending the city’s historical and natural heritage.

The Views…

My highest point…

me admiring my achievement while hiking without suitable equipment…

October 11, 2024October 12, 2024

1st stop: Bergen

Kickstarting

The trip started with an already long flight from Aarhus, Denmark (where I am based at) to Bergen with layover in Gdansk. This first trip turned into an adventure, when due to flight dealys, I missed my connecting flight to Bergen.

As a result, I spent the first out of the 14-days-trip exploring the lounges of the airports in Aarhus and Gdansk.

Chilling in Aarhus Airport lounge 07/10 16.22

After a long and tiring night in the bustling Polish city, I finally boarded a plane to Bergen the next morning.

Since the plane landed, it was already apparent that the landscapes and the nature looked absolutely stunning. Once I checked into my hotel and dropped off my luggage, I set out to explore Bergen’s city center.

The Scandinavian architecture in combination with the breathtaking natural scenery seemed captivating, and the vibrant atmosphere was infectious. Each street I wandered seemed to tell a story, echoing the secrets of the city.

After dinner*, I found myself exploring the hill and I headed towards the funicular where I ended up spending my entire evening walking/ hiking (the difference is blurry here). The ascent was invigorating, and the panoramic views of Bergen saved the day and paid me off the sleep deprivation and the tireness of the long waiting times at the airport.

In fact, and I felt more and more curious about the nature and its role to the history and the city personality of Bergen.

*The dinner
Location: Kafé Spesial 17.45

September 29, 2024September 29, 2024

Porto

Porto had always been high on our travel list, a city we were both eager to explore. I (Ben) had a fleeting experience with Portugal during my teenage years when my grandfather dragged me on a pilgrimage to Fatima. It was, as you might expect for a teen, a rather curious adventure—one filled with mystique but not quite the freedom I craved. That said, the pull to return to Portugal’s Atlantic coast never left me. There’s something about the Portuguese language and music that has always stirred something inside me—so melodic, so rich with emotion.

We arrived in Porto late afternoon, fresh off a flight from Barcelona. The moment we stepped off the airport bus, a cool breeze wrapped around us, a refreshing change from the humid warmth we’d left behind. It reminded me of Edinburgh in many ways—brisk winds, hills rolling towards the coast, and a certain coziness that came with the layers of stone buildings and worn cobblestone streets. Porto had an undeniable similarity to home, but with its own flair, making it both familiar and intriguing.

After dropping off our bags, we left our music-filled hostel to explore. Strolling downhill, we found ourselves pulled towards the water by the city’s vibrant energy. Every street was alive with tourists—so many that it felt like swimming through a sea of eager sightseers. By the time we reached the riverside, it was clear the city had rolled out the red carpet for us! Or so we liked to think. We spent the evening wandering through Porto’s winding streets, basking in the late summer sun and sipping on the city’s iconic port wine as we watched the river glisten.

The colors of Porto are what captivated us most. Everywhere we turned, the city was bathed in blue—deep, rich hues that seemed to reflect the very soul of the place. From the flags of Porto FC to the intricate azulejo tiles that dressed up building façades, the blues played against whites and golds in a way that brought every corner of the city to life. Walking through the Jewish Quarter, we caught snippets of history from a nearby tour guide, reminding us of Porto’s long and complex past.

That evening, we stumbled upon “Casa Viuva,” a modest-looking restaurant with a queue outside, always a good sign. Inside, we indulged in Peruvian-style chicken and orange cakes, washed down with more local wine. It was an absolute gem, the kind of place you wouldn’t think twice about but would immediately fall in love with. We left full, content, and with wallets that somehow hadn’t suffered from the indulgence.

The next day started a little slower, thanks to the abundance of wine from the night before. The heat reminded us that we might need to slow down our usual drinking pace while in southern Europe! But after a morning pastel de nata, we were revived and ready to continue exploring. We spent the day crossing Porto’s bridges, each offering more breathtaking views of the city and its rolling hills that dipped into the river below.

