Jun 26. Haugesund, Norway

 Jun 26. Haugesund, Norway

Sunshine, 16°

Our last port of call, Haugesund!

Today we opted for the hop on hop off bus; it stopped right in front of the terminal so there was little walking to get on.  We went around the route twice, changing seats for better views the second time. It was a good overview of the area and the city.

Many of these ports on an archipelago look similar with their waterways, wooden houses with slate roofs, a mix of old and new architecture, and churches.

Back home for lunch!  And now we have the afternoon to prepare ourselves for the final formal night!  🤣😂   Very disappointing menu - almost the same as the last formal night on the first leg; this time Mary had the Always Available Steak and Dorothy had JumBo Prawns with Truffle Risotto (KAK!).  It was interesting that Mary and both of the people we sit with ordered from the Always Available Side, which should tell them something!!! 

We decided not to go to the show tonight as it is a repeat from the first cruise which we didn’t think was that great.  So we are sitting in seats overlooking the Piazza for a while before we go back to our cabin.  We had a surprise!  The two performers from a couple of nights ago came back to put on a short show!

We have received our ‘eviction notice’ and luggage tags, so I guess tomorrow will be packing day!  😟😟

Night!  Night!

😴😴

Jun 25 Alesund, Norway

 Jun 25 Alesund, Norway

If it’s Wednesday, it must be Ålesund!

Overcast with some showers, changing to sunshine!  16°

On our full day tour we had great views of some spectacular scenery!  I’ve decided to give you the Princess description of the tour because I could not hear the guide’s ongoing commentary between the microphone and my hearing aids, and his Norwegian accent!  He talked for the whole day! Following the description I’ll post some of my favourite photos!

Explore Norway's Western Fjords on a scenic drive offering some truly spectacular views. Departing your ship, you'll board your motorcoach at the pier and drive along the Storfjord to Valldal noted for its strawberry production and annual Strawberry Festival. After stopping for a traditional country lunch, it's off to see the 'Troll Wall,' Europe's highest rock wall rising 3,600 feet into the clouds, making it a major destination for rock climbers and base jumpers from all over the world. Return journey via Andalsnes and follow the Romsdalsfjord before traversing the Orskog mountain plateau, a popular destination for alpine and cross-country skiers.

We passed meadows, rushing rivers, waterfalls, mountains framed by interesting clouds, trolls - all showcasing Norway’s beauty!

It was a great day!

Tonight we had dinner and returned to our cabin to relax rather than go to the show.  Tomorrow is our last port! 😢

Until then…..

Two Weary Travellers

Jun 23-24. At Sea

 Jun 23-24. At Sea

Jun 23 - Sunny, 12°

We are gradually making our way south along the coast on a beautiful day! We’ve been pretty lazy, getting up at 8:00 AM and having a leisurely breakfast.  We ate with a couple from Wales who have cruised a lot, so we all had stories to share.

We went to the theatre for the interview and Q&A with the Captain.  He is the only Finnish Captain in the Princess fleet. Dan asked him about what led him to being Captain of a cruise ship, about some of his experiences, etc.  He told us he has a private pilot’s license and likes to go off on short trips with his wife when he is home on vacation.

Following that Sue, the destination expert, did her presentation on the last two ports. Did I say ‘last’? ☹️.  As the Welsh woman said at breakfast this morning, ‘Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the more it unrolls, the faster it goes!’  These last few days will go quickly!

We had a quick lunch from the International Cafe, followed by a dish of gelato!  🍨🍨.  We had a ringside seat for the dancercise lesson in the Piazza!  We needed to burn some calories! LOL And now it’s nap time!

It was Italian Night in the Dining room!  Mary had fish and I had my favourite on this menu - Veal Scallopini!!  And on to the theatre for Greg London, an impressionist.  It was entertaining.

