Syttende Mai, Mount Floyen, McDonald's, and Donald Trump

The title of this post almost speaks for itself.  The Norwegian festival of Syttende Mai kicked off the day - marching bands warming up at 5 a.m. and a canon on the hill "practicing" promised exciting festivities.  Two intersecting parades passed each other on the main street in downtown Bergen, the cacophony of sounds of a hip hop dance troupe and marching band forming their own Ivesian symphony.  In the early afternoon we traveled via funicular up to the top of Mount Floyen, where the views were breathtaking, even with the cloudy overcast sky as backdrop.  A walking tour pointed out one of the oldest buildings in Bergen, now occupied by a McDonald's!  In the evening we caught a glimpse of our own embarrassing politics spilling into the international scene.  It's nice to see that the Norwegians have a better sense of humor about the presumed USA Republican presidential nominee than I do!