Ǻlesund,
Norway
Having sailed East for 2 days we
arrived at the fjord which is home to Ǻlesund,
which means something like “eel sound or eel strait.” Corrections
requested. In English the pronunciation is Ó-luh-sun.
The sun was out and the
day beautiful as we rounded a point and pulled into the basin,
turning bow out and side-slipping to the wharf, port side to town.
That was at 7 am. Again we win the view lottery. The apartments of
the old town are close enough to warrant our keeping the draperies
closed until we complete dressing. I stepped out onto our deck and
exchanged waves with a couple of locals.
The P&O Lines Arcadia came in and tied up ahead of us. That meant 2 cruise ships in port at the same time so the flood of tourists would be huge. Several blocks of downtown to study the architecture and pick up some local history. Go ahead and read the history of the town, but as a preview, the town burned to the ground in 1904 and was re-built under a plan which called for improved infrastructure, brick and stone buildings and an architectural theme which tended toward art-nouveau and deco. Much of the walk was along pedestrian streets and the waterfront. After walking along the yacht basin we came to the old pharmacy which is decked out in the original shelves and jars and scales but now houses the “time machine” attraction which provides an audio/visual account of the fire and re-construction of the city. Next came a visit to the coffee shop in the pharmacy building where we enjoyed coffee and Queen Maude cake. This confection is reported to be created originally by/for Queen Maude (4 generations of royalty back) and is only made and sold in this location. The recipe is secret, like Coca-Cola.
The P&O Lines Arcadia came in and tied up ahead of us. That meant 2 cruise ships in port at the same time so the flood of tourists would be huge. Several blocks of downtown to study the architecture and pick up some local history. Go ahead and read the history of the town, but as a preview, the town burned to the ground in 1904 and was re-built under a plan which called for improved infrastructure, brick and stone buildings and an architectural theme which tended toward art-nouveau and deco. Much of the walk was along pedestrian streets and the waterfront. After walking along the yacht basin we came to the old pharmacy which is decked out in the original shelves and jars and scales but now houses the “time machine” attraction which provides an audio/visual account of the fire and re-construction of the city. Next came a visit to the coffee shop in the pharmacy building where we enjoyed coffee and Queen Maude cake. This confection is reported to be created originally by/for Queen Maude (4 generations of royalty back) and is only made and sold in this location. The recipe is secret, like Coca-Cola.
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| beware of Trolls hawking flags |
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| the pharmacy/apothecary |
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| The Rotterdam at the end of the canal |
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| Queen Maude cake. (Scratch 'n sniff photo) |
By 1230 we were back on
the ship for a quick relief stop and to grab some canapes from
Mervin's Cafe & Coffee Shop (the Neptune Lounge). Back ashore 15
minutes later (we can move fast when adventure beckons) and we found
our guide for the afternoon. This part was to be a 3 hour trip to
other islands. This turned out to mean we rode to a 3 lane tunnel,
descended to a depth of 100 meters, crossed under the channel,
corkscrewed up to the surface (like a whale arising) caught a brief
view of a small island ,
corkscrewed down to a 2 lane tunnel about 150 meters down and about
4.2 kilometers long, then,circling again on the upward climb, arose
to Gøday. Down again, going round and around in a 1 lane tunnel for
about 1 ½ km then arising to the surface at Giske . This island is
quiet and the residents don't care much for the hoards invading their
narrow streets so we didn't see many locals out and about. Though
those we did meet at our stop were very pleasant and cheerful. We
visited the lighthouse, munched on Svela (a pancake wrapped around a
slice of brown cheese and may be dusted with sugar) and took coffee.
The staff there was fun to visit with and we made friends with Ingrid
and Peter, Norwegians from Bergen on summer holiday here on the
island.
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| Svela |
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| boathouses |
Then
back to Gøday and a drive around that island then on to Ålesund,
doing the switchback like roads up to the peak of Aksala for a view
of the fjord, islands and the city.
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| the roof needs mowing or munching |
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| View of MS Rotterdam from the mountain |
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| Alesund |
Along
the road coming up at at the top are remains of the German
occupation. Bunkers, gun points, ammunition bunkers and some barracks
can still be seen.
Back
to the ship and shortly thereafter we sailed. This time there was
sounding of the ships horn several times, repeated back to us by the
MS Arcadia so there was a lot of noise for once. We waved to Arcadia
passengers as we passed and they lined their decks and waved to us.
As we proceeded back down the fjord we visited on our respective
decks with our next-door neighbors and watched the beautiful and
majestic scenery pass. We would be in bed tonight before the ship
left the fjord and made the North Sea.
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| looking up the channel |
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| Looking ahead as we depart |
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