We left the busy cruise port of Bergen on a ferry generally used by locals to move along the coast, a smaller version of the ferry we’ll be boarding in a few days.

We were headed to a hotel called Knutholmen in the small fishing village of Kalvag, year-round population of roughly 500. When the desk clerk at the Bergen hotel asked where we were headed next, he looked puzzled. I don’t think it’s a standard tourist destination, though we did see other UpNorway clients there. It’s part of their philosophy of really exposing clients to the breadth of the country.

The town is charming, with small, colorful homes nestled on the water’s edge. And given the lovely weather, the North Atlantic Ocean was like glass. Thankfully, our room had a balcony so we could indulge in one of favorite activities- having a beverage while we sit outside and enjoy the view.

The main scheduled activity in Kalvag was a fishing trip. I advised our travel agent that we weren’t fishermen, but she assured me we didn’t need to know how to fish; this was more about having an authentic experience.

Our captain, Roy, who was about 45, was fun and welcoming. I’d heard about how withdrawn Norwegians were supposed to be, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the good conversations we’ve had. I guess it may have something to do with the nature of people who choose to spend their time with tourists.

Our sail was pleasant, and then Roy asked if we were ready to fish. Hmmm, I didn’t expect that, but sure. He warned us that the chances of catching a fish were low since it was midday, but much to our surprise and delight, Jim caught two fish (pollock and cod) and I caught one (cod.)

Mission accomplished, we moved on to the spot where Roy had set a crab trap. He pulled up something like two or three kilos of crabs. Fisherman Jim helped transfer them from the trap to the pail; I chose to play photographer instead. 

Then it was off to Roy’s dock to eat our fresh catch. He boiled the crab and cod and sautéed the pollock. There’s nothing like eating fish, simply prepared less than an hour from being pulled from the sea, all while sitting on a dock in the sun. I could get used to this.

We finished off the excursion with a trip to Roy’s private island. Yes, he and his siblings own an island. It’s been in his family since about 1860. They just use it for a summer/weekend home now, but Roy and his siblings grew up there. When I commented on the amazing view from his living room window, he said it was just “outside.” I guess it’s all what you’re used to.

Our next activity for the day included a tour with a “local” after the fishing trip. Little did we know the local was Jan Frederik Fosse, the local mogul who built Knutholmen. The hotel offers 250 rooms, plus conference rooms, a restaurant, art gallery and small museum. And he was renovating another historic property into high-end lodging.

He was quite a piece of work, and we got even more of his story at breakfast the next morning. I’m glad we were visiting before the season really began; otherwise I doubt he would have had the time to regale us with so many stories.

Our schedule is packed, so we were on the road again after only two nights, but everyone told us how wonderful our next location would be, so we tried not to be too sad.