Sheila bought all the nice wool yarn, buttons and ribbon she wanted to make herself a traditional Norwegian sweater from the Bergen area, called a Fanatrøye. Walked around downtown awhile, then over to the old Hansa section, Bryggen (see previous blog—same address, no “2”—for pics). Had a nice lunch at Baker Brun, Bergen’s oldest bakery. Went back to the hotel and hung out for awhile…Sheila managed to resist buying MORE yarn at the DROPS store in the train station. We relaxed in the bar of the Grand Terminus, where the bar staff were having some lessons in whisky from a kilt-clad gentleman. This is where we had the lovely dinner last night.
Took a taxi to Hurtigruten Quay because it was raining and much of the walkways from our hotel to Hurtigruten is rough cobblestone, bad stuff to pull heavily loaded suitcases over. Watched the safety film, which made lots more sense than some of the ones you see on airlines. Boarding went smoothly.
We opted for the cabin upgrade, partly because neither of us cares much for bunk beds, partly for the extra room, and partly for the free coffee throughout the voyage. We have a hotpot in our room, and special cups we can get filled anywhere on the ship.
Dinner this first night was buffet-style, with a dizzying assortment of dishes. Lots of fish, naturally: salmon prepared in many ways, herring in various sauces, something called “dogfish” that we both found too salty, various roasted meats, something that looked like chipped beef but which proved to be reindeer in a cream sauce, with cranberries, salads, breads, cheeses—and about 900 kinds of dessert.
We haven’t yet taken the time to explore the whole ship, but I’m sure more photos will be forthcoming in the days ahead. Here are a couple of the main level:
And just FYI—clicking on photos will get you a larger version!
Almost time to set sail….
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