Organized Orkney Islands, 22 June 2024

We arrived n Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands, about 7:00am, and this is the first place where we will have to take a tender to the shore. There is only one excursion offered here this trip, to see the stones of the Ring of Brodgar (about 2,500 years old) and the village of Stromness, with plenty of time in the town of Kirkwall.

Our guide for the tour was a very informative older woman … all our guides on Shetland and now here are older, well past retirement age, and one mentioned that he loved doing this as a second career after he retired. All were natives and certainly loved their native islands. The population of the Orkney Islands is about 22,000, with 70,000 cattle and 100,000 sheep. More than 200 cruise ships call here annually, most during the summer months as we have. Our guide described the local distilleries, the ice cream shops which use the cream from the many dairy cows. Salmon farming is big here, as is open water fishing, and of course sheep and cattle, interestingly no one mentions goats. The island has benefitted from the North Sea oil to fund road and infrastructure improvements, and everyone now uses heat pumps for heating, and there are large wind turbines everywhere.

During WWII, this was a major center for the British military, with more than 60,000 military passes issued during the war, apparently all of the airplane hangars and housing they built during the war are long gone. The British Home Fleet was headquarters here at Scapa Flow (which from the Old Norse Skalpafloi, which means bay of the long isthmus)  in WWI and WWII. There is a memorial to the HMS Royal Oak, which was sunk by a U Boat and more than 800 died. The Scapa Flow was also the site of the first time a plane landed on a moving ship, in 1917, a precursor to the kind of warfare seen in WWII. At the end of WWI in late 2018, the German fleet was interned in Scapa Flow to await the Armistice in June 1919, guarded by the British Navy. Because they thought the British would seize the ships, or that if the Treaty of Versailles was not signed the war would resume, the Germans armies decided to scuttle the fleet. There were 74 ships in the harbor, 52 ships were sunk in 5 hours, and 22 were grounded or beached. The sunken ships are now a popular spot for divers. 

We continued on to the Ring of Brodgar, an UNESCO site with one of the best-preserved circular stone ring from the early Bronze Age. It was a beautiful site, with the 36 relatively thin stones in a huge circle, often with angled tops that were deliberately cut off for some reason. How they did this is a bit of a mystery, and there is no clear archaeological evidence of whether this was used for elisions or political reasons or something else. It was about the same size as Stonehenge, 100 meters (300 feet) across, though the stones are thinner and smaller. Surrounded by a ditch of about 10 feet in diameter, it involved about 4,700 cubed metric tons of rock having been moved. The site was fairly quiet, the first place we heard lots of birds singing, and it was bursting with spring wildflowers. The site was surrounded by several mounds, which apparently do not house burials according to preliminary exploration, which is unusual. We were able to walk around the entire outside of the ring, and the photos as it was silhouetted against a varied clouds were beautiful. The nearby Ness of Brodgar, an inhabited area in the Neolithic age, has been under excavation for the past 20 years, with thousands of artifacts recovered. We also went to the nearby Stone sof Stevens, fewer in number but equally mysterious. Nearby two sheep were in the area inside the fence, and one kneeled on her front legs to better get to the grass, something I had never seen (though my experience watching sheep eat is indeed very limited).

We drove back to the town, picked up a map, and went off to explore. We found a store which was a bit like the Rockridge Market Hall under one roof, and bought some whiskey samplers and oatcakes which I like - they cost about 1/4 what they do in the states. We asked the young woman who checked us out for recommendations for lunch, she she noted a place called the Archive, in the old library, a few blocks away. We went there and had a nice lunch of cauliflower soup and 1/2 sandwich, it seemed like the hipster place in town from the other folks who were there. Fortified, we walked around the town and the many shops  (oh the sweaters!) and went to the the famous St. Magnus Cathedral. I have been wanting to sing there ever since we decided to take this trip, so I was prepared with lyrics and sheet music for the Hymn to St Magnus. We explored the church which dates from 1137 in Romanesque style, with tombs of noted people dating back 600 years. There were folks setting up for a big concert that night as part of the St. Magnus International Festival, and all of the performances were happening after we left the island, but it meant that there was a good bit of noise going on so I figured I could sing without disturbing anyone. I went to the northeast corner by the altar, waited until most of the people had left the area, and started to sing, which Barney recorded. I could see folks listening, so I stopped after one verse. Barney indicated I should go on, so I waited again for folks to clear and sang verses 2 and 3, using a fairly quiet voice, but I could tell that people stopped talking. I was so glad to have the chance to do this, and several people told me how beautiful it was and asked what the music was. Really a dream fulfilled for me!

