This quaint little town is a sea port and is noted for its concentration of Art Nouveau architecture. Although sometimes internationally spelled by its older name Aalesund, this spelling is obsolete in Norwegian. However, the local football club Aalesund FK still carries that spelling, having been founded before the official change. The 244 sq mile municipality is the 184th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Ålesund is the 13th most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 67,114. As it was in Wales, there are more sheep in Norway than people
We decided that we would wander around on our own today, and as usual, we found something to keep us entertained for a few hours while we were in town.
Just as we were about to reach the summit of the hike, a woman asked us if we hiked all the way up. Perplexed, we said yes. We then asked her how she got there , to which she replied, “I took a taxi.”
We practiced the panoramic technique we learned from Nigel!
We walked back down the same way we came up after taking in the stunning views from Mount Aksia and crossed our fingers that there wouldn’t be any hail or rain this time.
The “locals” were out as evidenced by bare legs!
This little town is as beautiful close up as it was from afar.
This morning, we anchored near the port of Gravdal, a little village in Nordland county, Norway. It is located on the island of Vestvågøya in the central part of the Lofoten archipelago, north of the Arctic Circle. We took a 3.5-hour bus tour of the island, although I’m sure we could have completed a full island loop in 4 hours! We had two stops along the way, one was a brief visit at an Ice Bar, while the other was in an adorable little gallery.
Photo was taken at 3pm on a very cold clear afternoon overlooking deck 14.
But when the captain announced that the northern lights could be seen on the ship’s port side at 8:45 p.m., though it was colder than it had been at 3 p.m., hundreds of passengers flocked to deck 14 to enjoy what would be an incredible light show produced by nature!
The designated night for our official Northern Lights “search” is tonight. At 9:45 p.m. on a very chilly night, we boarded the tender and headed for a remote location where we would have excellent chances to “find” the lights. We are excited for this journey!
But after spending 3.5 hours huddling around the campfire in the chilly 28F (-2C) air, watching a few stars emerge, we got back on the bus and headed back to the ship freezing and wishing for a bowl of hot soup but ended up with spring rolls at 3am! I can’t say it was fun but it will certainly be memorable!
On our second day in Alta, we read, relaxed, and made future travel plans. Thanks to Cheri from Zoe’s travels, we were treated to a very lovely Italian meal at Sabatini’s. We had the greatest seat in the house and enjoyed our meal while watching delicate snowflakes fall.
Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands; move the seats, get the window cleaned, sit back and enjoy the views!
At 350 kilometres (217 miles) above the Arctic Circle, Tromsø is often called the “Gateway to the Arctic” and the “Capital of Northern Norway …We visited the Arctic Cathedral, Polaria Arctic Center, we drove around town while enjoying beautiful scenery. Our tour guide, Charlotte, was a young biologist and was certainly adorable and full of cute little tidbits about Tromsø and Norway as a whole.
We learned that electricity and water are very cheap in Norway as they produce an abundance of both. In addition, diapers are cheap in Norway because the child birth rate apparently decreased dramatically in the 60’s so the government offered the cheap diapers and birth rate apparently increased slightly. I also read that it was a way to lure families in to grocery stores…I actually found a 67 page thesis written by Heidi Buø Åmot in regards to The Economics of Diaper Smuggling in Norway; NO, I did not read it!
We learned that male reindeer’s shed their antlers in fall therefore all of Santa’s reindeer’s have to be females as they all have antlers. Females shed their antlers in spring after their calves are born.
Scientists have decoded the secrets behind the goldfish and carp’s ability to survive in ice-covered lakes. These fish turn lactic acid in their bodies into alcohol, as a means of staying alive. Some goldfish have apparently been found with alcohol levels above legal driving limits in some countries.
Chef’s Table
As the evening began, we were given a tour of the galley. We started by washing our hands before donning white lab coats. I must admit that it made me think of work and I had a brief moment of panic…definitely the last place I want to be! We observed the incredibly hard working staff preparing meals and the servers rushing in and out to deliver everything that was ordered perfectly.
The Chef’s Table is a gastronomic journey and the pinnacle of cruise cuisine. It’s a multi-course tasting menu with wine pairing. This dinner is only offered a few nights during the cruise and is by reservation only for a small group of diners — averaging between 12 and 16 guests, we were lucky to get a spot.
The seven course dinner was presented by the Chef de Cuisine and Head Sommelier, the most knowledgeable people onboard the ship when it comes to food and wine. My meal was just as good less the wine 😉
To remember the occasion, we were presented a photo with the executive chef and the director of restaurant operations and a copy of the special menu.
We received a gorgeous slice of chocolate cake as the meal was coming to an end in honor of our impending anniversary, November 4th, which we’ve decided to start celebrating now. I used an empty water bottle as a vase for my rose and it looks perfect in our cabin. At breakfast the next morning, Fabian would play his “Bluetooth” guitar as he calls it and wish us a Happy Anniversary!
We had a wonderful visit with Joan and Peter, and took the train back to Southampton as planned. Once more, good fortune was on our side. We decided to return to Southampton the day before the cruise started which was ideal because the day we needed to board the ship for the cruise to Norway on October 4, the trains were going on strike. It would have been a long, cold swim to catch up!
We stayed the night at our favorite “one nighter” hotel and had another great meal at Thaikhuan. The staff at both places are just great…special thanks to Adam and Andy at the Moxy!
Next morning, we headed straight to the ship, got our cabin “keys” and checked out our home for the next couple of weeks. We heard about the bad weather and rough seas we are to encounter along the way!
