Trondheim, Norway

Welcome to Trondheim!

When I woke up this morning it was raining and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get out and about. But soon a little spot of blue sky appeared. And then another. And then those blue little pieces of sky grew. Rain wouldn't be an excuse! 

No HOHO here, either

Getting to the city requires crossing train tracks by way of a steep overhead walkway. I heard people at breakfast discussing it, and just listening to the stress it was causing them was making me stressed about it.

See the incline between the buildings?

It took some very strong self-talk to decide to pull Scooter up and over the thing. Thankfully it never came to that because at the bottom of the steep walkway was a teeny tiny sign.

Heis = Elevator

Hidden all the way inside the very back corner of the building on the left (where I added the pink mark) is the elevator. I had to ask someone for help because I couldn't find it on my own.

Once at the top, just a little roll (or walk) will get you to another elevator to take you back down. This one was much easier to find because it sticks up above the walkway. If you don't use the elevator the only way to get down this side of the walkway is by using stairs. Lots and lots of stairs.

Stay left even though it looks like
you're walking into a construction zone

Once down at street level is where the fun began. While I had a map in my pocket I again didn't use it. Following the crowds, I quickly crossed my first bridge.

I continued up the street until I saw colorful decorations on what looked to be a pedestrian area on the right. 

I took the right and continued until I came to colorful umbrellas.

All kinds of shops and a few restaurants lined the area. On a whim I decided to take a left when the overhead colors ended. It was a couple blocks later (maybe even a few?) when I ran into Trondheim Square and the statue of the Viking King Olav Tryggvason, the founder of Trondheim.

I continued past the square and stumbled upon the Nidaros Cathedral. It's the world's northernmost medieval cathedral. Work started on it all the way back in 1070.

I decided to roll around the right side of it and found it just as beautiful there.

After sitting and admiring it for a bit I headed back out the front and took a right. Thanks to the recent rains Scooter and I ran into some trouble.

Icky, mucky mud.

Covered with muck we made our way to the Old Town Bridge.

I saw the colorful buildings along the water Trondheim is so famous for.

I headed to another bridge by the Radisson hotel and took more photos of the buildings. 

I don't know how I did it, but I somehow found my way back to the square. It was fascinating watching and listening to everything going on. I soaked it all in - the languages being spoken, the styles of dress, and the different activities of both tourists and locals.

Here are a few other things I ran across today...

I may not have followed the sign but I still took a picture of it.

Ouchie on the bum

Both Scooter and I are going to need
an alignment after riding on this all summer

Just one of many decorative manhole covers

Trolls, trolls, trolls

The F word is alive and well here.

Sculpture not far from the ship. If you look closely you can
see a reflection of the ship in the center mirrored panel.

Just me and my scooter exploring a city on our own was better than any preplanned tour I could have taken.

Tomorrow we are in Åndalsnes. See you then.

Lofoten Islands, Norway

Welcome to the Lofoten Islands, an archipelago in northern Norway above the Arctic Circle.

On our itinerary this port was listed as Lofoten Islands (Gravdal). The Lofoten Islands part was right but the Gravdal part wasn't. Today was a tender port, with the tenders dropping us off between the two villages of Leknes and Gravdal. There was a shuttle for $19.95 you could take to get to Leknes. But not Gravdal. 

Gravdal

Leknes

Thanks to the first organized tour I've taken so far I wound up visiting both from the inside of a bus. And Ballstad as well.

I only got off the bus once at the last stop but I was still able to snap plenty of photos. 

Dragestil church in Gravdal

All the road signs made me glad I wasn't doing the driving. I'd get lost for sure.

We saw lakes, beaches, and jagged mountains. 

People swimming in the 47 degree water at Haukland Beach

We again saw hillsides in so many shades of green with yellow dandelions added in for some extra color.

Can you tell this is a school building?

We also visited the fishing village of Ballstad.

Fishermen's cabins along the water

While others hiked up for a better view of the area there I used the restroom at the grocery store. And took pictures of the signs, of course.

Learn to wash your hands in Norwegian

Another bathroom sign

Having used their free restrooms I felt obliged to make a small purchase. While I didn't buy fruits or vegetables I did admire the colorful produce case.

It was a quick two hour bus trip around the area, just enough time for my first time in a crowded bus.

Ugly fish at the tender pier

Tomorrow we have a sea day and then on Thursday we'll be in Trondheim. See you there!

Honningsvag, Norway

Hello from Honningsvag, the northernmost point of our cruise.

We’re in the land of the midnight sun now. Any guesses on what time I stayed up to take this picture?

12:30! It made for a short night for sleeping because when the Captain announced a little after 6 AM we had whales on both sides of the ship, I wrapped myself like a mummy in my brown fuzzy blanket and camped out on the balcony. 

Early morning minke whale watch

I saw a ton of whales. Unlike humpbacks, these minkes didn’t travel in pods and weren’t breaching and showing off their tails. They just swam along similar to an orca, up and down, up and down. 

Once we arrived in port many passengers took tours heading to the North Cape but I stuck close to home. Since today was Sunday and most stores were closed I got my laundry done before heading off the ship around 11. I started off by going up a little slope towards the shopping area to give Scooter a chance to prove himself on hills. 

Oops, forgot the picture of the slope

Yep, closed up

He wasn't a fan of the incline (go figure) but he really wasn't a fan of all the uneven pavers. During Idaho winters we sometimes get frost heaves when the roadway buckles, bulges, or dips from the freezing weather. Here the roads themselves seemed to be smooth but when it came to the sidewalks, watch out. The changes in the pavers made the scooter go up, down, and sideways. 

What a rollercoaster of a workout to keep control

Thankfully there were other areas to explore. The marina had wooden walkways and pavers in better shape  and certainly the scenery made up for the bump-bump-bump my bum bum felt there.

I watched people hike this mountain. Wow.

There were several pieces of art made from trash found along the coastline. 

Trolls are big in Norway.

I even discovered other objects decorating spaces.

I stopped for a treat...

before I made my way back to the ship.

It was a beautiful day for exploring. I'll be back here again in August and based on today's little jaunt I've already made my plans for then.

Tomorrow a sea day then off to Gravdal in the Lofoten Islands. See you then!