As we left the Cathedral, we saw a group of young mean tying another man to a stone monument out front with plastic wrap, and they were all coated with oil or something similar …it seemed like a bachelor party activity. After fully wrapping him and dumping more beer and whisky on his head, they left, yelling and beating their truck with a stick. An interesting ritual indeed. Back to the ship on the tender, and some time to catch up on my blog and do some work emails. Tonight we have dinner in the Chef’s Table whihc appears to be a pan-Asian menu.

Stormy Shetland Islands, 21 June 2024

The seas calmed more overnight so we could actually sleep without being jolted awake every few minutes. It felt good to wake up and not be exhausted. I realize that yesterday had me more than a bit unsettled, as I had never been through a storm on the open seas. Everyone was staggering around as if they were drunk, holding on to handrails or chair backs or each other. Now things are settled as we head into Lerwick (which means muddy bay in Old Norse) Shetland Islands in Scotland, pulling into the dock about 7am. We have a quick breakfast in the room and head down for the UK Immigration check of passports, which went very quickly, and then back up to ready for our 8:30 departure.

This morning we went south on this, the main island, to visit an ancient archaeological site called Jarlshof (a modern name). En route, we learned about the Shetland Islands, 16 inhabited islands out of 200, with a total population of 23,000. There are virtually no trees here, all of them having been harvested millennia ago, and for some reason never reforested. Barney immediately wondered why Alaska does not export across the northern passage to here, though it seems that importing from Norway would be easier. Most houses of the pre-modern era are of unmortared stone, including prehistoric sites, and of course fences everywhere. Along the way we saw remains of some broths, the stone towers which may have housed chieftains and also served as fortresses, there are 120 of these in the Shetlands. Later we barely made out through heavy mist the Mousa Broch, on an island in the distance, it is 90 feet tall.  Our guide told us that their native language here is a mix of Old Norse, Scots, Dutch, and German, and for many years it was suppressed, but there is now an effort to teach it and have children learn to read and speak it. En route to the Jarlshof site, we literally crossed the runway of the airport here (there is a crossing gate to stop traffic as needed). There is another small airstrip on the island of Foula, where only 28 people live, they take care of the grassy airstrip themselves. 

Jarlshof was an impressive site, with the remains of a 15th century Laird’s house surrounded by prehistoric, Iron Age, and Bronze Age stone buildings, from wheelhouses built like the spokes of a wheel to Norse longhouses of stone. we were able to walk through the various remains, with their tiny open windows and small doors. It was very windy, though our guide said it was not too “fresh” today, she said that the islands are quit windy with a top recorded wind speed of 197 mph! This is way above the top hurricane level, so it must have really been rough. To and from Jarlshof we saw lots of sheep with lambs, some cows and quite a few Shetland ponies … we will see more this afternoon.

A quick lunch (we tried the Pool Grill and Barney really liked the burger, I had Salad Niçoise), and we were off for more sights up north on the main island. The afternoon involved more of a drive, with travel through the scenic Tingwall Valley (lots of peat areas) and past some of the lochs, with a stop at an overlook to see Scalloway Castle in the distance, the former capital of the Shetland Islands. The biggest moment was of course the visit to the Shetland ponies. A woman who is a breeder and enthusiastic had a paddock of ponies who we could admire and even pet.She noted that they are very long-lived, they frequently live to more than 35 years, and she had one that lived to be 45, which is incredibly old for a horse. There was a fairly young foal of a few months, a beautiful dark grey (with almost a touch of blue), who let me pet his nose. Most of the ponies were grazing, really ripping at the already-short grass with their teeth, so I picked some grass from outside the paddock and offered it to the foal and he took it from me … quite exciting. The ponies are certainly cuteness embodied. Most of the women were extremely engaged, oohing and aching, while most of the men looked on from the side. The Shetland Islands are certainly beautiful, with rolling green hills, small villages, and the sea everywhere. After returning to the ship, we watched the departure which involved a tight turn, then to dinner (I had a delicious lamb shank, Barney had a very nice steak). We took a nice brisk walk after dinner, it was a bit windy but still nice, and read before retiring.