Our first port of call was cancelled, proving that the forecasted terrible weather would prevail. The captain decided to continue so that we could stay ahead of the storm. This is our third voyage with Capt. Slight, and each time, he has made excellent calls and offered great replacement for anything we might have missed.
After a couple of rough sea days, we found ourselves wandering around the cute little town of Trondheim. We found the beautiful cathedral, the old town bridge where I made my wish as I crossed. We spotted monks island and beautiful architecture throughout the city.
We found some interesting street sculptures, the Bishops palace which was more of a museum and a dog just as cold as us!
The town square was virtually deserted as we traveled to the cathedral, but as we returned, we came across a bunch of students and young chemists enjoying a great day out, demonstrating how you can start a fire by blowing gasoline out of your mouth and lighting it with a torch, hmmm? In addition, we came across some young adults who were more likely freezing. We did not want to know what they were attempting to prove!
It is a small world after all. As we talked about the dinner options next to a group of friends traveling together, the customary introductions took place. When I found out they were from Canada I asked one of the women where in Canada, she replied Newfoundland. I sat there for a few minutes pondering whether she would know the wonderful couple we met in Egypt before deciding to show her a picture, to which she immediately responded, “That’s Elizabeth and Hughie!”
And of course Elizabeth and Hughie were just as surprised we met their friends!
We’ve visited Joan and Peter twice before and each time, we were clock watching, worried we would miss our train back to London. This time, we are staying in town so and we can enjoy a leisurely, unhurried visit and spend time exploring Eastbourne for a change!
What a way to start a holiday!
We were greeted by a beautiful full moon And woke up to a beautiful sunrise
1066 Battle of Hastings: Abbey & Battlefield
The most famous battle in English history – the 1066 Battle of Hastings – didn’t actually take place in Hastings; it was fought 6 miles away at what is now the town of Battle. After William’s Norman soldiers defeated King Harold’s Saxon army, the newly crowned Conqueror founded the magnificent Battle Abbey on the spot where Harold fell.
Pevensey Castle
Pevensey Castle’s impressive ruins stand on what was once a peninsula projecting from the Sussex coast. This naturally defensible site, first fortified by the Romans, was most famously the place where the Norman Conquest of England began, when William the Conqueror landed there on 28 September 1066.
Peter took us on beautiful walks while Joan stayed at home preparing our delicious meals!
The Seven Sisters
The Seven Sisters are a series of chalk sea cliffs on the English Channel coast, and are a stretch of the sea-eroded section of the South Downs range of hills, in the county of East Sussex. The Seven Sisters cliffs run between the mouth of the River Cuckmere near Seaford, and the chalk headland of Beachy Head outside of Eastbourne
We enjoyed our time with you tremendously. Thank you for all your generosity. Until we meet again 💕
Our visit to Wales brought us to rugged coastlines, beautiful beaches, mountainous national parks, landscapes that displayed 50 shades of green with sheep everywhere. Of interest, there are more sheep than people in Wales and they were good looking sheep too.
What we hoped to see
We had great weather overall except for the day we were trying to make it to the top of Mt. Snowden. The wind was blowing so hard we would have blown off the mountain top if we continued so we only made it 5/8 of the way up to Rocky Point and had to turn back. Next time…
We visited places with names like Betys-y-Coed, Beddgelert, Dollgellau, Aberystwyth, and Pentre Ifan. The distinctive and complex Welsh language was difficult to read as well as to pronounce. Personally, I gave up trying, but Jay persisted and his pronunciation made for some good laughs along the way!
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, with 58 letter, is the longest place name in the United Kingdom and one of the longest village names in the world. We decided we’d just look at this place name online instead of driving there just to get a photo with it in the background to Nigel’s delight!
No matter where we went or what we did, we had a terrific time and created lifelong memories
You just had to be there for some stories!
Any book worth banning is a book worth reading
Evening commute outside the town of St. David’s
Battle of Fishguard Tapestry
The trip’s final lodging was at Llety Farms, and we definitely saved the best for last. Our hosts could not have been better. Both Jackie and Ian, as well as their farm house was excellent. We also had the good fortune to watch Jackie working the dogs one morning in preparation for their upcoming herding competition. Our breakfast was simply perfect!
Maggie was eagerly awaiting her turn to practice. Nelson and Maggie had different ways of getting the sheep to move. What a great experience.
After five days of driving around on single lane roads with hairpin turns, Nigel is warming up for his weekend of golfing!
We love this photo 💕
There is always a pot of gold at the end of every adventure with Nigel! Thank you for all the laughs and fun memories throughout our trip Nigel.
Sometimes when you meet someone you simply know you want them to be a lifelong friend. On the voyage to Iceland, we met Christine and David, and we got along immediately. We had wonderful meals and engaging chats, occasionally even over politically forbidden topics!
Christine and David offered to take us on a day outing after the cruise as their home was close to the hotel we would be staying at for a few days.
We met and they took us on a lovely drive to visit Petworth House, which is home to some of the National Trust’s greatest collections. The oldest English terrestrial globe is also kept there. The ceramics, sculptures, and artwork were all just stunning.
This is the first English terrestrial globe and only surviving first edition. It was made in 1592 by the mathematician Emery Molyneux (d.1598). It was probably owned by Henry Percy (1564–1632), 9th Earl of Northumberland, known as the ‘Wizard Earl’ because of his interest in alchemy and science.
Afterwards, we stopped at their beautiful home for tea and more importantly to meet Eva!
The day would not end till we enjoyed a great meal at Diego’s for a platter of ribs and chicken wings!
World Blog 