Day Two at Sea - Alesund

So, the bed is comfy, and I was to discover that I need neither earplugs nor an eye covering - they have blackout blinds for the windows! And the engine noise (which my mother objected to mightily when she was on a cruise, years ago) combined with the gentle sway to lull me to sleep. Mind you, I did wake periodically - and at one point, the sway was non-gentle enough that I was glad I was in bed, and intending to stay there!

By the time I was getting dressed and pulled the curtains, we were pulling into Alesund - and I had to break off for a few quick snaps:

And this is where we were at that time:

Well, I went up for breakfast - not a great choice of hot food, I ended up with beans and the fried potatoes they have at every meal (which are lovely, to be fair). I was completely unable to find juice of any kind - would you believe, they make you pay for it unless you have a complete beverage package: and they don't even leave it on the counter, with a price beside it; oh no, you have to order it from a waiter. I wasn't to find that out until later. Not a bad view over breakfast though:

Oh and lookee, the very things we had to make as an activity at the LoMAZ Christmas pub crawl! Gee, we could monetise them:

Well, we were told to be out on deck in time for our excursions, and I was. No idea where I was supposed to stand, though - our organiser wasn't there yet. She arrived not long afterwards, and we met our local guide, and were taken out to wait for the bus. It was a cold wait.. he was late too. But we eventually piled in. And we were taken on a lovely drive.. Alesund, it turns out, is spread over many islands, between which they have bridges and/or tunnels.. in fact, some of the bridges were made from the rock removed during the excavation of the tunnels.. in one interesting case, our guide pointed out the side route for walkers, well-protected from the single lane of traffic through the tunnel. Used to be a two-lane highway, she explained, but this is a great hiking area, and lo, the hikers were using it too.. so they did this. Very into nature and the environment, the Norwegians!

Our destination was Alnes Lighthouse. En route, however, we stopped on the island of Giske - just one of Alesund's many islands - to see the church, which dates from 1150. As we disembarked, we were warned it was a little icy.. true, but not very, and mercifully, only around the bit the bus was parked on. The churchyard was fine, either grass or gravel.

The church was made of marble, painted for protection, it seems. And we saw the oldest grave in the graveyard:

They think it might have belonged to the architect of the church. Sadly, we couldn't actually enter the church - it is open for tours in summer, but the guide was later to explain that it's generally kept locked, to protect the very old and valuable altarcloth inside.

Some gorgeous tombstones:

She told us it was a pilgrimage church, and that pilgrims used to carve crosses in the wall for expiation of their sins:

There was an actual family with the same name as the island - you can see a lot of their graves here:

William the Conqueror's great-great-great-grandfather apparently hailed from here. Or maybe not. If he did, I can kind of see how the landscape could have inspired him.. majestic mountains feeding his ambition on one side:

Wide open sea offering boundless possibilities on the other:

Anyway, we still had a lighthouse to see - so we piled in again. And what a relief it was to get into the warm bus - that breeze was ferocious.

There's a cafe attached to the lighthouse - and wouldn't you know it, they laid on what turned out to be a very nice chocolate cake for us, places already laid out. And free tea/coffee.. I'm beginning to feel very discriminated against, as a non-tea/coffee drinker - I had nothing to drink at all. Anyway, the cake was good.. and I got talking to a very nice lady. We agreed that neither of us actually wanted to climb the lighthouse - our guide had explained to us how there are lots of steps, which get steeper the further up you go.. a few of us passed, and enjoyed the sound of the surf instead. There were, in fact, a couple of surfers nearby, hardy lads..

I was glad to get in though - and just in time for lunch. Had an OK chicken friccasee - and some more fried potatoes, which are becoming my staple diet. And when I asked about juice, at lunch - I hadn't seen anyone to ask at breakfast anyway - she immediately asked me (as they do every single time) whether I had a beverage package, how long I was going to be on board, whether I wouldn't like a beverage package.. I did check, in no way would it represent good value. No, the wine package will do me apart from that - I ordered an apple juice for now, and it was lovely.. and charged to my room without a by or leave! She just presented me with a receipt - which I took to the head waiter as I was leaving. He was the one who told me it had been charged to my room.. rubbish, I made him take the money then and there, the last thing I want to be presented with when I leave is a massive bill.. getting annoyed with them at this point, not least that it matters not a jot what I do, I have to flash my boarding card.. even if I'm just buying something in the gift shop.. oh, and there are almost no bins..

I'm still tired after yesterday. Didn't really fancy traipsing around Alesund this afternoon - there's nothing in particular I wanted to do or see. So I've stayed in and blogged, and will explore a bit of the ship next. Be great to get to bed in a timely fashion tonight! Tomorrow, I'll be on a guided city walk in Trondheim - and after today's experience, I'll be in earmuffs, a snood, and cleats..

On Christmas Eve, I was supposed to be on a Sámi adventure - including feeding the reindeer! But I got a cancellation notice with my welcome pack, saying they'll refund me. A lot of fellow passengers are miffed about that too - one remarked that she was told they never do that excursion in winter anyway! In which case, why advertise it..?

On St. Stephen's Day (AKA Boxing Day), I'll be at the North Cape (Nordkapp) - weather permitting. Seas are rough up there.

I arrive in Kirkenes, on the Russian border, on Saturday - apparently we can take photos, but can't cross! ;-)

We're in Hammerfest on Sunday.

And I'm at a midnight concert at Tromso Cathedral next Monday.

So, Christmas and New Year's on the boat! Just what I wanted. Back on New Year's Day - not as early - and taking the next day off, because it's a Friday - and back home to Ireland for the weekend, because it's been too long. The next two days are with CT - on the 5th, I'm back at the Hen & Chickens for Shake It Up: The Improvised Shakespeare Show.

And on the 6th, I'm at a comedy show - Live Next to the Apollo, at Riverside Studios.

On the 7th - my first Meetup of the year - I'm back with the Horror Book Club - assuming I get the book read in time! It's The House on the Borderland - and they're meeting in the Prince of Wales, as usual. Now, considering the lack of progress I made with Hogfather for my work book club.. we'll have to see.. it's over a year since I was last with them for a book review! (As to Hogfather, we met during the week (me virtually - I stayed at home because of my cough), and it turned out I was one of the ones that read most.. I had a last-minute sprint, and got to 71%..)

The next two days, I'm with CT at the Backyard Comedy Club.. again, it's been a while!

Then, four days in a row of Meetups, including five in total. On the 10th, two Meetups.. firstly, a walk titled Southwark: Seedy and Sublime with none other than Laurence Summers and the 45+ Not Grumpies, yay! Haven't seen him since September, would you believe..

And that evening, back with The Hideout for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Venue and timings TBC, but it'll be somewhere around Leicester Square. 

On the 11th, back with LoMAZ for T is for Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, an exhibition at The Wellcome Collection. Advertised, would you believe, while I was looking at my phone but not especially busy, in The Rockingham Arms recently - and this being the next unscheduled date in my diary, I was one of the five to snap up a place in the first minute!

On the 12th, with Up in the Cheap Seats again, for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo - a dark comedy set in Iraq - at the Young Vic. Booked for Bar + Block Southwark beforehand. Ooh, another place I haven't been in an age..

And on the 13th, I'm back with London Classical Music and Theatre Group for The Makropulos Affair, by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, at the Barbican - one of the group with a wildcard ticket couldn't go and kindly offered it for free, so I snapped it up. Eating at Cote Barbican beforehand. And gee, you guessed it.. Haven't been there since September, but was with the group slightly more recently, in October..