The Frozen North

After laying out breakfast our butler drew the curtains so that we could start the day without any manual labour. Sitting up in bed the view through the patio windows was like Lanzarote in winter. The town of NY Alesund consisted mainly of wooden huts scattered across a rocky outcrop and what we saw didn't really seem worth the journey. Since leaving Trondheim we had steamed (or dieseled?) about 1000 miles, most of them due north, to reach the island of Svalbard or Spitzbergen as it is generally known in the UK. NY Alesund is an international centre for research into subjects like global warming and is about as far north as you can get in comfort and without huskies. In summer it's well past the point where the sun never sets although it's not averse to hiding behind thick banks of cloud. The temperature was just above freezing which did make me wonder what all the scientists in the huts were complaining about.

Venturing on to our balcony we realised that the town had been built, for obvious reasons like roads and foundations, on a flat plateau of exposed rock next to the water. All around were snow capped mountains separated by glaciers melting into the sea. It was unlike anything we'd seen before. It actually felt like we were at the top of the world. It was surreal and it was magnificent.

Arcadia was too big for the landing stage and we had to get ashore on tenders. Our butler had given us tickets that allowed us to jump the queue but, rather than risk being torn to pieces by irate inside cabin people, we played it cool and waited until after lunch. There wasn't much to do anyway – ropes and strategically placed scientists made sure that we didn't wander off the paths. I got the distinct feeling that the resident scientists and the owners of the most northerly post office in the world and the most northerly gift shop in the world had different views on the desirability of using the town as a cruise ship destination. We did have our picture taken by a young ship's photographer. He had been there for several hours and had discovered that there really was something worse than taking hundreds of pictures of old people at formal dinners.

Just before we sailed at about 5.00 pm the captain announced that he would take the ship up an adjoining fjord before starting on the return journey. Suitably attired we gathered on the balcony to admire the view and to have a few drinks. It was spectacular. Patches of blue appeared between the streaks of dark cloud and the sunlight illuminated the snow fields at the tops of the glaciers. Bits of the previously black mountains shone dark red and purple and the edges of the glaciers glowed bright blue where they hit the water. The fjord ended with a huge glacier and small chunks of ice were breaking off and floating past the ship. There was one much larger than the rest that made us appreciate the fact that the Captain had been prepared to make this unscheduled detour. I'm not talking here about the sort of iceberg that the ill fated Titanic encountered. This one was very small as icebergs go but it would have been big enough to make a nasty dent in the side of the ship and god knows how much the no claims bonus is worth on one of these things.

Dave C

Overcast with fog banks !

Bringing you up to date with our life on board. We settled into a relaxed routine quite quickly with plenty of reading and a little deck walking from time to time. The weather is not fantastic and the sun cream remains unused, but brave souls that we are we do manage to get out on the balcony - sometimes with a duvet wrapped around us ! Ports of call so far have been interesting and very different from any other parts of the world that we have visited, although the clapperboard houses do remind us of Cape Cod.
Dave and I paid for a pass for the 14 days on board which allows unlimited entry to a spa with a hydropool, steam room etc. Not everyone's cup of tea, but we enjoy the peace and dipping in and out of the pools. Dave loves lying on the heated thermal beds overlooking the sea.
Meeting up in the evening for dinner we exchange stories of what we all got up to - it often includes a little snooze in the day !
What is extraordinary is the light. The sun rose on the morning of the the 27th and won't set again until 11.22 tonight - the 30th July. We have walked out on deck at midnight in the light - very strange.
The shows are reasonable to good. We recognised one of the dancers as a girl who lives 2 doors away from us.
Dave and I were brave enough to go swimming in the outside pool as we were anchored at Ny Alesund - only so we could say that we had swum in the Artic circle ! We had an amazing sailaway there where there were 'bergybits' ( small icebergs) floating by - then sailing past us was the most enormous iceberg. The ship's photographers were lowered into a small rescue boat to take photos of the ship and the iceberg. Photographic licence means that the iceberg in some pictures looks bigger than the ship !
Clothes are beginning to shrink - the vegetarian choice at dinner is really good and I am enjoying trying different dishes each evening.
Today we are in Tromso, so we are off to have a wander around the city now
Julie and Dave

Thursday 28th July - Ny Alesund Spitzbergen

After two days at sea, we arrived at Ny Alesund, where the ship anchored offshore amongst barren mountains, with huge glaciers and the occasional 'bergy bit' (large chunks of ice not quite big enough to be called icebergs). We all donned our warmest clothes and ventured ashore for a short walk around the settlement, which consists of wooden shacks occupied by scientists working on climate related research.

The captain made a slight detour as we sailed away in the evening, and took us up a nearby fjord, the end of which was a ¾ mile wide glacier. We had to dodge real icebergs, so it was very exciting. An amazing day.

