June 27, 2014   Sea Day

 This was a quiet day for reflecting on the wonderful trip we were fortunate enough to enjoy and was about to come to an end. Time to pack our bags, catch up with new friends and have our final dinner in the dining room.

The night’s entertainment was the “Dancing with the Stars” show where five of the ships guests perform with dancers from the cast. At the end of the night one of the guests is crowned the winner of this cruise and is eligible to possibly move into the finals, happening in October. The finalists are selected by the audience applause meter.

Bergen Waterfront

Bergen Art Museum

Bergen Outlook

June 26, 2014   Bergen, Norway

 Located on Norway’s southwest coast, Bergen has the country’s largest port and is its second largest city at about 250,000 people. The city rose to prominence in the 12^th century due to its dried cod trade. The city of Bergen is often called the city of seven mountains as many mountains surround it. The mountains create a unique climate keeping it warmer than one might expect but also has more than 90 inches of rainfall a year. The weather on this day was sunny and warm, which was wonderful.

The city is very beautiful with a variety of architecture dating back to the 12^th century. There is a well-preserved castle, the Brergenhus Fortress, a contemporary arts center, an aquarium, a fish market, a maritime museum and a funicular that takes you up 1,000 feet above the city.

In the morning we explored town on our own. We walked all over the city center exploring the unique architecture, the lake, the beautifully landscaped pedestrian streets, the fish market and local shops. In the afternoon we took a two-hour panoramic city tour where we saw many of the important sights around the city.

It was a short day in port with the ship sailing at 4:00pm, but the sailing out of Bergen through the fjord was stunning. We saw thousands of small islands and inlets where colorful homes large and small dotted the shorelines.

One of the spa gals, Maja, from Croatia is a fun-loving spirit and Kent connected with her immediately. He found a lovely troll for her and encouraged her to contact us when she gets to San Diego. Kent keeps giving our contact info out to lots of entertainers and crew in hopes of seeing them in San Diego.

The evenings entertainment was the Ryndam singers and dancers show called “Droom” which we had seen a couple of weeks ago. Since we hate to miss a show we saw it again.

Geiranger Outlook

Geiranger Eagle Road

Geiranger Village

June 25, 2014   Geiranger, Norway

 This small village of just 250 inhabitants relies mostly on tourism during the summer months for its survival. Some 300,000 visitors pass through this village between May and September. The village is home to the Seven Sisters Waterfall, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The weather was absolutely beautiful with plenty of sunshine, which everyone was ready for. The village is very charming with a few hotels and a large camping ground at the waters edge. There is a huge river with many waterfalls cascading right through the middle of the town. They have recently built a staircase through town along the edge of the river for visitors to get an up-close look at the waterfalls. The setting at the end of the fjord with high mountain walls surrounding the village is quite spectacular. It is no wonder that the town welcomes more than 140 cruise ships a year to this beautiful spot.

Our tour on this day took us on a scenic drive up into the mountains where we saw many fruit tree farms, lakes and waterfalls. The landscape at the lower elevation is lush and green with trees while the higher elevations are almost barren from the high winds they have in this area. Some of the homes that were built at the higher elevation had cables securing the roof to the rocky hillside to keep it from being blown from its foundation. We stopped at an outlook on the top of Mt. Dalsnibba (4,911 feet in elevation) where we could see all the way down the mountain to the town at the edge of the Gierangerfjord. It had snowed within the last couple of days so there was fresh snow on the ground and the temperature was cold. Along the way we saw sheep and goats that are raised to produce cheese.

After driving back down the mountain and into town we headed up the only other road out of town that is called the Eagle Road. The eagle road climbs quickly with a number of hairpin turns. While on our way up we found that someone who was coming down the mountain in a motorhome has gone through a concrete barrier at one of the turns and gone down the embankment a short way before being stopped by a large tree. Luckily, everyone was able to walk away from the overturned vehicle. Emergency vehicles and a helicopter came to rescue.

