JULY 28, 2023 - KRISTIANSUND,NORWAY

 July 28, 2023 - Friday - Kristiansund, Norway

Today we took a shore excursion with Shelly and Sean to experience the Atlantic Road and an original Stave Church. The Atlantic Road is an engineering marvel of seven bridges and tunnels to connect villages located on various islands along the Atlantic coast. Before the road was built transportation by water was necessary using either coastal steamers or private boats. Each of these made for a long commute. Although various iterations of the road had been in planning for many years it was not until 1983 that construction actually began. Everything changed in 1989 when the road was opened. Transit times have shortened considerably.

Our guide pointed to many of the bridges as we approached. Then we made a rest stop on a small islet at the end of a beautiful bridge. Aside from the Necessary Rooms and obligatory souvenir shop, there was a path that went completely around the islet. This offered great views of the bridge as well as many cairns that tourists have built along the shore. It was a short walk and we enjoyed it as we stretched our legs. 

When our ample rest stop ended, we continued to the island of Averoy to visit the old  Kvernes Stave Church. It was built in 1432, just 510 years before I was born. Although it has changed over time, the stave construction has been maintained. This consists of large timbers used at the four corners of the building. All of the inter beams are then connected to the corner posts. No nails are used. The joinery is perfect with every piece of wood fitting into its appointed place. Once the structure is completed the interior is painted with appropriate designs suitable to a place of worship.

The current structure dates to the 17th century. The ornamentation has been painstakingly preserved. The exterior is protected with modern siding, but the west wall has been left exposed for us to see and admire.

A church guide did an excellent job of explaining the construction and ornamentation right down to the sailing vessel that hung in the church as a  prayer for the safety of those who work at sea. He was very enthusiastic and really made this a noteworthy stop.

Back on Pursuit, we enjoyed a buffet lunch in Windows Cafe. We have come to enjoy this experience very much. Each day there is a featured cuisine as well as more conventional fare. There truly is something for everyone.

After a satisfying lunch Alice and I set out to walk the town. We spent time walking along the waterfront and admired the statues of a Klippfisk woman and a Klippfisk boy. They were carrying Klippfisk which is Norwegian for dried cod. This was the industry that anchored the seaside economy for many years. We then boarded the free ferry that transports people to the various islets for work and touring. Our goal was to go to the Klippfisk Museum at the third ferry stop. Upon arrival made the long walk up and over a rocky hill. Down by the shore was the museum. It was primitive but is striving to develop into a real tribute to cod fishing. One thing we learned was that after the women and children who were the primary workforce prepared the cod it was laid on the rocky hillside to dry in the sum. 

Finished with our visit we returned to the ferry dock and waited for our return to the mainland. 

Back on board Pursuit, we reflected on what a wonderful day this had been.

August 6, 2023 - Oslo, Norway

 August 6, 2023 - Sunday - Oslo, Norway

This is the end of the line for this cruise. Alice and I stay on for the next cruise, Iceland Intensive. Sean and Shelly will have today to explore the city as will we. Tomorrow they disembark to spend another day here. We will stay on board if the promised rain arrives.

We all left the ship together this morning. Sean and Shelly will find the HoHo stop and go on from there. We will work our way toward city hall. soon we went our separate ways and would reunite for a farewell dinner in Aqualina. Before we separated we walked past a building with interesting paintings on the walls. There was also what looked like a workout area alongside it. No one was there. It was early Sunday.

Shelly and Sean followed the main road to the HoHo. We turned down a side road that led to the harbor. Where we intersected there were museums and statues. we moved along and spent a good deal of time at the park with steps leading down to the water. This was a famous landing point for disembarking dignitaries. The side away from the water was open to city hall We had great views. As we approached this area I had been looking for what I remembered as twin towers on city hall I could not see it. Now I realized why. The second tower is indeed there. It is shrouded in screening and scaffolding for renovation. So, from the water, we could see that it is as it had been. It was just marred by progress.

This part of the mission accomplished, we took a side street to the downtown park. This beautiful green with pools and fountains and statues holds one’s interest for a long time. Here, despite it being Sunday, there were many people. We took our time to enjoy the activity and appreciate the monuments. The flowers were not bad either.

At the end of the park stood the opera house. We walked all around it. We passed the HoHo stop number one. Now we headed back toward the water. We went a couple of blocks away to avoid the crowded main drag. Our quiet street took us straight to the front of the city hall. This main entrance is still glorious even though one tower is masked. The grounds are splendid. It seems that Europeans have a much greater appreciation for their parks and flowers.

Beyond city hall, we returned to the walk along the harbor. Once we passed our earlier entry point we were overwhelmed by the number of restaurants and shops. The number of residential high-rises is also astounding. This area has been beautifully developed with art and water attractions. There are bridges over the small inlets that allow access for boats to dock in front of the buildings. This must be high-income property.

We made our way along a canal and through the courtyard of some buildings before crossing one last bridge with Pursuit clearly in sight. 

Disney Dream stayed only a few hours

Mobile Sauna

August 5, 2023 - Kristiansand, Norway

 August 5, 2023 - Saturday - Kristiansand, Norway

This is not the same as Kristiansund we visited on July 28. This lovely city has a beautiful boardwalk area next to gorgeous parks and fountains. We walked the boardwalk and strolled an area of shops and restaurants before we reached the parks. The flower growing along the way and planted along the streets and on the bridges make the walk wonderful. As we crossed a bridge at one end of the park we could see the play areas, pools and fountains. In the distance was a tall Ferris wheel.

We were headed to the cathedral so we followed the street into the city center. Besides the cathedral, we hoped to find a pharmacy. I started coughing on Thursday and it has gotten worse. Alice was beginning to cough a bit also. So, we wanted to find some cough syrup. Sure enough on the way to the church, we came upon a drugstore. It was locked tight. The sign said it should be open, but it was not.

Moving on we came to a square near the church. There were craft and food stalls to be enjoyed. The crowd was festive and everyone was having a good time. We had a good time too. At the far end of the square, we visited the cathedral. When we were finished there, we set out for the Ferris wheel. A couple of bocks on I looked down the street and saw a green cross sign. That meant pharmacy. We went to it and the door opened. Inside a very nice young lady with very good English explained some medication options to us. We chose a liquid and she was surprised. She explained that it also came in tablet form. Most people chose tablets because the liquid tastes bad. We stuck with the liquid. We asked about cough drops and she explained that herbal cough drops were the best. We bought those. We paid and left the store through a back entrance. This led directly into a mall. We did not shop, but we did find free restrooms. Later that day I tried the syrup and the drops. The cough syrup tasted no worse than any at home. Cough drops packed a real wallop and they worked. 

We continued walking and got to a small square where the Ferris wheel was. It was quite an operation with just three employees. First,

there was an automated ticket vending machine. Then you presented your ticket to a gateman for access. Now a second man directed us to the proper standing area in order to board our car. Eventually, the operator stopped the wheel and we boarded. Aside from a jolt at the start, the ride was extremely smooth. We were surprised at how high it was when looking down. We were even more surprised when ten minutes and two revolutions later it stopped to get us off. It really was a nice ride. The view was great and we got to sit and relax for a while. Now we walked through the parks on our way back to Pursuit. This enabled us to get up close to the fountains and the children playing, We again enjoyed the green and the flowers. We did opt to bypass the restaurants and shops by following a road back to Pursuit.

This was a lovely and very nice wind down to what has been a lovely cruise. And the sun shone the whole day.