Dave took this photo of one of the icebergs as it floated past...

XX Janet XX

The Norwegian Language

As you will know a lot of Vikings used to spend their holidays in England and many of their words found their way into our language. Obviously, the usage and meaning of these words changed subtly over time. For example it is hard to see how this sign could be translated literally even in a country that keeps its doors and windows closed for most of the year.

Dave C

26th July - Janet reports...

I'm writing this as we sail due north on our way to Spitzbergen. We're now in the Arctic Circle and have been told that the sun will not set for 5 days! However, unfortunately the sun hasn't made an appearance for a couple of days, so what this really means is that it will stay grey for 24 hours a day for quite a while. Temperatures are dropping all the time too, so I think the hats and gloves may well get an outing later in the week.

Life at sea is much the same as usual – breakfast, read for a bit, lunch, read for a bit, maybe a snack, read a bit more, dinner, the show, drinks, and bed. We don't meet up with the rest of the gang until dinner time, so I'm hoping that some of them will add their daily activities to the blog... meanwhile, here's what Dave and I did in the last two ports of call.

Sunday 24^th July 2011 – Alesund

We woke to rain in Alesund, so decided not to get off the ship until the afternoon, by which time the skies were brightening. The town was very quiet, as not only was it Sunday, but also the tragic events in Oslo have naturally affected the whole country. Alesund is a pretty little town, with painted houses, and with some Art Nouveau influence as the whole town was rebuilt in the early 1900s after it was destroyed by fire. There wasn't a huge amount to see or do, but it was great to be able to walk round in the sunshine!

The gang joined us for drinks on the balcony as we sailed away in the late afternoon. A fascinating low lying mist covered the water as we moved down the fjord, pretty soon turning into a thick fog. A very spooky experience, with the ship's horn sounding occasionally into the gloom.

Monday 25^th July 2011 – Trondheim

Low grey cloud obscured most of the surrounding hills, but once again, we waited to leave the ship until the afternoon in the hope of some improvement. Not this time. It rained all day! We took the shuttle bus into the city centre, where we located the Tourist Information office, and signed up for a guided city walk. To our amazement, we were the only customers that day, so had a wonderful couple of hours with Vera, our guide, who showed us all sorts of interesting sights and told us lots about the history of the area. Worth every penny of the £45 that it cost us (Norway is NOT cheap!)

All for now

xx Janet xx

Our Cabin

Did I mention we've got a suite? It's the result of Janet playing poker with P&O and it's very posh and comes with a built in Butler. Apparently he's there to attend to our every need although, so far, we haven't really pushed that particular envelope past breakfast in bed and afternoon canapés.

I'll give you a guided tour - The entrance hall leads to the bedroom and sitting area which has two windows which on a cruise ship is like having a couple of turrets on your house. The bed is large enough for a game of hide and seek and behind it is one of those full height, full width, “don't even think about it mirrors” as Janet calls them. Off the hall there is a small kitchen/butlers pantry and a bathroom. The suite has all the features you might expect and a few you never knew you needed like a rack of glossy magazines to help you choose your next car or orangery. There is even a large wooden box of specialist tea bags in the pantry. Open the box and they're all laid out in little compartments like an exotic butterfly collection. We've also got a trouser press (in case you can't find the Butler) and a very expensive Bose radio (to show that however much you pay you can't get a decent radio signal on a cruise ship).

The bathroom has a full sized bath, a separate shower and twin basins. I've never understood the attraction of twin basins. They should never be used as “his” and “hers” unless the users are both under 30 and have easy access to marriage guidance counselling. Using them for “Wash” and “Rinse” or “Hands” and “Feet” signifies an obsessive personal disorder and using the spare one to soak your underwear overnight lowers the tone that they are intended to create.

The bath has a jacuzzi which is something to be wary about particularly on a ship. Pressing an electrical switch whilst sitting in a bath of water, in a metal box which is sitting in a lot more water, is a concern to anyone who has spent years dealing with electrical contractors. When I tentatively pressed this switch the sound it produced was like a space shuttle preparing for lift off. The sensation it produced was, I imagine, rather like connecting a fire hose to a bidet. After a few eye watering baths, I found a knob that controls the pressure . Turning it down has now made the jacuzzi a more enjoyable experience in an “I really wouldn't pay money for one of these” sort of way.

The suite is at the back of the ship and its best feature is the balcony which looks out over the wake and also wraps round the side. The balcony has a table with half dozen chairs and a couple of loungers but there's plenty of space for other things like a couple of cricket nets or a small running track. Obviously it would be better if the weather improved so we could use it more often but, never mind, you can't have everything.

Dave C

Saturday 23rd July – Stavanger

Hi everyone, Janet's turn to blog today...