From a lookout along the Eagle Road we are able to get a look at the famous De Syv Sostre (the Seven Sisters) waterfall. The waterfall is named this because there are seven different falls clustered together. Across the fjord from the seven sisters waterfall is another very large waterfall called the Suitor or Whiskey Bottle because of its unique shape, which resembles a whiskey bottle.

The evening’s entertainment was an acrobatic variety show by Olympic gymnast Lance Ringnald. Lance is a very engaging person although his act was a bit lacking in content. He told a few jokes, showed some movie clips of himself, did a bit of juggling, played the piano and sang a song. He still has an incredibly fit body at 44.

Another one of our group is Eldon (nickname: Eldita), originally from Regina, Saskcatuan, Canada, but is living in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He recently left his accounting position and is looking for another. He has several options to consider and doesn’t seem too worried about finding another one. He is almost 50 and is always impeccably dressed and is a fun, engaging person. He is traveling alone and spends lots of time in the casino. Eldon enjoys the shows onboard also.

Dale and Thom are currently living in Princeton, New Jersey. Dale is PhD working for Bristol Meyers and Tim was a banker and is now a retired teacher. Dale spends lots of time in the spa and Tom shops. Tom had an altercation with another passenger while in line to get his VAT back. The lady thought he was cutting in line (he was not) and hit him in the face and he fell to the floor. Security was called, but not one staff asked him if he was OK….guess because he was the man. We are sorry that happened…..physical altercations are not good under any circumstances.

Others we have been are Elsie, from Oakland. She is travelling with Dan, from Berkeley. Both met in a bereavement group at home as they both lost spouses. Dan is usually at the LGBT cocktail party. We convinced Elsie to join us once. They both have Neptune or large balcony suits and we are jealous.

There are two Brazilian gals, Marcel and Andresa, on board with family members. They are delightful, but speak little English. They have been together for 22 years and are convinced that Mark is Kent’s father (NOT!)…but they continually tell Kent how “elegant” and serious Mark appears. Other ladies say the same thing. He is a hottie!

Two other male couples from Ottawa are also traveling and we have had limited interaction with them. Another single fellow, Doug, from Albany, CA has also joined our group for dinner, but stays pretty well by himself. Some don’t like to “join” we guess.

June 24, 2014   Sea Day

 This was another sleepy sea day with very few activities available onboard. We attended another Mariners cocktail party and luncheon where several folks were recognized with medallions for the number of sea days they had traveled on Holland America Line ships. A gentleman that looked like Santa Claus with long white hair and a beard was recognized for his 804 days at sea. He said he had fourteen more cruises booked! It must be nice.

After cocktails in the Ocean bar we had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with friends. The food and service is always excellent. One in our group of six guys includes Eddy from Melbourne, Australia. We’re not sure what Eddy, 45, does, because he has mentioned several professions: autistic student teacher, derivatives trader, model, import business manager, gay bar manager, etc. He has lived in many places and is traveling to Hungary to buy investment property with cash in his cabin. He says he is bisexual (we say that means a stop on the way to “gay.”)   He is a real talker (we don’t know what to believe) and knows many people on the ship. All seem to have a nice word to say about him. He is considerate and thoughtful with all in our group. Eddy has bought clothes in almost every port. He says he will donate his old clothes to the orphanage in our last port. He is apparently quite the entertainer in the sauna….if you know what we mean, and is always talking about sex and hooks up in ports after using Grinder.

June 23, 2014   Sea Day

 We departed Honningsvag about 6:00am for a couple of days at sea before we arrive at our next port. As we sailed past the North Cape a small group of passengers took part in a Nordic Plunge in the outdoor swimming pool.

There were very few activities scheduled so it was mostly a quiet day onboard with folks reading, swimming in the indoor pool, enjoying a spa treatment or napping.

Kyle Kennedy was the entertainer for the evening. Once a member of the cast on a Holland America ship some twenty years ago, he is now a headliner. He sang a variety of soul music, many of which were familiar but he had no pizazz.