On the Norwegian Sea, Day 2, 20 June 2024

 We woke up early, intending to work out again, but the fitness center was closed. The weather had worsened again during the night, with winds alone up to 40mph, and they understandably did not want people unstable on treadmills or holding free weights as things became more rocky. We had to hold on to chairs and other furniture to move around the room. There were now more tasteful Scandinavian leather pouches holding seasickness bags on the stairway and in the elevators as well. As we went down to breakfast I had to use my cane for the first time since the flight from home, as the danger of falling was quite real. The servers were being very careful, only filling water glasses and coffee cups half-full. After breakfast we got some nice video of the waves breaking over the ship, and the captain came on the audio, announcing that all outdoor deck areas were closed until the storm passed. We caught up on a few more video lectures, and noticed that the sliding glass door to the veranda was also locked, perhaps something they could do automatically, ship-wide.  

We then went back to the 7th floor bow Explorers Lounge and got some even more dramatic video with spray shooting over the deck and onto the windows. Just after I wrote that, a huge wave came up and there was a concussion sound, and one of the glass panels along the stairway to the upper lounge shattered, a few glass shards hit the floor nearby, and part of the handrail fell as well. A crew quickly showed up to assess the damage, close off the area, and they started to wrap the shattered glass panel in some sort of plastic to secure it. The intensity of the storm continued for another 4 hours, as we had open-faced sandwiches and read for a while in two very comfortable chairs. Every so often the thump and shudder of a trough could be felt followed by the impact of the next wave and enormous amounts of spray that went all the way down the side of the ship for about 100 feet.

We enjoyed another wonderful art and archaeology lecture on Scotland, and I need to look at which museum to go to in Edinburgh. In the evening there was a Viking BBQ, which unfortunately did not mean barbecued reindeer or moose but American-style grilled meats and corn n the cob. We encountered some of the folks we’ve met on the trip, which was nice. Afterwards we dove back into our books, and the seas calmed a tiny bit. By the time we went to bed early, it was about 50% better than at midday, just as the captain had predicted.

On the Norwegian Sea, 19 June 2024

 We arose early and did a workout in the fitness center, feeling very virtuous afterwards. Though we missed her live lecture on art and archaeology of the Shetlands and Orkneys, we saw Dr. Celia Berghoffer afterwards and had a nice chat about various museums we had seen on this trip. We went to the Blue Nose Society event, where quite a few brave folks went into an ice-filled hot tub next to the pool, some even going all the way under ice, and after making it out, received a blue nose of frosting, an Arctic Circle ritual. Then back to our room to read for a bit, as the weather became a bit rougher, and a light lunch. We put on our down jackets (which we had never worn in Norway), gloves, and hats, and went up to the 9th and 8th decks for a very brisk and windy walk. We continued down to the 7th deck and circled outside three times, and found that folks inside still eating lunch waved to us, as were being nearly blown over. There was of course much more wind at the bow than the stern, and between the forward speed of 15 knots and the wind speed of 20 knots, the total was about 35 knots or 40mph. After the walk, we watched the art and archaeology talk and did more reading. The weather continued to worsen and furniture in the outdoor areas was packed up and the areas were closed … they certainly did not want anyone going overboard in this weather! 

We had an early reservation at Manfredi’s, one of the fancier restaurants. My seared sea bass was delicious  though Barney’ pork piccata was only OK … overall not as good as the Restaurant for the other dinners we’d had there. Back to the room for a few more video lectures, on the history of Scandinavia and it’s kingdoms and the history of the Shetlands and Orkneys. The weather continued to worse and the captain again reminded folks to use the handrails. A bit more reading and early to bed so we can get up early and work out again.

Hardy Honningsvår, 18 June 2024

 As we stayed up late reading, we woke up late and were already in port in the small (2,500 people) town of Honnigsvår. Our only excursion for the day was the drive to Nordkapp, the northernmost point in Norway where the Barents and Norwegian Seas meet, so we decided to spen the day in the town. It was a sweet place, very walkable along the Storgata Main Street, almost always in view of the waterfront. A major fishing town, it built its reputation on easy access to the Arctic cod fields which were some of the most productive anywhere, as well as other fish in abundance.

