Bergen's Mount Ulriken on a beautiful spring day (Photo-essay)

As I disembarked from the MS Richard With at Bergen 12 days after having gotten onto the ship at the same port, I consoled myself with the knowledge that my Norwegian adventure was not yet over.  And as we sailed into the Nordic country's second largest city, I was given another reason to feel cheery -- in that we were greeted with lots of sunshine, bright blue skies and temperatures hitting a balmy feeling  (when compared to what we had experienced for much of the cruise!) 16 degrees Celsius.

Having previously gone up one of its seven hills by way of the Fløibanen Funicular and enjoyed the scenic vistas of "the gateway to the fjords of Norway" and its surrounding areas from up Mount Floyen, my mother and I decided to reacquaint ourselves with this charming city by taking the Ulriken643 cable car ride named after the highest of Bergen's septet of hills and its height in meters.  And yes, we were indeed treated to some spectacular sights up on Mount Ulriken on a spring day which a Norwegian man (who had hiked up the mountain with a baby on his back and his wife for company!) told us was the most beautiful it had been in his home city thus far this year! :)

A view of Bergen from the MS Richard With that includes

the TV tower-topped Mount Ulriken

The cable car system that took us 

both up and down the mountain

An alternative way to come down Mount Ulriken

that we saw a number of people opting for!

The most popular option that day appeared to involve 

hiking up the mountain and then taking the cable car down! :b

What splendid views that paraglider and his fellow 

extreme sports enthusiasts must have enjoyed that day...

There's no two ways about it: Norway is home to

some really incredible natural scenery

While humans definitely have left their mark on the landscape,

nature's beauty remains highly visible

 Puppet Ponyo on a cliff -- but not by the sea this time! ;b