Kent and his new friend

North Cape

Honningsvag Village

Oversized mail boxes

June 22, 2014   Honningsvag, Norway

 We arrived in Honnigsvag about 11:00 am this morning. Honningsvag is located at the northern most part of Norway and has a population of 2,500. The city thrives on its fishing industry, which is aided by the ice-free Barents Sea. From Honningsvag you can take a forty-five minute drive to the North Cape that is the northernmost point of Europe. The cape has a 1,000-foot cliff overlooking the Arctic Ocean. The weather was not very nice with cloudy skies and intermittent rain throughout the day, not to mention the cold temperature and wind. We chose not to take this trip, but several of our friends did. They returned somewhat disappointed.

We wandered the small town, but being a Sunday most of the shops were closed. A few large gift shops were open to accommodate the four cruise ships that were in port. The homes here were mostly constructed of wood painted in bright colors dotting the hillsides. There was a short downtown business district with a few shops, a library, a church, a cemetery and a market. More unusual was the large sports complex with both indoors and outdoors soccer fields. We were amused with the large mailboxes on all the houses.

Being that the ship was docked in port until early the next morning, there was not the usual entertainment. On this night they had a special Nordic Jazz and Food Festival onboard where they served a Smorgasbord of Scandinavian snacks like smoked fish, salads, and desserts.

After the food festival they invited guests to move to the Crow’s Nest lounge to see the midnight sun while listening to classical music, sipping Gluwein and eating cheese fondue. Unfortunately the sun was not visible through the cloudy skies.

Interior of the Cathedral

View from the Cable Car

Interior of the Cathedral

Tromso Arctic Cathedral

Tromso Sami House

Sami People

June 21, 2014   Tromso, Norway

 Researchers have found evidence of civilization in this area dating back nearly 10,000 years. Tromso is the seventh largest city in Norway today with a population of about 75,000. The city of Tromso is split between an island called Tromsoya and the main land now connected by a bridge. The town was originally built on an island but after the bridge to the mainland was completed in the 1960’s the town expanded to the mainland. Due to its very northern location, Tromso was often used as a starting point for Arctic expeditions.

There is a very large medical university in Tromso where students from all over the world study specialties like hypothermia, sun deprivation and depression, as well as the ordinary subjects.

Our tour took us to the Tromsdalen Church or Arctic Cathedral as it is called, which is located on the mainland. This very modern church was built in the 1960’s and houses Europe’s largest stained-glass window measuring 1,500 square feet and depicting the return of Christ. The window was not part of the original design of the church but was later installed after the morning sun through the glass wall behind the altar was so blinding to the parishioners, they needed to wear sunglasses in church. The pastor couldn’t tell whether or not the people were paying attention.

Next we took the Fjellheisen Cable Car to the top of Mt. Storsteinen where we got a great view out over the town of Tromso. Unfortunately it was cold and snowing so the views were somewhat restricted. Luckily there was a lovely café at the top where you could enjoy the views from a warm comfortable spot.

Our next stop was the Tromso Museum, which is the largest and oldest research institution in northern Norway. Here we saw a short film about the Northern Lights phenomenon that occurs during the winter months when the sky is clear. These colorful swirling waves of bright colored light appear in the sky when the atmospheric conditions are just right.

Another exhibit was the Sami Ethnography exhibit where we learned about the indigenous “Sami” people who lived in this northern region from Norway, through Finland and into Russia. They believe that the Sami people (formerly called Laplanders but is now not politically correct) were using wooden ski’s with fur pelts on the bottoms for traction some 4,500 years ago. They lived in structures similar to a teepee (like our native Indians) although some of the permanent homes were more substantial including the use of wood for the structure with sod covering it. They used reindeer for pulling sleds, spears for hunting and lived completely off the land.

The museum here also features exhibits on geology, botany, zoology and archaeology that we had a quick look through.

After lunch onboard the ship, the weather was improving and we were able to take a shuttle bus back into town to have a look around. The city center is very charming with a blend of old and new architecture. Since today was the longest day of the year the city was having a summer solstice party including a midnight sun marathon.