A spur of the moment decision had been made in Barcelona, where I (Ben) had decided I wished to go and see Porto FC play in their preseason games at the legendary Estadio De Dragao. It just so happened they were facing off against the Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, the state backed billion dollar enterprise. One of Al Nassr’s many assets just so happens to be one Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greats. To see the Portuguese Ronaldo play in Porto couldn’t be hastily passed up on, so we headed to the stadium in a rapturous crowd of blue and white. Whilst the game was not the finest piece of art (and Ronaldo did not play), we still enjoyed the vibrancy of the colours, the chants from the crowd and our half-time hot dogs. Football chants are an interesting facet of music, a modern day tip-off to traditional folk chants from oral cultures. They can be passed up as a simple loutish rubric of the game, but I prefer to think of them as a modern sight into folk traditions, many of these chants paying heed to old songs that have come before. The game finished 4-0 to Porto and we left the stadium in a sea of blue and white.

Our time in Porto was everything we had hoped for—friendly locals, beautiful streets, and a city full of life. As we headed to the airport the next morning, our taxi driver shared his love for the city, mirroring many of our own thoughts. Porto had been a bright, unforgettable chapter of our travels, and we both knew that it was a place we’d return to in a heartbeat. Luxembourg was next on the list, and we set off early.

September 24, 2024October 2, 2024

Back Home in Philly

And finally after the stormy, hazy rush of a wonderful dream, I was back home in my familiar parts of the United States. Weeks of European travel juxtaposed against a carless lifestyle in this country is always a sore spot at first, as my very first 3.5 hours off the 9.5 hour plane were spent commuting through transit-to-transit. Vehicle-delays, company-switches, and some fairly… uncomfortable encounters… were enough to remind me the dream has ended for now. No matter: there are the wonderful parts of this country that I have missed as well, and the week of my return has had some cherished insights.

One of the first appreciations I’ve had were of the vast height that parts of this city achieve. One of the most particularly grandiose features of Brussels was its high-altitude composure of business districts, one that resonated with me as an East-coast American accustomed to settings like New York City. In Philadelphia however (and I supposed NYC as well) the high rise settings seems to sprawl endlessly, whereas I had a much easier time establishing borders in Brussels. Berlin doesn’t even seem comparable: the length between destinations was so vast that the high rises felt satirically urban in a suburban context. Perhaps authenticity is what I found attractive this week: Philadelphia’s high-rise, business, night-life, young-professional communities in Center City feel like they meet their intended purposes.

Contrarily: my ability to travel through the city has been nothing short of frustrating since I’ve returned. Between the delays in buses, missing my trains which only come every hour, and the lack of amenities like a simple grocery store, I’ve felt flustered. Just the other day, I was returning from a professional event in Southeast Philadelphia (near the Navy Yards) to my apartment in the Northwest. As small as a city Philadelphia is, my trip took over 2 hours (two buses, one metro, and a missed bus that turned into a lengthy walk). Che sara sara; I try not to let these bumps get on my nerves.

Philadelphia is also a deeply historical city for my country, and I have needed to reevaluate my appreciation of this for the sake of these studies. Although many of the places I have studied belong to a more 20th century paradigm, they still contained many embedded similarities to the areas of Brussels and Berlin that I had exposed myself. The arrangement of streets in Brussels felt very Philadelphian to me; the large axis roads act as guides for gridding sub-streets, while the natural landscape shifts neighboring city blocks into an organic, less-rigid arrangement. Wayfinding may not always be as easy as a simple, uniform grid (like what Berlin was clearly capable of achieving), but this hybrid of city planning techniques still has a way of generating clear navigational imagery inside the users’ heads. Many of Philadelphia’s housing I find to be incredibly beautiful, and much of it (no matter the state of the home) hosts amazing historical detailing. From the local-stone masonry to the preserved wood detailing, all of them have a story that excites me. My favorite trip was into Germantown, a working-class area that, in my opinion, features some of the amazing, hidden gems. Although I live so close, I’ve never given myself the true opportunity to practice my sketching here. For the first time, I could take in the delights that this community has to offer: homes, apartments, and even businesses.