Our first stop was the Nordkapp Museet, which was a really well-done place with signage in Norwegian and English, and well-presented exhibits. In addition to the prehistoric migration to this area and very early remains of houses, we learned about the impact of WWII in this area, which was devastating. Because the Germans were using a “scorched earth” approach as they retreated in 1945, the entire town was burned down except for the Lutheran Church, I guess even the Nazis were afraid to burn a church. They had given people 48 hours to evacuate by boat with what they could carry. As soon as the war was over, they came back, and photos from 1947 show a town rebuilt with temporary barracks to house the residents and the rebuilt fish factory … they were incredibly dedicated and industrious. The musuem also described the fishing life of the area, as it was really the only industry here, and some history of the Sami people in this area and their reindeer herds, and there was an incredible photo of the reindeer swimming across a small fjord. We then walked up to the tiny Lutheran church, the one spared by the Nazis, and two teenage girls were having a piano lesson, one playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star over and over. We saw a red telephone booth which now also serves as a little free library with multiple bookshelves inside. Getting a bit hungry, we went to a tiny cafe called Arctic Sans and split a club sandwich on white bread, simple but enough. On our way back to the ship we also stopped at a Christmas store, filled with holiday ornaments and more. 

We then went to join our group for the drive to Nordkapp. The 45-minute drive took us through the tundra - the whole area is above tree line - and we saw many reindeer, most with their white winter coats still hanging to brown. The guide told us that there were more reindeer in Magerøya, the island we were on, than there were people. We arrived at Nordkapp, with its dramatic 1,000 foot drop to the sea and metal globe sculpture. A good bit colder than where we had been, we nevertheless pulled on our ski jackets and enjoyed the incredible view. At one point we saw a lot of white spots on the calm sans, which seems odd as there were not whitecaps. It turned out that they were whales feeding on some smaller fish, surfacing and then going down into the water again, at least 20 of them. What a sight! Truly a special experience. We walked through the gift shop at the end (of course) and I finally found a lovely green blanket of the type I had been looking for, green not being a common color in Norwegian design. On our ride back to the ship we saw even more reindeer including the young ones, all just wandering and eating - the speed limit is low as there are no fences and drivers must watch for the reindeer. Back to the ship, a turn in the thermal suite (I spent 5 minutes in the snow grotto), and then to dinner and time to catch up on the blog and email. Now at 10:00pm, it is as bright out as midday, and we are sailing on the open ocean, with a bit of rocking and rolling already, headed for the Shetland Islands. We say farewell to Norway, and I hope we will be back.

Totally Tromsø, 17 June 2024

We watched the arrival in Tromsø from the veranda, it is quite a large place, population 79,000 and it has a university and lots of cultural activities. After a quick light breakfast, we got ready for a busy day ahead. The weather was somewhat warm, and while rain was predicted between 12:00-3:00 we were prepared.

Our morning was a cultural and culinary tour of the center of Tromsø. We walked along the waterfront until we reached the Polar Museum, housed in an older restored building. Our guide told us that the newish apartment blocks we could see were all new since two years ago, when the shipbuilding area closed after the airport opened. The musuem had an amazing array of artifacts for the 19th and 20th century of polar exploration which often began from this city, including two huge galleries devoted to Royal Amundsen. Most of the signage was not in English but the artifacts were often self-explanatory. A replica of a trapper’s cabin gave a sense of how challenging winter life was in this area. The dioramas of many stuffed creatures were interesting, and she told us that the seal hunting one had toned down the blood and brutality. There were animal skins aplenty, with the polar bear skins being quite enormous.

We heade off to Dragøy, a famous seafood shop, for a tasting, and what a spread they laid out! There were about 15 types of seafood to taste, Norwegian shrimp, gravlax, smoked salmon, dried cod, smoked redfish, and much more. All were delicious with a non-alcoholic beer and crackers. Next we walked along the Storgata or main shopping street, whihc gave me a chance to scope out the many sweater shops. We then stopped at Helmersen, a lively delicatessen, for a cheese and wine tasting. The three cheeses we tasted were all Norwegian and gold medal winners at various cheese competitions … the blue was particularly good, and all were served with a light Moscato. They had a whole wall of wines and another whole wall of import and Italian specialities, pasta, sauces, and more. We bought some Norwegian-roasted espresso beans which we will enjoy at home. At the end, they brought s each a huge Kardemummboler of cardamom pasty with vanilla pastry créme in the center. It was delicious, but we were already white full from the seafood and the cheese, so Barney and I split one (with coffee) and brought the other back for a snack later on. Before we parted, I asked out guide about good places to find Sami items especially jewelry, and she gave us three suggestions.

