a or u

Because of Storm Floris, it would not be safe to berth at Skagen, the next port on the itinerary. The captain announced the name of the replacement port and TSH and Diva heard it as Kristiansund. a port they are familiar with, but which is north of Bergen. Diva became concerned that the return journey would be long and that the Spirit of Discovery would arrive late in Dover, with consequences for their arrival time at home. When the written program arrived, they discovered that the call would be to Kristiansand, which is on the outskirts of Oslo and not a huge diversion for the return to Dover. 

For most of the journey, the seas have been so calm that it was not always obvious that the ship was moving. That all changed on the rocky journey to Kristiansand, so they took precautionary stugeron and the steward tied down the balcony chairs. The sail past 'Hamlet's castle' was just before dinner, so Diva was able to recite part of Horatio's speech, with TSH playing the minor role of Hamlet. 

The shower door failed again. Fortunately TSH is a keen observer and a quick learner, so he was able to perform the trick with the door seal without involving the steward. 

In Kristiansand, they intended to go into the town on the shuttle bus but because there were no tours at this hastily arranged stop, the queues were very long and they decided to stay onboard the Spirit of Discovery. 

Dried cod and a tough old bird

Mist meant that the most scenic part of the tour was a little spoiled, although it was obvious that the Atlantic Road would provide excellent views. However, for the visit to the staved church (one of only 28 remaining) at Kvernes, the weather was much improved and the fjord below was visible in all directions. This tour included two under-sea tunnels – one of 3.5km and one of over 5Km, which went to a depth of 250 m. New tunnels and bridges are subject to tolls until they have been paid for, after which they are free.

Animals spotted included cows (no mattresses), horses, sheep (with and without horns) and two kinds of deer.

The excursion bus stopped suddenly in the middle of the road, on a steep narrow bend. This was because an elderly woman had fallen out of her motorised scooter and needed help to climb back in. She was OK and it turned out that she had not been knocked over, or failed to navigate the difficult road. She was there because she was weeding the outside of her garden and had leaned over so far that she had fallen out. This was reminiscent of TSH’s elderly mother, who doesn’t know when to rest and whose doctor says she’s a ‘tough old bird’.

The shore concierge, who is from West Kirby, presented TSH and Diva with a CD of light classical music, as a memento. Browsing the ship’s shop for jewellery has so far been unproductive.

Factoid: Main exports from Norway are gas, oil, fish and stone.

The chef’s special dish was bacalao, which is made with the dried cod which is to be seen on drying frames all over the fjords. TSH was brave enough to try it and said it tasted a bit like fish and chips and vinegar. Diva tried very hard to order a meal without cream or mashed potato but was still treated to a ‘butter sauce’ with added cream. She has spoken to the chef about the cream which is added to everything without mention on the menu but he was not very sympathetic. And mashed potato is baby food – good for Dinosaur but not for grown-ups like Diva.

The sea is still beautifully calm – no cushions have needed to be squashed into the glasses cupboard. In the port at Kristiansund, Midnatsol appeared. This is the Hurtigruten ship on which TSH and Diva made their maiden voyage in 2005.