My plans as an architect are to drive my career towards city planning and a generally altruistic civic duty to the city in which I live. Although traveling is certainly a key aspect of my life, the far future could entail for me a permanent return to Philadelphia. If this were the case, these types of travels may very well result in my key decision making in this city. At the start of this trip, I hoped to gain valuable knowledge on city safety, transportation, and historic beauty that I could employ throughout my professional life. Now, I simply await the opportunity to do so.

September 15, 2024

the sketchbook

our goal was to fill a sketchbook of our travels. we saved nice memories or details that we thought were most representative of us and our concept.

here it is:

September 15, 2024

brugge – the golden triangle inside the egg

we arrived in brugge early after a chill ride along the canal from ghent and had lunch at the train station. we met bart slabbinck, the mobility expert in bruges. we cycled with him around the city and got to know it differently. we were surprised that the tourist attractions are limited and restricted to a small part of the inner town. it’s called the egg, because of its shape, which used to be the old fortifications.

traffic infrastructure is important, but you shouldn’t forget heritage. his philosophy is to make mistakes, they are important. you will loose credibility if you are always right.

brugge is called the little venice of the north, we could approve that.

cycling infrastructure was awesome! bart is planning for the city and not for a single means of transport. so it’s not specifically bike-friendly, but people-friendly. they even have school streets, which they close at schoolstart, so the kids are safe from motorized vehicles.

the nice part of brugge is outside of the tourist triangle. it’s tranquil calm and authentic.

September 15, 2024

bruxelles – millions of internationals

brussels is a very international city. we arrived by train from the small and quiet rural luxembourg, so the clash was crazy. we arrived at the very ugly central station but were soothed by good cycling infrastructure and the vivid city.

we stayed in a hostel near molenbeek, an arabique district. even the traffic and the shops are arabique in contrast to the belgian buildings. we had a proper moroccan dinner with tea.

we visited the design museum, the atomium and the expo area around the atomium built in 1958. it is unbelievable what they built, just for an exhibition which lasts only a few months. the view from the top of the atomium is amazing, we could see the whole city. so we had an impression of how big it is.

the UNESCO-zone of bruxelles is restricted to the market place (grand place) and the horta museum. the square is quite similar to the one in nancy, big white and gold buildings with a lot of decoration. only the enjoyable cafés are missing.

the city is so large that you could miss its heritage if you don’t know about it. but we didn’t find the grand place very inviting. it’s just a meeting square for tourists, there is not a single spot to sit and just enjoy. we had the feeling we were supposed to look, take a picture, and head on. for the horta museum, we sadly didn’t get tickets. but we visited the art nouveau buildings from the outside.

the infrastructure is partly great, but since the city is large it’s hard to connect everything. but there still are some good cycling highways. what is a bit scary is the roads shared with cars and tramways.

September 12, 2024September 12, 2024

Brussels, Belgium

Day 1 – 01/09/24

Our first day in Brussels started with an early arrival by plane after our visit to Rome, and a relaxed evening stroll through the city after checking into our hostel. We were both pleasantly surprised to see a different city vibe compared to our previous stop with: a very walkable and transit-friendly city, the tight cobble stoned streets integrated with bike lanes, the brick façade architecture (merging historic designs with modern lifestyles), and the calm energy of both the people and urban landscape of the capital of Belgium. We visited the Grand Place, a recognized World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and were immediately amazed by the variety of architectural styles and exceptionally designed and conserved buildings. A few notable favorites we saw of the UNESCO site: Brussels Town Hall with a 15^thcentury Gothic bell tower, gorgeous 17^th century baroque-styled houses with pure gold decorative accents, and the King’s House built in a Gothic Revival style. We also noted the crow-stepped gable roof design, an architectural feature common in northern Europe throughout the city, and the square itself.