Then the shopping began! I had identified four sweater shops, and Barney, being the great guy that he is, accompanied me to all four and then a fifth we saw while walking the Storgata, until we went back to one of the earlier ones to buy a camel and white sweater with a full zip, exactly what I had been looking for. Since most sweaters here were a combination of black, white, grey, blue, and red, this was not an easy task. I did also buy a green and gold winter hat which I will enjoy wearing for skiing next winter. Interspersed with the sweater places we checked out the Sami goods places, saw reindeer hide small purses and backpacks (super expensive), lots of antler candleholders (we got one for Madeleine), and some lovely jewelry - we found a nice set of silver earrings for Madeleine. Barney got a little gnome (of course!) and we found a few nice Christmas ornaments. 

Back to the ship to drop off our shopping, we joined the Tromsø on Foot excursion, which we thought might retreat a lot of what we saw in the morning. In fact, the guide gave us a lot of interesting history of the people and the buildings. We saw the oldest house in the city, and its smallest bar (really a tiny gazebo), and visited Tromsø Cathedral, a large wooden Lutheran church in the very center of town. We walked through the Library in a modern 70s-era building, and had an outdoor equipment lending library, so people could borrow skis or snowshoes etc. for folks to try out a sport - really a cool idea. There was also nearby a teen center which had similarly all kinds of DJ and recording equipment that young people could try out and even take home with library cards. We did see the famous Arctic Cathedral across the water on the other side of the city, its white triangular vertical pointing up to the sky. Finally back to the ship, and we watched as the captain steered out of the narrow fjord and under a bridge where the horn was blasted four times. Off to a light dinner, and then reading in the Explorer’s Lounge looking out at the sea, which was lovely.

Lovely Lofoten, 16 June 2024

After another night of no darkness, now that we are north of the Arctic Circle, we arrive in Leknes in the Lofoten Islands. Today is Father’s Day, so I wish Barney a happy day and send messages to my brother Dan and brother-in-law JJ. Barney also sent a greeting to our almost-adopted daughter Hanna.

We are up and out early, for our morning excursion to the Viking Museum. We drive through the small town on Leknes, and the farms which come quickly as we go to Borg. Our guide, Craig, is a very tall Englishman (whose voice reminds me of an English actor whose name I cannot yet recall) with a wonderful dry sense of humor, and is a great storyteller. The Viking Museum is based around the largest longhouse discovered ever in Europe, which dates from about 500AD/CE, and was used until about 900AD/CE by a chieftain. It is an amazing 272 feet long, 31 feet wide, and 30 feet high, divided into various rooms: a great hall, Irving quarters, a storage area, and a byre or stable for animals. The actual excavation of the longhouse is about 30 meters away and is protected. The building is entirely a reconstruction, and fully outfitted with mid0floor fireplaces for cooking, the great seat for the chieftain and the lady of the house, tables for feasting, benches where people did spinning, made tools and leather and fur goods, made and stored weapons, and areas where people slept. We sit on the benches and tables on the long side of the great hall, with glasses of mead for each, in the cone-shaped glass without a base held in a twisted cast iron holder. We also try the famous stock fish, the dried cod that was the main export for this area; once moistened a bit it is no bad, and normally it would have been stacked in water to reconstitute it. Folks dressed in period costume do various demonstrations and provide history, an we watch once woman tending two huge iron pots of diced carrots and potatoes and cabbage, cooking over the giant fire in the middle of the floor, a smoky smell all around us. We explore the other areas of the building where crafts are being demonstrated by folks in period costumes. We then go into the Viking Museum, which showcases many of the objects found in the excavation, including exquisite, tiny gold plaques about 1/2” square showing male and female figures embracing. These were found by the large post which indicated the position of the chieftain’s seat, and were buried at the bottom of the post during construction. Other beads, jewelry, glass pieces and potsherds were displayed along with weapons, needs, wearing items, and more. we learned that women in this area were more or less equal to men; Viking women could own land, inherit equally to a man, be responsible for her actions, and had property right sin her dowry and bride-price, and could divorce. While her husband was away at war, fishing or hunting, she was in charge of the whole estate. Outside the small museum were remains of medieval dwellings nearby, near an enclosure with a wild board sow and her piglets, which were a good size, as well as horses and cows. e walked up past the other building stone remains to the top of the hill to look out to the amazing view. Back to the bus, we drove up a bit higher, to the site of a church built in the 1960s (some prior churches were flattened in storms), which another beautiful view, and an interesting graveyard with gravestones of swooping curves instead of the traditional rounded or square shapes. It was a really illuminating excursion.

