JodockWorldTravel

August 23, 2025 (Bergen, Norway – Part I)

There is much to explore within the city of Bergen – history, architecture, art, shopping, FOOD! – but we’ll be saving that for later in the day. And because there is so much to explore, we’re breaking today’s post into two parts, beginning with the a.m. activities.

Our morning was spent on a wonderful little farm located about five minutes outside of town. Those of you who read Ken’s post from 2022 will know that he’s been here before, and he was very excited to share the experience with Pam. It didn’t take her long to understand why.

Originally established in the late 1500s, Ovre-Eide Gard Farm’s colorful past includes serving as the seat of a Danish King, having been property of the Church of Denmark, and being abandoned for several years in the aftermath of the Black Plague before finding what may be its forever home in the Ovre-Eide Gard family in 1875 when two brothers went together to buy the property. Its agricultural history began in 1565, and there is evidence to suggest its cellar may have been used as a dungeon once upon a time where a notorious Norwegian thief was imprisoned.

When Arild Nydegger Ovre-Eide Gard inherited the farm in 1989 he was a professional pastry chef who knew absolutely nothing about farming. At the age of sixteen or seventeen his father had given him the choice of becoming the fifth generation of the family to own and run the farm or sell it and follow his own path. He ultimately elected to keep the farm in the family, and although it was a fully operating farm at the time he took over its operations, none of the buildings were in use and the main house where we would later enjoy a small snack of traditional Norwegian treats and a visit by
Arild himself was literally falling apart.

In the beginning it was all Arild could do to keep the farm running. He continued his life as a pastry chef and recruited friends and family to help on the farm. One year they held a Christmas party for everyone who was helping and their families. As they sat around the unheated barn with its makeshift decorations enjoying Arild’s pastries and surrounded by the sheep and horses someone suggested others might enjoy having a similar experience. One of the young girls who had been helping at the farm asked to have her confirmation there, which spurred the group to begin renovations. Soon they began opening the farm up to the local schools for visits. As renovations progressed, they began hosting weddings and other special events. Their tourism begam in 2000, and today they host a multitude of cruise ship visitors, offer riding trips through the surrounding mountains, and continue serving as a venue for weddings and other special events.

The farm sits on the banks of Lake Dahl, which provides two-thirds of the drinking water for all of Bergen. They currently have six horses, fifteen sheep and one ram and usually welcome 25-30 lambs in the spring. Ovre-Eider relies solely on traditional farming methods, including using only horses to spread the manure around the farm.

After touring the grounds, we entered the main house, built in the 1500s, for delicious pastries, which of course included the famous Lefse.

We were serenaded by Linda, the woman who had been serving as our tour guide and is also an accomplished performer and chef in her own right. Arild played a traditional Norwegian song for us on the piano and spoke of both the history of the farm and Norwegian traditions. There are approximately 5.5 million residents of Norway and Arild joked there are approximately 1.2 million national costumes, or bunads. Norwegians generally choose a national costume around the age of 14 or 15. A bunad is a symbol of Norwegian cultural heritage and identity and is usually chosen based on personal preference, family history or a connection to a particular geographic area of Norway. The costumes cost $5-6,000 so you usually choose only one. They are designed to be let out so they can grow with a person as they age and are worn an all significant holidays or special events. The color of a girl’s stockings signify whether she is single (red) or married (black).

Arild is a soft-spoken man who ended his remarks with a beautiful speech about the need to protect democracy and the importance of allies. He reflected on his father’s experience as a farmer during WWII, when Nazi soldiers entered Norway and demanded all of the landowners sign a pledge of loyalty to the Nazi party. Arild’s father refused and spent four years as a prisoner of war, an experience he refused to talk about. Arild spoke of the Battle of Narvik, something Pam talked about in her August 19th post about the Arctic Train, and the vital role the country’s allies played in securing a free and democratic future for Norway. Without throwing shade, naming names, or lecturing Arild quietly made the case for the part individuals, not world leaders, play in protecting democracy and fostering international relationships that remind us there is so much more that unites us as human beings than divides us. It was an emotional end to a memorable visit.