Day 2 – 02/09/24

Our second day in Brussels we dove into exploring the city, traversing the main historic centre by foot, and visiting both modern and historic structures. On our way we noticed a significant amount of façadism – a conservation intervention where only the façade of a building is preserved, and a new structure and/or interior is constructed. We stopped by La Bellone, an example of facadism, where the 17th-century baroque style house was converted into an event space cleverly preserving the facade and integrating modern architecture. Throughout the day we visited many cathedrals and churches, in varying degrees of structural condition. We enjoyed spotting the structural interventions including; metal tie-rods supporting arches, structural health monitoring systems, through-wall ties, and masonry repointing, all in place to ensure these beautiful structures remain standing for generations to come!

Day 3 – 03/09/24

Our last day in Brussels was wrapped up perfectly with a chance to speak with Paula Cordeiro, an architect and the site manager of UNESCO World Heritage site: the Grand-Place, and Florence Papazoglakis, a fellow architectural conservator of the Grand Place and for heritage buildings in the city. We had a wonderful time discussing and learning more about heritage conservation and site management. We are grateful to have been able to speak with them and be further inspired to grow in our careers!

Paula and Florence kindly guided us through Grand Place district, the surrounding buffer zone of the UNESCO site, and a personal tour of the Brussels Town Hall, which included climbing up the bell tower. The view from the top of the tower was breathtaking! Paula and Florence, both heavily involved in the site management of the Grand Place, had mentioned the districts struggle with vacancy issues in the city centre, specifically within the upper floors of townhouses. Many building owners solely use the main ground floor, as maintaining the lower floor for businesses is sufficient. As it is the main city centre, it seems a shame that residents do not get the opportunity to live in their city’s historical centre.

Next Stop: Brugge, Belgium

Brussels was an amazing experience and a perfect way to introduce ourselves to Belgium! We are even more excited to go explore Brugge!!!

You can read our more detailed travels and discussion in our Instagram posts here!

https://www.instagram.com/the_late_heritage_travels?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

September 12, 2024

luxembourg – a city of grenzgänger

we were quite impressed by the topography of the city when we arrived. the ‘oberstadt’ lies on a cliff surrounded by a green canyon on a slope of the river alzette. we immediately noticed that there is no real infrastructure for cyclists, which might be because of the city’s hilly region, so no one cycles.

we stayed three days in a nice airbnb in a quiet part of the city with a good view over it. 70% percent of the population is not luxembourgish and on the weekend the city shrinks by half. that is because people come to work to in the small country. in the 20s luxembourg became neutral and decided on some important financial laws, which made it a safe haven for the finance sector.

we were impressed by how great daily life and world heritage harmonize. the ‘oberstadt’, which is the old town implemented the daily life as well as the tourist attractions. but that might also be, because of the mixed population, you can’t really tell who is a tourist and who is working here.

what we especially loved was the pfaffenthal lift, which is an infrastructure and tourist attraction at the same time. it makes over 70 meters from the alzette to the oberstadt and has a platform you can view the whole pfaffenthal. also its big enough for a few bikes and further for free, like all public transport in luxembourg. the tram in luxembourg is amazing, they finished building it two years ago. it connects the kirchberg with the south.

we were invited by robert philipphart, UNESCO site manager at ministère de la culture grand-duché de luxembourg. we talked about luxembourg, its culture, inhabitants, infrastructure, heritage, and his work in the ministry and the city. we learned a lot about political work and how important empathy is: ‘don’t view the ashes, keep the flames alive’. we also learned that all luxembourgians speak at least three languages. they learn french, luxembourgish and german in school and because of internationalism, most of them also speak english. so you never know what languages you encounter, it’s always a surprise.

also, we visited the UNESCO visitor center. we got a good overview of what heritage is and the history behind the organization. the exhibition of europe was very good, it was not just about how great it is, but differentiated.

on our last day we met katherina krier, she showed us around with the perspective of a local.