In the city of Bergen, in Vestland county, Norway

 "... I've looked at life from both sides now

From up and down, and still somehow
It's life's illusions I recall
I really don't know life at all."
-- Joni Mitchell, "Both Sides Now" lyrics
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(Norway's second city, in Vestland county, on the west coast) The colorful Norwegian city of Bergen is also a gateway to majestic fjords. The principal port and business section is on a peninsula projecting into Byfjord, bounded to the north by the inlet and harbor of Vågen (for small ships) and on the south by Pudde Bay (for larger vessels) and the Store Lungegårds Lake. Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf will provide an early sense of the local culture; take a bit of time to snap photos of the Hanseatic commercial buildings (which look like scenery from a movie set). The city's outdoor fish market, a multi-sensory reminder of the city’s role in early fish trade, is also worth checking out. Ferry across a fjord to Lysøen, where the former villa of 19th-century composer Ole Bull will captivate you, and yours', with fairytale charm. During the early Middle Ages, Bergen was an important seaport and a member of the Hanseatic League, as well as Norway's capital -– a heritage that is still reflected in the beautifully preserved wooden buildings of Bryggen, now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.