We attended a cocktail party in the Crow’s Nest hosted by the captain for those guests who were on the ship for more than one cruise booked back to back. There was a good-sized group of folks in attendance. The evening’s entertainment was a repeat of a show that we had seen last week called “Ace’s High” performed by the Ryndam singers and dancers. Although we had seen it last week we went with friends to see it again.

June 20, 2014   Sea Day

 Most of the passengers including us were ready for a sea day after four busy port days in a row.

At 10:34am this morning we crossed into the Arctic Circle so we are not expecting the sun to set for several days now until we head south out of the Arctic Circle. The weather is cold, windy and raining at times but we are hopeful for sunshine.

The captain hosted an Indonesian lunch in the dining room for all of those passengers who had booked more than one cruise back-to-back. In our case we had booked a seven days cruise back-to-back with a fourteen-day cruise. Many of the passengers onboard had booked the fourteen days cruise to Norway followed by a fourteen-day cruise to the Baltic. The majority of the lower level of the dining room was filled with guests for this special lunch.

Most everywhere on the ship we meet other guests who are complaining about something. For one thing the price that people paid for the cruise varied greatly so many were upset about that. Some guests received free drinks or other incentives to book the cruise while others did not. It has made for a lot of unhappy passengers. We have heard about several water leaks in people’s cabins and have seen the fans in the hallways drying the carpeting outside of cabin doors. Many complain about the high cost of the shore excursions, while others complain about the recent change in charging for cappuccino and latte’s with your dinner. If it is not one thing it is something else that people are complaining about. The crew is even complaining that the guests are not spending money in the casino, in the shops or at the bars! I guess we all just want to feel like we got a deal.

The entertainment on this night was a variety show featuring Ian Cooper, Petrina Johnson and David Schofield who had each performed solo over the last week.

Trondheim Nidaros Cathedral

Nidaros Cathedral

June 19, 2014   Trondheim, Norway and Scenic Cruising of Trondheimsfjord

 Founded by King Olav in the year 997, Trondheim was also the capital of Norway until the year 1217. Trondheim is one of the oldest cities in Norway and today it is the third largest city of Norway with a population of 185,000.

We took a bus from the city center to our first stop this morning; the Ringve Music Museum located a couple of miles outside of town. Ringve is Norway’s national museum of music and musical instruments. Once the childhood home of Norwegian naval hero Petter Wessel Tordenskiold, this 18^th century summer manor house now houses the music museum. The manor house is comprised of period rooms named for famous composers, each with multiple musical instruments on display. As the tour guide leads you through the home and discusses not only the residence but also the collection of instruments, they stop in each room to play some of the instruments. You get a chance to actually hear the antique clavichords, organs and square pianos.

The old barn of the residence has now been converted into a gallery space with an impressive collection of musical instruments from around the world. They are beautifully displayed in a climate and light controlled environment to preserve them. The entire collection is made up of more than 2,000 instruments. You receive a video recorder and headset when you arrive so that you cannot only see the instruments but you can also hear many of the instruments being played.

The manor house is situated on a 32-acre botanical garden with a lake and a variety of flowers and trees to enjoy. Unfortunately the weather was cold, rainy and not very inviting to stroll the grounds.

After our visit to the Ringve museum we traveled by bus back to town where we visit the Nidaros Cathedral and Archbishop’s Palace Museum. This impressive, Gothic Style cathedral was built over the burial place of St. Olav beginning in 1070. The extensive construction project took some 250 years to complete. It had only been completed eight days before an extensive fire damaged much of the building. Over the centuries several fires badly damaged the church. Late in the 19^th Century an extensive restoration was begun which included the stained glass windows, two German organs, the sculptures on the western façade and much of what is still visible today.