Back to the ship, we grabbed two open-face sandwiches for a quick lunch, and readied for a boat and bus tri in the afternoon. On the boat, we sailed along the shoreline and heard an in-depth briefing on the local fishing industries, which at one time allowed fishermen to make $12,000 in a day, with controlled prices and huge harvests. Here is where much of the cod traded in Bergen for more than a thousand years came from, and the drying racks where the cod air-dried for about 4 months were everywhere to be seen. The bounty of the sea created an immense industry, and at one time there were more than 5,000 active fishermen in this area. We landed in a fishing village whihc is now a vacation spot, that once was only 200 people, when it had more than 2,000 during the heyday of cod fishing. After a short walk in town, where most of the houses were on stilts, some partially over the water, we went back to the shore parking area for a bus ride back to the ship. 

Since it was Father’s Day, we had dinner in the Restaurant, where Barney had seared duck breast and I had bacon-wrapped monkfish, both of which were delicious. We spent some time in the Explorer’s Lounge reading our books with quiet music in the background, then of to bed for another early morning the next day.

On the Norwegian Sea, 15 June 2024

 As we stayed up late last evening, we slept in today, until 8:00am, since we are at sea and there are no excursions. After a nice leisurely breakfast, I caught up on my blog while Barney read for a bit. Then we saw an interesting film about maritime archaeology in Norway and the discovery of several shipwrecks, and attended a lecture on the geopolitical significance of the article areas, which was fascinating. Lunch was on the Aquavit Terrace, and we met a really nice guy, Tom Robert, originally from California, now in Oregon, with whom Barney made a few remarks that led us to understand he was of the liberal persuasion. We have a wonderful conversation about travel and books, and then took a walk... it was quite warm, in the mid 60s, and some people were actually sunning on the deck. We decided to try out the fitness center and did a bit of a workout, and I tried the elliptical machine and other machines while Barney did free weights. After a quick change, we went to the Wintergarden for a high tea, and found a cozy spot to read our books. hen off to the art lecture, focused on historic and contemporary art of the indigenous people of the Arctic, which was really interesting. The brother of the woman who gave the lecture started a conversation with Barney about his “Gnome Financial Group” t-shirt, which quite a few people have noticed today. I also received several compliments on my long green and gold kirta, and sent a note to Andrea Serrahn to let her know. Back to the room and more reading, and then dinner back at the World Cafe, and went to the Aquavit terrace with our dessert, watching the often very close shorelines of the area go by - because we are going inland between islands. As we watched the beautiful coastline go by an the tiny towns near the water, we wondered how they survive, as they are probably not all dedicated to fishing nowadays.

Around 10:20pm, we were (approximately) crossing the Arctic Circle, so we had a little toast on the veranda to our first ever crossing. A bit more time to read, and then to bed, as we have two exciting outings tomorrow. As it write this, it is 10:40pm and still bright and sunny outside, truly we are in the land of the Midnight Sun!

Gorgeous Geiranger, 14 June 2024

 Still not quite over jet lag, I wake up at 4:00am. The sun is just coming up (we are one week from 24-hour sunlight) and there is a gorgeous view of the mountains at the entry to the Geiranger fjord, truly stunning. While I couldn’t really sleep more, I rested and got up every so often to look out at the incredible views. About 6:00 I woke Barney so he could see our entry into the fjord, and by this time it was bright and sunny, with the waterfalls gushing. We decided to have breakfast in the room and got to watch the sail into Geiranger from the veranda, which was truly special. We watched them extend the 3-part walkway from the dock which allows direct access to the ship, which save the time of having to take a tender to shore. Then up and ready for our first outing of the day.

