Thursday - 11 July 2013 - Boulder, Colorado, USA
The Costco hot dog was cheap and satisfying. So was the tums. I will now continue my wrap-up commentary with my photos from the first part of the second segment of the cruise, the knock one's shoes off scenic exploration of Norway.
BERGEN
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| Old salt in Bergen |
My return visit to Bergen after more than 20 years was a great but wet success. I had to show you the guy on the dock who appeared to come off a frozen fish package. I guess he was an old salt who likes to look at little white cruise ships. He stood at attention until we were fully docked and then walked away with the mean looking lady in the background. His work was done.
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| Panoramic shot from the top of Mt. Florin, Bergen |
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| Silver Cloud and friend in Bergen |
The view from the top of the Mt. Florin of downtown Bergen was still super, even in the rain.
HELLEYSIT/GEIRANGER
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| Churchyard in Helleysit, Norway |
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| Gotta look your best even in the rain in Helleysit, Norway |
The little town at the end of a side fjord has aspirations of big tourism. They have a brand new "cruise ship pier" which was just big enough for little Silver Cloud. The residents will have to come out of their houses when tourists call if they want to get on the map, but the town still had some charms even in the rain. The Lithuanian PhD. student in the shop sold Barbara a Norwegian coat and sweater for half the price charged in very touristy Bergen. The churchyard looked like it had been placed by a child, and the few other tourists made for great candid photography.
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| Plea for money from the tourists in Geiranger, Norway |
They really need a new organ in their church in nearby Geiranger, and the English speaking tourists are just the ones to help out.
HARSTAD
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| Wildflowers near Harstad, Norway |
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| The loneliest bench in the world, near Harstad, Norway |
We took a long walk in Harstad to see the 12th Century church and found a curious Soviet cemetery. I didn't post these snapshots taken during our hike. I wonder who sits on that lonely bench, but I bet they are lonely, too. The bench is too small for a friend.
TROMSO
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| Tromso hill top 180 degree panorama |
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| Tromso hill top, the other 180 degree panorama |
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| The look and feel of mid summer Tromso, Norway |
Deep in the Arctic Tromso, Norway was a big surprise. The view sailing in was most stunning, and the view from the top of the cable car was (to use the much overworked word) awesome. I used the iPhone to take a set of panorama shots to cover the entire 360 degree view of fjords, city, and 1500' MSL tundra.
HONNIGSVAG
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| Even hard hats have earmuffs high above the Arctic Circle |
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| Morning rain shower and rainbow in the Barents Sea |
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| A goal of a French North Cape quest apparently achieved. |
This most northern port in Norway is on an island and provides access to North Cape, not really the most northern point of mainland Europe. No matter to the tourist that the monument is not on the mainland and not really the most northern point. It was the goal of a French couple who had bicycled from somewhat far south, as they were very happy to have made it to their existential destination. They seemed to even bring their own people to document their quest. Or maybe the photographers were just strangers who wanted to share their happiness (or relief).
At any rate the area around the tourist trap did have some great scenery, but what made my day there was the view from the ship sailing in during a rain shower and the line handler with earmuffs on his hardhat.
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