Haugesund, Norway

Hello from Haugesund, Norway for the second time this summer!

View from the ship

When we were here exactly a month ago I took the Hop On Hop Off bus for a tour of the area. Today I actually scootered around on some of the same streets I took pictures of from the bus last time.

But it almost wasn't to be. Every morning at breakfast I slowly sip my water and cranberry juice, not letting one glass get more than a quarter of an inch lower than the other. Slowing things down and focusing on the glasses allow me to practice being still, silent, and calm. If it's a sea day it works great. When it's a port day, I find it much more difficult to quiet my mind. 

Slow and steady

There was a time when I was adventurous and spontaneous and was up for anything. Now my mind starts playing out scenarios beforehand. 

Will the shuttle bus take the scooter? 

Will there be hills? 

Will there be cobblestones?

Do I have the stamina to make it?

But then I catch myself and remember whatever I do it'll be enough. Then when I come back to the cabin and get ready to head out, I second guess myself again. Tell myself I don't have to go out if I don't want to. Then I second guess myself again (can you third guess yourself?) and know I need to tell a story for the day. Thank goodness the blog keeps me accountable or I'd be fourth guessing myself. 

So yes, I did go out today. And for the first time saw the shore side power I've heard about for years. The ship taps into this when in port so they can turn off their non-environmentally friendly engines.

Plug her in!

Yes, the shuttle bus took the scooter. For 70 NOK ($7 USD) I was able to take the shuttle to town. I thought last time the shuttle bus dropped off at the waterfront, but this time it dropped off at the top of the hill near the Vår Frelsers Church.

Yes, there were hills. 

I have to go down this to get to the waterfront???

Getting closer

Once at the bottom of the hill I was rewarded with beautiful views of the marina area.

Unfortunately for me, what goes down must go back up.

It's a long steep climb

After dragging Scooter all the way up the hill and
multiple sit down breaks, we're almost there!

Yes, there were cobblestones. And square blocks and wavy blocks.

At the top of the hill I strolled/rolled down the side streets where all the shops were and just looked around. It was early so it wasn't too busy yet. 

The local florist

These were so pretty I didn't think they were real. But they were!

A llama mama

I contemplated picking one up for even more bling for Scooter

Reindeer hides

Yes, I did have the stamina to make it back. After my outing I took the shuttle bus back to the ship, sat outside in the sun on a lounge chair for a while, and then almost couldn't get up because I hurt so much. 

Soaking up the rays in Norway

The benefit of not being able to get up? The workers were varnishing the floor near my lounger and I was sitting downwind and...I caught a whiff of it. Add varnish to my smell list!

See the darker brown? That's a newly varnished floor - and a new smell for me.

My health app tells me I took more steps today than I have in the past two years. Being those were uphill and on cobblestones and while pulling a scooter and on feet that aren't supposed to be walking I think those should count as quadruple the steps. While I did have the stamina to make it back, it's going to have to be another arthritis strength ibuprofen/extra strength acetaminophen/scalding hot shower/in bed before 8 PM kind of day if I have any hopes of salvaging tomorrow. Ålesund, Norway I'm coming your way!

Return of tastes and smells post-Covid: 

Tastes - Maple fudge

Smells - Rosemary, lavender, brief whiff of sunscreen on my face, strawberry body spray, pine body spray, varnish being applied

Skagen, Denmark

Hello from Skagen! 

View from my balcony

2:33 AM view from my balcony

I distinctly remembered three things from my pre-trip research on Skagen. 

1. It's pronounced Skay-en. 

2. It's the northernmost town in Denmark. 

3. Most buildings are painted yellow.

I was hoping to get to see all those yellows but my accessible tour was cancelled on this cruise, too. According to the ship only those completely confined to wheelchairs ever get the privilege of having accessible transportation. Well, &*#&%$ you Princess, I'll be Ms. Independent and do my own thing without your help. 

There was a shuttle being offered to the center of town for $5. When I showed up to get a ticket at the information center right next to the ship, the line was through the building, out the door, and down the stairs. 

Taken after I got back. No line now.

As I'm not a fan of long lines especially when people are hovering over me as I sit quietly on my scooter, I decided to get to town on my own. (Good thing I didn't wait in line - I found out later their transportation wasn't accessible either.)

Thankfully the path to town was well marked. 

Cruise City? Maybe something was lost in translation.

It wouldn't be an adventure if I didn't run into my nemesis, the cobblestones. Here in Skagen the pavement changed multiple times in just a few short feet. 

Attentive driving required

And just when I thought I could get settled into something looking like a smooth ride I would find the pavers winding up uneven and bumpy. 

The ups and downs of any kind of bumpy pavement is a battery drainer

As I wandered around today I found lots of those Skagen yellows.

If they weren't painted yellow it pretty much meant they were made from brick instead.

What else did I discover? 

Shop and restaurant awnings make for great cover when the heavy rains begin...

"Probably" the best beer? At least they were honest

Right after the first rainstorm passed

A Roomba lawnmower?... 

I'm not sure it was mowing anything

A cool looking friend mannequin...

A bofsandwich is sort of like a hamburger with gravy poured all over it...

A new bike for me...

Maybe not. Scooter might get jealous.

Colorful rhododendrons in bloom...

Colorful boats like I saw in Honningsvag, Norway. And they are hard to see, but what looks like fishermen's cabins like I saw in the Lofoten Islands in Norway...

Colorful green gunk in the water not far from the pier...

I also found my translator app is sometimes of no use...

Not a clue if those are letters or words at the top

Then there was this. A statue best encapsulating how Scooter and I feel about cobblestones. And hills, gravel, and rain. And mud. Definitely mud.

I looked at the map when I got back and tried to retrace my route. I'm disappointed I didn't get farther but once the first battery flashed yellow I decided it was time to switch to the backup and make my way to the ship. It was a fun day anyway.

Tomorrow we are in Haugesund, Norway. It was a month ago when I visited there for the first time but I'm planning on doing something different this time. It'll sure be nice to already have my bearings on the port area and on the city. See you then!