The drive to the Mountain Lake and Eagle’s Pass were quite beautiful, and a little edgy as we were going up switchbacks on mountain roads that seemed barely two lanes wide. In fact, we saw the original road which was only about one lane wide, built in the 1880’s, and learned that it was such a feat of engineering that it won a gold medal at the 1890 Paris international exhibition. Our bus driver was local so he clearly knew exactly how to do this, including passing other buses and backing up a few times to allow another bus to pass. We stopped first at an overlook which gave a wonderful view of Geiranger, which climbs the mountain, and the town has only 250 year-round residents, but welcomes 300 cruise ships a year and a hundred thousand or more who come with campers and RVs. We then ascend to the Mountain Lake, which has a small cafe and shop, and looks over the mostly still-frozen lake. Barney ventures out onto the snowy ice for a photo, and we learn that people do back-country cross-country skiing here, using the fur-bottomed skis to climb and then ski down. Even the ski down seems beyond my skills.  Here above tree line is a very different, more barren landscape than below at sea level. On the drive down, we learn that the walls of the fjord are at about 6,000-6,500 feet, like Crane Flat in Yosemite. Out final stop is Eagle’s Pass, a spectacular lookout which has a glassed cover where a waterfall comes out underneath the viewing area. Up and down is a really winding road, with 11 hairpin turns, and again our river was excellent. Then back to the ship, and got some quick open-faced (Smørebrød) sandwiches and changed into our foul weather gear.

Our next adventure was kayaking. We got conflicting advice about what to wear, so we had opted for long underwear (though it was upper 50s) and waterproof pants and jackets. We started to the other side of Geiranger, but we were stopped for about 30 minutes as a rescue helicopter blocked the narrow road. We finally got to the kayaking place, and got into our life vests and kayak skirts. I had not thought to check the setting of the toe blocks, so it turned out that I could not reach it, which made paddling a bit harder. It was beautiful being on the water, and we kayaked by small cottages and waterfalls, crossing the fjord twice, and hardly getting wet at all. Then back again to the ship by bus - our bus driver lives in Geiranger year-round, and even showed us his house on the hill.

We decided to try the thermal suite in the spa, part of which was gender-specific. First there was a sauna, then a tepid pool which were nice (Barney skipped the sauna and pool on the men’s side). We met then at the warm pool which had quite a jacuzzi force, and this felt good after kayaking. Two interesting features of this area were the cold bucket of water poured over your head and the accompanying incredible warm shower, and the best part, the snow grotto. The snow grotto was a small room filled with snow and a couple rock seating areas. It was quite cold and Barney did not stay long, but I rather liked it. Then back to the room to clean up and shower off the salt water from kayaking.

In the evening, before dinner, we went to the bow of the ship to watch the departure from Geiranger. It was truly spectacular, and we were able to see both sides of the fjord. It was windy but not that cold, so we stayed out quite a long time. Later we went to dinner in the World Cafe which had a bit of a seafood festival on - I tried King Crab legs, Norwegian prawns, tiger prawns, green lip mussels, aquavit-marinated scallops, and of course sushi. I tried it all, which was nice - I realized how much butter and sauces add to the taste of seafood, as without those (which I deliberately did not take) they are much more subtle. Barney enjoyed some carved lamb and we had a nice pistachio-raspberry cake for dessert. And then, back at the room, we did a load of laundry including our wet gear, so go that out of the way, out bathroom now covered in the clothes that could not go in the dryer. It is really nice that they have a laundry on every floor, and the washer has automatically dispensed soap (which probably also prevents guests from overusing soap or using the wrong kind). Tired, we both fell asleep on the couch, and before we went to bed, we took a last look at the fjord as we headed toward the open seas.

Beautiful Bergen, 13 June 2024

 I woke up at 4am as jet lag timing kicked in, and went to the veranda to look outside as the sun was rising in the chill morning air in Bergen. Looking forward to the day ahead, I did my physical therapy exercises and we had a nice, quick breakfast, and then off for our walking tour of Bergen. 

