5th AUGUST 2011 TROMSO NORWAY

5^TH AUGUST TROMSO NORWAY 9 DEGREES – 12 DEGREES

We survived the night without seeing Roger!! Ha ha tricked him had dinner poolside and went to our stateroom about 8.30p.m and watched the stunning scenery sail by.

This am we did yoga which was great and then a quick breakie and onto the bus at 9.30am

Tromso looks the way a polar town should look with ice capped mountain ridges and jagged peaks Here the midnight sun shines from May 21^st to July 21^st and here the northern lights decorate the nights skies more than any other city in Norway so this is the place to be for that amazing spectacle.

A population of 58,000 people live in this very picturesque town. The houses are timber and very beautiful , scattered around the hillsides all with fabulous views

It was good to get off early as we managed to quickly get  a bus to go to the chair lift to see the amazing view of the city. The sky is  crystal clear and the view breathtaking.

 Back on the bus to the town and a wander around

 We take the little train  with commentary which takes us around the town pointing out its points of interest. This was a great way to get a really good overview of the place.

Glad to say nothing to purchase here although in the 1800’s it was regarded as very sophisticated and the ladies the leaders in fashion from Paris and London! Amazing!!

Now as we were driving on the little train I looked in the picture window of a house and I saw Father Christmas taking a doze!

Must have been taking his lunch break from making all those toys !

After a wonderful morning we head back to the ship as we didn’t want to have any more horrible meals that cost a fortune!

We took a taxi back to the ship as the bus didn’t arrive and the driver told us that 5 Poms had been mauled and I died by a polar bear in Svalbard, cant spell it, the poor bear was shot. They were flying them into the hospital here

We sat aft in the sunshine eating a delicious meal and sipping American chardonnay!

Very pleasant especially as Alex had told me when I phoned home to speak to him and the family that the world was falling apart and would take 20 years to recover and that I wouldn’t be taking any more holidays!

So the wine tasted even better and the view and sunshine very special.

3  helicopters  flew over us and they were medical ones so I guess it was the  poor Poms . I bet they were in the wrong, and the poor bear was shot , which is so sad as they are getting fewer and fewer.

A read by the pool in the sun and a little nap!!!

No sign of Roger!!!! Yippee!!!

3-4th AUGUST SHIP AT SEA, LEKNES NORWAY

3^rd – 4^th AUGUST SHIP AT SEA, LEKNES NORWAY

Off to our body conditioning class the big event of the day!!

The day was lazy but you seem to be busy! I went to the spa for a treatment! Yumm!!!

I did attend a lecture in the afternoon and then proceeded to fall asleep!

Venetian club cocktails for return guests and yes there is Roger trying to find us!

 We go and hide up the back then the oldest couple of the ship join us!!! He has a walking frame and walks crunched over at about 2 paces for 20secs!!! OMG!!!

Suzie is sitting next to him, she cant understand a word he is saying as his head is nearly on his knees and he mumbles!!

Does this sound  reminiscint of the Discovery cruise !!!

Well  guess what Roger comes up and asks us if we would like to join him for dinner!!!

 Oh piss off Roger!!!

Susie tells him we are organized with Jimmy the Cruise Director, thank God!!

Bloody hell how are we going to rid of this pest!! We have paid for this trip and I don’t want to have to hide from the most boring man on the planet with whom we have nothing in common!!

Well off to dinner with Jimmy the Cruise Director who is divine, other than being  tall and good looking he is great fun, American late 20s and not gay!! Cant wait to be married with kids

The other couple were also American, Art and Karen both very entertaining and intelligent, Art an international banker and they have lived in Australia as well Europe , now retired and on boards! Karen bright and bubbly!

At least this fun

Off to bed

4^th AUGUST  LEKNES

Up this am on deck nine for fitball, we are loving the classes but they are hard for the old girls!! We do feel fabulous afterwards so it is worth while doing it!!

This am it was freezing, the Captain had announced that we had crossed the Arctic Circle last night hence the low temperature

We have breakie and catch the bus into the small town of Leknes. This town is really nothing but the surrounding mountains are very spectacular

I go to the information desk to find out where a couple of places are we had been told to go to, well first place no bus today, great the other in 1 hour, ok we well go for a wander, so purchase a polo fleece, just another to add to my collection at home, and a head band, well at least Im not cold anymore!! Its about 11 degrees.

Now we are going to a little fishing village and to a fish restaurant which I thought would be good as they said there are lots of fish rests here!!

Wait an hour no bus then ask a bus driver where is the bus showing the timetable she gave us, oh that’s not the right bus and it goes at 2.30, bloody hell that’s too late as it takes and hour to get there. They are not too smart here either!!!

