24 hours in Bergen

Bergen was my new New York. As in: a place everyone expected you to have been but that you had never visited. My New York virginity I ultimately lost at the age of 34 and I have significantly increased my average since then, but the picturesque Bergen, I had never been there. So when I was allowed to choose a location for Renault to be released for 24 hours, I immediately knew where I would throw my dart on the Dutch map: Bergen.

Forty minutes drive from Amsterdam, plenty of parking spaces and affordable too. An ideal spot in short, to visit with my TWINGO .

Sleeping

Hotel Blooming
In the middle of greenery, beautifully decorated, nice spa, bikes from the hotel and child-friendly, free wifi, an indoor pool and all that just six kilometers from the North Sea beach. Grab that bike and you see the sea.

Shopping

Bergen has a lot of nice shops. A wonderfully large Sissy-Boy, a Summum store (they always really know how to find the most beautiful locations for their buildings) and Marc Cain, but what always makes me very happy is a bookstore where you can buy all (well, many) international newspapers. Even if it's just because a Le Monde does a lot for your Insta feed.

Interior

Bergerac
Bergerac is one of those shops where as soon as you step over the threshold you immediately check your balance. You want to have everything. I bought two intensely large garden lamps (luckily even three Billy cabinets fit in my Renault TWINGO, so these two lamps could laugh on the back seat), two aquamarine candles for that better beach-and-sea feeling (you have to pick that summer while you can) and I would have preferred to buy the entire inventory, but it was 34 degrees so lifting wasn't really my favorite activity. I'll just come back another time.

PT Post
PT Post is located at the old ruin church in a building designed by Berlage and has functioned for years as a post office (hence the name). Now they have a delightful bric-à-brac of Ibizan brands and trinkets. From my favorite chips from Sel de Mer (brought two bags, they also look great in your china cabinet) and Spanish chips with truffle flavor (also bought, and I didn't care that a bag cost five euros) to the cutest dog leashes, cushions from Sluiz Ibiza and plates from &Klevering. Also bought: a candle in a sawn-off bottle of Hendrick’s Gin. Really, if you're looking for a gift: you'll find it here.

Lunch, dinner, drink

Fabels
From PT Post you stumble to Fabels, such a laid-back cozy spot where there is always a good moment, whether you want coffee with a nice cake or in our case just a drink and something salty. We pushed the wine list aside (because out with friend TWINGO), but the diet cola and the good old nachos with guacamole and fried calamari rings with a sweet soy sauce were exactly what we felt like.

Then time called and the parking meter ran out. On the way back I called a friend. Whether I had been to Camelot. Uh, no. But that was the coolest multibrand clothing store in Bergen. Turning back was not an option, so I'm just going back. I'll make a hatchback of my petite voiture and load up.