We were berthed about a 10 minute walk from Bryggen, the 1000-year-old Hanseatic League trading port area. We met our guide and we’re off, walking along the 30-foot stone barrier wall built by King  Hakkon and the massive hall he built to lure his new bride from Denmark. As we walked along the waterfront, we enjoyed the colorful, slightly tilted long buildings of the old port area, built on the ashes of hundred of fires over 1,000+ years, as they extended from the original water from forward 50+ feet. The long houses were the site of the large German trading firms, with warehoused goods stored above and around their offices and trading area, and where hundreds of young apprentices lived in monastic conditions. Imagine no candles or fires allowed inside the wooden buildings, even in winter, because the risk of fire was so high, so all cooking and eating took place in small stone cookhouses far behind the long them buildings. Instead of chimney which could spread embers, they allowed sparks to go un into the tile roofs which cooled them. After one early fire, the merchants decided to fill in the area, the quays became narrow walkways, and the tradings houses were as much as 100’ long. As the tour ended, we continued to explore on our own.

The archaeological museum included the foundations and remains of some of the earliest buildings which were 33’ feet down from the surface. The colorful UNESCO World Heritage site buildings of today were built in the 18th century, along the lines of the old ones, and the 1,000-year-old church and other buildings hundreds of years old survive and have been repurposed. The Hanseatic Museum has rebuilt and renovated some of the oldest buildings, and included one original building, plus artifacts and elements like the wooden corner cabinet, and the divided benches where apprentices sat grouped by their masters, apprenticed at 12 years old and sent out to become traders themselves at 18 years.

We stopped by the outdoor fish market brimming with fresh seafood, packs of caviar, and reindeer sausage, and then took the funicular up to the top of a nearby mountain for some wonderful views of the whole of Bergen which is spread out across several valleys and mountains. I briefly looked at the Dale-style sweaters and decided to wait until we are farther north before buying something. After 6 hours of walking, jet lag began to kick in, and we go back to the ship, have a light lunch, and explore the ship for the first time, stopping on each floor. We went back to the cabin, and woke up to attend a lecture on how glaciers formed Geirangerfjord, which looked absolutely stunning in the photos. Only 250 people live there year-round but they welcome 300,000 visitors each year - amazing. We had dinner in The Restaurant this evening, which featured a Norwegian menu of parsnip-apple soup, aquavit-marinated beed tenderloin, and a delicious upside-down pear cake. We returned to the cabin, and read for a bit, then Barney went to the Catain’s introduction of his officers and Barney spoke to the Chief Engineer who invited hi to see the control room later in the trip.We really tried now, we spent some time outside on the veranda in the cold, still brightly sunny at 9pm, and watched the distant coastline as we sailed up the coast to Geirangerfjord.

Off to Norway!

 At last we head off to Norway! We take MArley to his new dog sitter, I feel a bit teary to say goodbye for two weeks, but I think he will be very happy at Kosta’s with the other dogs he knows. Then back for a few final bits of packing - for the first time I actually packed ahead of time, on Sunday for a Tuesday departure, amazing for me. I worked until 11:15pm last night, so very glad to have everything up to date and sent to clients.

Madeleine took us to the airport, we checked in, and saw the longest TSA line I have ever seen - it stretched way back into the ticketing area. I felt lucky we got to go through in the wheelchair. We got on early and the Premium comfort seats were quite nice, not quite like the business class pods but very roomy and with fewer seats in each aisle. A very nice dinner, Barney watched a move and I read, and then we both tried to sleep, only slightly successfully. They also offered a nice breakfast, and then we landed in Amsterdam. There was a long way to transfer so I was glad for the cart to take us. The flight to Bergen was full an fairly short. As it turned out, there were about 350 people arriving on various flights to Bergen at the same time, all headed for the Viking Saturn in multiple busses, so we met a few folks along the way. A quick bus ride, check into the ship, and we arrived!

The room is veer nice, a lot of space, and plenty of storage for clothing, boots and shoes. It feels so strange to be in the same place for two weeks and actually unpack, I almost never do this. It helps keep things tidier for sure, and the Scandinavian design rather encourages this as well. We head down to the theater to hear an interesting lecture about Bergen, then to the World Cafe for a nice simple dinner, and then back to the theater to hear a bit of the concert by Tor Jaran Apold, the violinist I head on their video whose music is quite beautiful. By this time, 9:00pm, we were both exhausted, and had reached our goal of staying up without a nap, so it was time to go to bed. It was still quite bright out here, given the latitude, midnight sun, and how close we are to the summer solstice. The bed was comfy and we’ll be ready for the day tomorrow.