We arrived at our first port of call early in the morning. When the butler delivered our breakfast we were still asleep. “Would you like me to open the curtains?” he asked. “Oh, yes please,” we grunted from below the bedcovers. As he left the room, we looked towards the full length patio windows, and through the glass could clearly see not the beautiful view we'd hoped for, but the rear end of another cruise ship – with people on balconies looking directly into our cabin! Aaargh, out of bed like a shot and closed the nets!

Sandra, Dave and I met up to take an organised walking tour of the town. It was by this time absolutely pouring down. We were of course well prepared, dressed in full wet-weathergear, (unlike Julie, whose raincoat is currently on an Eavesway coach somewhere between Wigan and Southampton).

The tour was led by a young woman with piercing blue eyes and very blonde hair, whose knowledge of Stavanger was fairly limited. We learned the location of several hairdressers, that she lived 10 minutes walk from the town, and that it was her mother's birthday today. But interesting facts about life in this part of the world were sadly lacking.

Back to the ship for lunch, and then a lazy afternoon relaxing on our balcony. (Will get Dave to blog later about our cabin and its facilities!) The weather gradually improved and we were able to enjoy a little sunshine. The other cruise ship, Celebrity Constellation, left late in the afternoon and we followed it out towards the sea, passing pretty little islands and mountains in the distance. It's been a good day.

X Janet X

21st July 2011 - St Annes to Southampton

Julie had booked a mini bus to pick everyone up from our house at 6.15 so by that time we had a huge mound of luggage on the drive. Normally it's not a good idea to advertise the fact that you're going on holiday but the mound was big enough to convince any passing burglar that there was nothing left in the house worth stealing. The mini bus driver looked smug as he packed the mound into a fourth dimension that seemed to exist behind his back seats.

One of Eavesway's latest coaches was waiting for us at Blackpool Coach Park. You know the ones where the driver sits in the basement with the luggage, and the passengers have panoramic windows beneath a roof that is held up with structural curtains. I thought the screens that dropped down from the ceiling to show the safety video were a bit pretentious. However, it was useful to know that you had to walk carefully down the aisle when the coach was in motion and that you shouldn't flush the toilet when the coach was stationary at traffic lights. By the time the young man on the video had pointed out the numerous safety features and the location of the emergency exits I was fully expecting him to add “in the unlikely event of this coach parking on water a life jacket is under your seat”

Most of the passengers got on at Preston and we do seem to have a slightly different demographic for our cruise on the Arcadia . Looking forward from our seats at the back, there were far fewer bald patches than usual and the men also had more hair than I would have expected on a P&O cruise. Maybe the weather in Norway, even in the summer, puts off a lot of older people – I guess we're about to find out.

We only had to stop once more, at some services south of Birmingham, to pick up the last couple of passengers so we had our packed lunch at 10.00 am and I had a tall cup of Starbucks coffee. If you've never purchased a Starbucks coffee, a “tall” cup is how this moronic, English strangling, purveyor of luke warm beverages describes the smallest shortest cup in its over priced range. Our driver was either on a time limited tachograph or a promise and we got to Southampton docks soon after 1.00 pm. A new record and another excellent journey from Eavesway.

In the passenger terminal they were processing embarking passengers in batches called by a letter of the alphabet and so, when we all got a “Z”, Janet and I couldn't resist mentioning we were in a suite. We were immediately whisked away by a P&O hostess who led us straight to the front of the queue even fending off a couple of wheelchair users who had tried to get ahead of us. Our balcony overlooked the quayside so, after a leisurely snack and a cup of coffee, we were able to wave to the rest of our party as they finally boarded the ship. The rest of our party, rather ungraciously I thought, waved back.

Dave C

Ready for the off...

The packing is done, the house is clean and tidy and we're awaiting the arrival of Sandra, who will be joining our little gang on this cruise, and is staying chez nous tonight.  The seventh member of our party is Joyce, who will be travelling down from Yorkshire to meet us at the ship tomorrow. 

We're expecting the weather to be much the same as it is in the UK - mainly wet.  This webcam shows the situation at Eidfjord, which we'll be visiting towards the end of the cruise:-
http://www.okapi.no/axis/

We're all looking forward to another new experience.  Will we see whales, seals arctic foxes or polar bears?  What will our cabins be like?  Will Harold paint a masterpiece? 

Janet
x

Norwegian Weather Forecast

Okay, I have checked the BBC weather website, but didn't really like what they were saying about the weather in Norway, so went onto Norwegian websites and translated them. Sadly, it all still comes out rather soggy ! So a change of plan - well a change of clothes really and a decision about whether to take the hot water bottle ! 

The shirts are folded up now and various bow-ties and dinner suits await their place in one of the several suitcases that will leave this address. Wine boxes are at the ready too, and I have seen a few miniature ports in H's pile !

2 more sleeps and then we are off - the Secret Seven and their Norway adventure !

Julie Dave and Harold