Only 4,200 residents!

Change of plans, well find a restaurant here. I go and ask in a shop and we are sent back to the shopping centre, we find a self serve café and I ask her for a fish restaurant and she says none here but we have fish!

Ok I order what  she says is grilled salted something and Susie has salmon and a mineral water each! Cost $100.00 AUD! Everything is so expensive here not sure how they survive

It arrives and it is deep fried on chips and a salad. Well we have to eat it and its so awful especially as I don’t eat fried at anytime nor eat chips!! I hate say the little fried potatoes were rather delicious but not $100 worth!!

After this experience we decide to catch the bus back! We cant get over that the locals are walking around in shorts tshirts, thongs sundresses and we are in jacket jumper head band and still freezing!! I guess when it get to 20degrees below this is WARM, 11 degrees

Well that is Leknes!!

Stunning mountains and lots of little islands but a very nothing town, but surroundings are regarded the most stunning in Norway

Hey can you believe they get the midnight sun May 26^th – July 17^th and in winter no sun for December 9^th – January 4^th! How do they cope!!

I must say that the sun isn’t setting till about 11.00p.m

Probably best to do a tour here, and had it confirmed by our lecturer who said the scenery is breathtaking and tours the way to go !

Back to the pool and try to send off posts!! NOT sure if they went but Ive already said that!

After trying for a couple of hours I have given up!

We have booked the pool for dinner tonight, well rug up, they supply rugs and have grilled fish meat salad and potato.

I may have steak tonight as Ive had fish every day and night!!

Do you think Roger will find us!!!

The next chapter!!

I have decided if we cant get rid of him tonight I ll speak to one of my staff friends!!

I was very cool when I saw him this am at gym so heres hoping!!!!

nd August 2011 Geiranger and Hellesyit

^nd August 2011 Geiranger and Hellesyit

An early start to the day, looking outside ,the view is spectacular, steep cliffs rising from the black sea, not a breathe of wind. It is a dramatic sight to behold!

I leave Suzie behind in bed as I take off to go kayaking in the fiord. This is renown as the worlds most beautiful fiord so Im really looking forward to this little adventure.

We go in the tender to the tiny charming town and walk around the village to where the kayaks are moored and here  we are given instructions and paired up.

 As luck would have it I am paired with a divine Japanese guy who is travelling with his parents who are so stylish  and he is too. Susie and I had noted them early on the trip!!

He has a very English accent and was educated in England, went to boarding school but now has lived in New York for 20 years. He is in industrial design. His Dad lives in Hong Kong and his mum in Japan which is interesting. He catches up with them once a year and does a trip which is really lovely. How old he is not sure!! Maybe late 30s or early 40s!

Luckily Manchu has done this before so I let him sit in the back with the peddles and do the rudder, while I sit in the front and set the pace!

About 20 of us I guess as we have 10 kayaks. It is stunning the water is black , the silence only broken with the noise of the paddles hitting  the water, the mist over the fiord creating an errie ambience.

This is troll weather so our guide tells us, this is where trolls live, sometimes being stones during the day watching us and when night falls coming out!! Most live underground and they look after the environment!!

Trolls are all over Scandanavia!

Manchou and I have a great time and was very lucky to have been paired with him as neither of us got wet as some got very wet! I think we were a great paddling team!!!

At last now I understand why I was doing trip. The scenery is breathtaking and it continues all day. For 2.5 hours we paddled and believe me my arms are killing me, and  I must admit I  did start  to complain to Manchu as we got closer to home!

We see the magnificent 7 sister waterfalls , and goats who spend the summer on these high mountains, how they climb them is hard to believe!

The farmer lives in a tiny wooden hut by the water and when summer ends the goats come down and he puts them in a boat and brings them back to where Im not sure!!

Back to the ship a couple of drinks poolside as the weather is warm at long last while the ship meanders through spectacular scenery to our next destination of Hellesylt.

As we are heading there another small ship heads towards us, can you believe it is the Discovery the ship John and I spent 67 days on, I feel quite nostalgic in seeing it and wonder if our Mate  Captain Derrick is on board!

We moor in the fiord and take the tender ,the sun is shining and we wander around the tiny quaint village of Hellesylt, walking up the hill to look at the beautiful wooden church built around 1850.

A lazy afternoon in the sun! Perfect!!!

Back to the ship

Drink at the bar and Roger the “gentleman host” introduces himself and has a drink then asks if he can join us for dinner. Ok we say and at this point I can tell I think he has a soft spot for Suzie!!!