Another sea day tomorrow so we can build up our stamina for the last two ports!  Come back here tomorrow for updates on our exciting day!!  😂🤣

Two Happy Travellers

Jun 24 - Sailing along

Overcast, 12°

Another late start!  We slept in until 8:00 AM and after getting laundry ready to go out we made our way up for breakfast.  On our way to a presentation in the theatre we stopped to purchase another future cruise deposit.  This gives us $100 depo$it on a future crui$e plu$ $100 onboard credit!  In other words, $100 in free money!  LOL

Next stop was  the casino!  This is where we can put our refundable credits from this cruise in a slot machine and immediately cash out!  This way we don’t have to wait for a cheque from Princess!  I’m sure Princess frowns on this, but they haven’t stopped us!  

The speaker was a 3rd Battalion soldier from the Falklands War who ‘cheated’ death more than a dozen times!  He eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  An interesting story.

Time to eat again!  Lunch was a quick bite at the International Cafe with a little treat from you-know-where!

And now it’s nap time before we head off to a Wine Tasting at 3:00 PM!

Dinner was slow tonight, but we managed to find a seat in our usual area for the show, Duo Fusion.  All I could think about was how many planks do they do every day to be able to perform all these moves???

Early bedtime tonight as we have a full day tour tomorrow!

Until then….

The Two Travellers

Jun 22. Tromso, Norway

 Jun 22. Tromsø, Norway

From Honningsvåg we headed south to the city of Tromsø, a city located off the coast of Norway and connected to the mainland by a bridge.

Overcast with sunny breaks, 12°

We had a leisurely start today as our tour didn’t leave until 1:30. Once we were on the bus we went through the city with the guide pointing out some of the highlights.  

A monument in honour of the female marathon held annually

Our first stop was the Arctic Museum where our guide took us through the Sami exhibit explaining some of their customs and way of life.

They used these patterns to mark the reindeer - like how ranchers brand their cattle.

From there we went to a lookout spot for an overview of the area from a higher elevation.

Our last stop was the Arctic Cathedral.  This is a stunning ‘triangular’ church with a beautiful stained glass window and a pipe organ with almost 3000 pipes.  It is a famous landmark in Tromso.

F

Our tour returned at 5:30, just in time for the all aboard.  We quickly dropped our things in our cabin and went for dinner.  Then off  to the  theatre for a tribute to Freddie Mercury by performer Hannah Stearne.

It’s now 10 PM and we have a beautiful view from our window as we begin our journey southbound to Alesund where we will arrive in two days.

Good night from beautiful Norway!

😴😴

Jun 21. Honnigsvåg, Norway

 Jun 21. Honnigsvåg, Norway

Honningsvåg is the most northerly settlement in Norway; off the coast is where the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans meet!

Overcast, 4°!  BRRRR….  At least it didn’t rain!

Last night it was still bright at 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30!  The land of the midnight sun!

Our tour today was unguided, which means they took us by coach to Nordkap ( the North Cape Cliffs) the northernmost point of continental Europe. We travelled across a rather barren landscape  to the tourist centre located on top of the cliffs

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Is that a reindeer I see on the side of the cliff?

Or is it just snow?  LOL

These are Sami (Indigenous People) tents

Mary got her outdoor photos before we went in and then we explored a bit in the centre. There were exhibits showing the history, culture and ecology of the area.  We even saw the mythical Norwegian Trolls!!  You can read about them in this link! 😂

                                   A German Battleship

                                      Birds of the North Cape

We watched the panoramic film about Finnmark and North Cape.  The photography was outstanding!

We had a half hour wait for the bus to return to the ship and it was very cold!!!  I could hardly wait to hop into a hot shower!

After a good dinner - French Onion Soup, Spring Rolls, and Chateaubriand  with Flourless Chocolate Cake and Lemon Meringue Cheesecake for dessert we are waiting for the show to start.  It’s a repeat of 5 Skies tonight!

Off to Tromso tonight!  

Stay tuned!

The Norwegian Travellers