In 1904 the Norwegian city of Alesund suffered a devastating fire. The many many wooden houses burned to the ground over the nights of January 23-24. Miraculously, only one person died. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was a fan of this area, enjoying the scenic fjords. He sent three ships full of building materials, rounded up architects, engineers and builders from surrounding countries, and helped rebuild Alesund from the ground up. Those years, the 19- teens, were years of Art Deco building and decor, so that’s what Alesund is now. Most of the city is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We took a private walking tour and saw the buildings and ornamentation. Also went up to the high point, Mount Aleksa, for a comprehensive view of the city. A midsummers eve bonfire was lit as we left the harbor. Not exactly mudsummer…

It was rainy, cloudy, foggy in Bergen yesterday. We took a ride up in a funicular, but not much to see from the top. 

so instead I looked down