He is so boring and Susie is being so pleasant and kind to him, Im being a little obnoxious so hope he doesn’t get to interested in us as there are only a few singles on boards and we are the youngest!!! 13 days to go and we don’t want him tagging  us!!

FORMAC HAS ARRIVED IN NORWAY

We have been notified that we wont have any ph or internet connection for a couple of days so not sure when I will be able to get my blog off!!

1ST AUGUST ALESUND NORWAY

1^st August Alesund Norway  17 degrees!

7.00am cup of tea arrives then we head off to our class on deck 9. By now we are moored at the fishing town of Alesund and extremely pretty it is!

The Art Nouveau style buildings is so charming and quite beautiful. It is grey and overcast, the water deep black and quiet eeriness about the place. The town was destroyed by a fire in 1904 and then completely rebuilt .

The town with narrw streets with buildings topped with turrents spirs and gables create an ncredible uniqueness and apparently is on of the few remaining Art Nouveau towns in the world.

We take a little train which meanders around the town and to the top of the hill where we have an amazing view of the area. It is quite spectacular with the fiords and unique architecture. Here is one of the largest facilities in Norway for the export of dried and fresh fish.

After a lunch in a quaint restaurant we wander back to the ship. We were told it was expensive here and it is! We had a glass of wine each and a main course shared of fish and potatoes and bread and it cost US100.00!! This was a café!!!

Not too worry the place is charming !

Back to the ship and there on the table is a bottle of Italian wine and from Gianni the Hotel Manager!!

I had sent him a thank you note for the champagne , chocolates and jumper so now the wine appears!!

Yes and Im going kayaking tomorrow!!

 We had a rest waking after 3.5 hours!!! Oh my God time for  dinner, tonight the Italian Restaurant. It was very pleasant and again the staff faultless.

Again I will say the 280 guests on board are all so boring there is no spark or energy which is quite amazing, I have never felt this before on any of my travels on ships!

Even the Discovery had an air albeit not my cuppa of tea but this is so quiet.

I hate to say it but it is like a nursing home, no noise,  don’t hear a word spoken, just wish there was a loud American or Aussie so at least I could complain!!

Again it is all old couples, well dressed and groomed but just so boring!!

There are 260 guests including 17 Australians!

Average age I would say at least over 70! We are definitely the young ones!

Oh well the scenery is lovely and its going to get better so we are told!

Its now 11.51pm and the sun has just set!!

30TH July - 31st July NOT HAPPY JAN!

0^th July NOT HAPPY JAN!!!

An early morning breakfast, then  a wander  around the neighborhood, finding  a  hairdresser open I decided to get a blow wave as the hair was going a little curly after walking in the rain last night!

Then Susie and I headed off down the street to find the favorite dress designer of Princess Mary – Birger-Mikkelsen! Yes we found the store and l also found a few stunning little numbers to purchase!! Mary apparently  pops in there with her family which is rather lovely.

We then head off to the Palace to view Queen Magritte reception rooms. Lucky us as they are only open on the weekend twice and only once each day in English.

I had booked our places a couple of days ago as they only take 20 people.

This was fantastic up close and personnel in these grand rooms filled with paintings and furniture , some of which that the Queen had bought at auction!

 The fabrics of the drapes were incredible as many were made by the original makers dating back to 1700s in France.  The Queen had been very hands on in the refurbishment of these rooms. She has an amazing eye for colour as she is apparently a very competent artist which shows with her choice of furnishing and colour combinations

The lovely thing is that we are so few people and nothing is cordoned off but we did have the Nazi police watching over us as the guide informed us of the history of the rooms!

I happened to lean my two fingers on a marble table and I got the tap on the shoulder !

After the tour we headed back to the hotel to collect our bags and head to the ship!

A manic taxi driver, not Danish,  got us there in sort of one piece, a total loony punching the silver sea Attendant! What a shit! Boy we were glad to see the last of him.

Got on board and headed to our cabin. I am not happy!!! Assuming it was going to be the same as the Shadow which had an enormous bathroom, separate bath and shower with double marble handbasins,  here it only has one handbasin  and the shower over the bath.

 Then I find there is only one power point for computer phone camera hairdryer and the 2 of us!!!

Shit!

Plus no FED!!! Fed was my amazing butler on the Shadow who just knew and did everything perfectly and more. He was a gem!

 This one is called Chintha and just isn’t FED!!! Anyway call Chintha and Juliet the maid, who then got an extension cord with 4 points, so ok that problem solved!!!

Now the people, on the Shadow everyone was very glamorous and there were heaps of people we saw and liked but alas no one looks like our cup of tea!!! A pretty motley lot!!!

All couples and pretty old!!!!

