A weekend in Bergen with Cohen, Creativity, Chill and Culotte
Bergen gave us everything in two days: a dinner that spiraled into stories, molten glass shaped by hand and breath, and a hillside walk where the wind nearly carried us away.
Between bites and glasses raised, the talk drifted far beyond beef and béarnaise. Stig confessed he wanted Leonard Cohen at his funeral – Dance Me to the End of Love as the final note. Dark, moving, and strangely perfect dinner-table material.
Music lingered in the air when Stig leaned back with quiet pride: he’d once stood just two meters from Bob Marley, camera in hand, capturing a living legend. The table paused in respect.
Brazilian style Culotte ála Stig
““Never trust a skinny cook””
From there it turned lighter again – someone recalled a chef on Majorstua who swore by baking garlic, a man who clearly tasted plenty of his own food. “Never trust a skinny cook,” an original Stig quote, and laughter rolled around the table.
Stig’s savory culotte – prepared with his own Brazilian recipe
The wine rules didn’t stand a chance. Red with beef? That’s what they say. But the béarnaise changed everything. Its sharp, buttery lift pulled the white wine to victory – carrying the onions, the tomatoes, the steak itself – while the red sat defeated in its glass. We laughed like rebels caught in the act of breaking a culinary law.
The next day took us on an artistic quest. Out at Straume, Thomas’ talented niece and Stig´s daughter, Sigrid welcomed us into her glassblowing workshop, already mid-flow with a glowing vase. Watching molten glass spin and stretch under her hands was hypnotic.
You can visit Sigrid in Straume and on Instagram: @Sigridrostadglass
After coffee, Thomas got to blow a whisky glass himself. Sigrid declared me more talented than my brother Per (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it) – a fact I may never let him forget. Stig, meanwhile, held back, still nursing his “glass-phobia,” while Ricky the dog ignored the rules entirely, hopping across the visitor’s line to claim Sigrid’s chair.
Visit Sigrid Rostad Glass on Instagram!
Intense concentration – art in the making
As if to balance out the warmth of the furnace, Bergen gave us stormy skies for our final walk. We wrapped up and set out on Løvstien, the hillside trail overlooking the city. Wind, rain, and that bracing air you only get in the west of Norway. The kind of walk that leaves you chilled, exhilarated, and grateful to return indoors.
Back at the house, warm again, we packed our bags, sipped the last of the coffee, and prepared for the airport.
In less than 48 hours we managed to cover:
A dinner that wandered from culotte to Cohen, from Bob Marley to Brazil.
A creative glassblowing session where art and play fused together.
A chilly hillside walk that tested our jackets and our resolve.
Food, stories, fire, and weather – Bergen gave us all of it. And just like that, our short trip felt like a whole journey.