The church is reminiscent of something you would see in Rome or a much larger city than Trondheim. The church is nearly 400 feet in length, 200 feet wide and 400 feet tall. Much of the interior is comprised of huge Gothic style arches of soapstone. This is the church that is used for Norway’s coronation ceremonies, royal weddings and large national events.

Adjoining the church is the Archbishop’s Palace Museum and several other museum buildings where we saw the crown jewels, an interesting military exhibit about the resistance movement during World War II and archeological excavations on the site including the Archbishop’s mint where coins were minted. It is an extensive collection of things to explore but we only have a few hours before we had to be back onboard the ship.

We had wanted to visit Stiftsgarden Palace; Norway’s royal families 18^th Century private home consisting of 140 rooms but we ran out of time. The royal residence is located in the center of Trondheim and includes furnishings in a variety of styles from Biedermeier to Chippendale and Hepplewhite.

The night’s entertainment was a show by the Ryndam singers and dancers titled “Rock Legends”. A collection of songs form the Stones to Sting, Michael Jackson to Madonna and John Lennon to Annie Lennox. These young people work so hard to put on an entertaining show every time. They repeat the same show three times in one night, have multiple costume changes and are on the move the entire forty-minute show. We sit in front of the stage to cheer them on!

Alesund Church

Alesund View from Mt. Aksla

June 18, 2014   Alesund, Norway

 Alesund was once a flourishing fishing harbor but now has evolved into more of an offshore oil industry town. In January of 1904 a terrible fire destroyed the entire town of wooden buildings, leaving 10,000 inhabitants homeless. Shortly thereafter the entire town was rebuilt using stone, brick and mortar, much of which remains today. The architectural style of the day was Art Nouveau so all of the towns’ older buildings were rebuilt in this style. In addition to the oil industry, the city also is know for its manufacturing of Stressless furniture. The Stressless furniture is a luxury line of reclining chairs and sofas. Today the town has a population of about 50,000.

Our exploring took us through town to the Alesund Park where we began our climb up 418 steps to reach Mt. Aksla for a panoramic view out over Alesund and the surrounding islands. The climb up the hill was tiring but the views from the top are spectacular. Our friend Eddy joined us for the climb.

After returning to town we wandered the streets exploring the wonderful Art Nouveau buildings with their floral motifs. The majority of these old buildings have been beautifully maintained and many meticulously painted to show off the Art Nouveau details. Some have large sunflowers cascading down the façade while others are simpler with only a decorative owl and leaf motif around the entrance. Others have very detailed garlands of flowers and fruits accenting the roofline or the ground floor retail space. Most of the buildings have stone and plaster exteriors with wrought iron railings and adornments. The streets themselves are mostly comprised of small granite paver stones.

We walked to the Alesund Church to see its beautiful stone exterior and adjacent cemetery. The present church dates back to 1909 after the fire although the cemetery appeared to only date back about ten years. The exterior of the church is very nice; unfortunately we were unable to see inside the church.

While out in town we ran into Chris Marcado, a shopkeeper from onboard the Amsterdam last year on the 2013 world cruise. He is now working on the Crystal Symphony which is a much more luxurious ship. He says that he has only been on it a short time but while the ship’s public areas are very beautiful he is having trouble adjusting to the smaller crew quarters, food and a different makeup of the crewmembers. He was on his way to see Ryndam crew he may know.

The weather today was much colder than we have been experiencing with a high of only 47 degrees. We were lucky in that it was only mostly cloudy and the rain was limited to a very light sprinkle while we were ashore. The hours of daylight are continuing to get longer with the sunrise at 3:46 am and the sunset not until 11:30 pm.

The night’s entertainment was a twenty-six year old British concert pianist by the name of David Schofield. We had him as an entertainer on the world cruise last year and he is a wonderful entertainer and pianist. David grew up in Manchester, England where he learned to play the piano at the age of four. His parents sent him to a private boarding school for nine years to continue his studies. His next stop was Chicago where he studied piano and when he was only nineteen-years-old he won a music competition at Carnegie Hall and since then he has been performing all over the world at concert halls and aboard cruise ships.