Im so pleased that I have Susie with me as if I had been by myself I would have had a very miserable time I can tell  you. So what do we do, head to the bar for a drink!!! Drown the sorrows!!

We go to the pool bar and fresh air order a margarita, cant belief that they don’t have a sail away as all the other ships I have been on do!!

That is serving drinks and having music while sailing away!!

On the shadow everyone was on top deck laughing drinking French champagne and getting to know each other!!

Yes the French champagne is in the room on ice which is a nice touch but Miss Princess wasn’t happy in the cabin !!! It was bloody hot and the aircon wouldn’t kick in!! NOT happy Jan!!!

We drank about 4 margaritas and then decided to stay there and have dinner. Don’t have to dress up and you get grilled meat or fish ,salad ,simple clean food! A rug around us then a bottle of very nice Aussie shiraz!!!

 Bloody hell cant do this everyday as well put on weight!

31^st July AT SEA

The cup of tea arrives at 7.00am and must admit that I was still asleep, one thing the beds and pillows are great.

Have to get up to go the pilates which is on deck nine by the  gym which is really well kitted out.

This is a great way to start the day and do feel better for having done it

Now really doing absolutely nothing other than look at another cabin which doesn’t achieve anything as they all have the same layouts, so no bigger bathrooms or more plugs!!!

Ummm I will just have to get use to this I guess! We have lunch and then  wander around and really feeling quite bored and restless!! A game of golf would be great!!

Read the itinerary and tours and think  there is nothing I want to really  do as I don’t have the bloody right clothes. Kayaking hiking are the only things that interest me.

 I had phoned   Silversea to ask about what I should take as I knew I was going to the Artic Circle area. Al they say is layers!!! I check temperatures and they say average is 23 degrees.

It is bloody freezing, I go to the pool area to read and its icy the aircon is freezing thank God I put in a couple of cashmeres at the last minute.

Tonight is formal night cant wait , not, we are contemplating not going but by this stage I have cabin fever and say to Suzie we will go once just to get out and see what the people are like etc!

So thank God for the top I bought in Copenhagen the outfits I brought are totally unsuitable great for Caribbean but not for the Artic!!

Black is the go!! So we head off queue up and meet the Captain, Italian, then the Hotel Director, he says Mrs Sorell cabin 439 shocked I say yes!! Please let me know if you are not happy with anything!! I say my God you know, I feel I have spies on me!! Oh please let me know if there is anything I can do to make your stay pleasurable, I need to know he says, Suzie asks where do we find you? He points to reception!

Ok I said I know how he knows us!! Photo as we board, complaint from me, does the research and bingo!!

After the  Captains welcome party, ha ha!! So boring, just introduces us to the staff which I guess is helpful, we head to the bar where Gianni greets us and again says please I need to know how to help you!! Well then I give it to him!! I tell him about the cabin, the lack of knowledge by staff on previous cruise plus Silversea in Sydney  when I call them about what I should take away with me tell me layers

 instead of giving me any indication of what we are doing or the real climate,

 Add to the fact  I had not been given any information on tours which should have come to me which would have given me a real idea of what to bring.

 I tell him I would have liked to kayak but didn’t bring the right clothes but have it all at home!

Disappointed in ship as not like the Shadow and not informed that is was a smaller ship, not really his fault!!

So he pulls over Barbara in charge of staff and says make sure mrs Sorell has clothes for kayaking!! No no I insist, now not sure I even want to do it!!

We will ensure you have the most amazing cruise with us he says!!

(Now wondering if as I told the stupid bulter that I was a writer and needed a plug for the computer he thinks Im a travel writer!! Oh well it wont hurt if he does!!

So off to dinner we go and it is rather special! We have Alex who was our waiter at pool side , very cute,  we order the  caviar, yummy, he whispers  if we want more just let him know!!

 So yes we let him know and we  get 2 lots!!

 Stunning lobster for main course, we are pretty happy! After a beautiful dinner we trot off to the cabin and find on our beds  2 jumpers  with stunning boxes of exquisite chocolates ,and on the table a bottle of Pommeroy champagne with a card from Gianni!!

So guess what I now have to kayak like it or not!!!!

They are hell bent on making sure that we go away maintaining that it is a 6 star ship!! Look which it is!!

Other than that the people on board are still so boring and  not a person to be spotted that we/I want to talk to!

There is no air of excitement or joy on board!  They are all bloody old other than 3 gays who are probably in there 40s and also boring as …..

Not the ships fault just the group of people who are on this tour on the ship, which is  interesting,

 Again Im thankful that I have Suzie as I would be staying in my cabin and not venturing out!! 17 days horrible!!!

Tomorrow we are at  Alesund Norway so will see how this place or the day pans out!!