The cities in Norway can not be compared to the cities in other parts of Europe. Let's face it - the Vikings built boats not buildings. But, there are still some very cute towns in Norway. Despite being such a gray and cold country, the houses are remarkably bright and warm colors. In Bergen, the main tourist attraction is a small area of town containing slanted houses. How a bunch of poorly built homes became so attractive to visitors beats me, but they are definitely interesting. When you look at them from far away, it becomes obvious just how slanted and leaning they are. When you are up close, or walking in between them, they seem like they might even fall on you.
We stayed with a very nice Norwegian man and his dog in Bergen. He treated us to some waffles with brunost. Brunost is literally "brown cheese" in Norwegian. In Norway, this kind of cheese is a favorite in most every household. During certain times of the year, the children go around selling brunost for fundraising. It is a rather strange cheese by most people's standards. It is a mix of cow's and sheep's milk that has been cooked for so long that the sugars in the milk have carmelized, making it brown and semi-sweet. I adore this cheese, but many people I have offered some to have not shared my love.
Further north, in Trondheim, there are some similar houses. These houses are located on the river flowing through the town and are built upon stilts. For me visiting Trondheim was important for more than just seeing the town. Part of my family immigrated to the US from Trondheim, and it was interesting to go back to where they were from.
