Reise til Norge - Day 3 - Stavanger

It was a beautiful morning as we arrived at Stavanger but, unfortunately, it did not last anything like as long as in the forecast delivered by the deputy Captain. Stavanger is about the sea and there is plenty of marine interest on the approaches and in the surrounding areas including what I took to be an oil rig under construction. I later decided it was lying across a barge and wished I knew more. Certainly the industry support vessels are in evidence. There are ships galore for the relevant groups on Flickr but my eye was caught by what was on a ship in the neck of the harbour. The motor yacht ‘Ice’ with Cayman Islands registry had a New Zealand registered (ZK-HLH) Eurocopter EC135 on board. She is a charter yacht so I don’t know that it was anyone well known visiting – as the truly wealthy are often anonymous – but I can be fairly sure that they have more money than I do. At this point I should be able to insert a picture of the helicopter (which I have posted on FB) but that is just one function of Blogger which has inexplicably degraded. When I first noticed toolbar accessible functions locking off, I Googled (ironically enough) and found that others have the same problem(s), so I don’t feel quite so aggrieved. I can only assume it is to do with the combination of Blogger and one or more of IE9, AOL or Windows. It all means that I am quite likely after this vacation to have to take a short break and then, once again, find a new home for my blog. I might even have to start my own website, a prospect which quite frightens me and about which I understand less than 1% of what I probably should.


I felt that Norway’s fourth largest town was waking a little slowly and discovered that 10am is a common opening time. However, it was also a public holiday and many places did not open at all. Cruise schedules cannot easily avoid the many different holidays around the world but this has happened before and I think there should be more onus on the cruise company to let you know, certainly on arrival, given the extent to which they sell the virtues of a destination. We had determined that we could stay within a very walkable radius of our mooring. I did not need a scenic tour as I figure our three days of fjord cruising will cover that. The helicopter took up some of my time in the port area as they were moving it and looked as though they might be preparing it for flight although that did not materialise.

It was still well before 10am but a bank of grey cloud was moving steadily in and that was an end to the sunshine and a change of lighting for our photography. There is a pleasant lake park, Breiavatnet, with a fountain and we circumnavigated this to the station. I can only wonder what Stavanger station might once have looked like because, today, it is a bit like Birmingham New Street or Euston albeit on a much smaller scale. Most of the track away from the concourse end is hidden gloomily beneath the expanse of a concrete roof. There appear to be frequent trains though the 1033 to Oslo did not seem to have attracted a huge crowd – perhaps people fly? There are sculptures everywhere but not all are especially photogenic and some have been vandalised. It would appear that social evils are here as everywhere as there is also a noticeable litter problem. The Old Town, Gamle Stavanger, seems to me a little fraudulent. The original houses might well be ‘old’ but they are sensibly protected from the region’s winter by double glazing. I am not sure that they do Grade II listed buildings in Old Stavanger. The depth of the harbour waters must be impressive as Oceana was moored at town centre quayside.

We sought the opportunity to use free internet first at Burger King then Stavanger Museum. At the burger joint where otherwise familiar burgers were TWICE the price of England we were politely told that ‘free’ internet was only for those who had purchased meals. At up to ten pounds for a sandwich I think I would also want a campaign medal. Meanwhile, the canny crew members were arrayed on public benches outside with their laptops open. It is a poignant sight because the seamen, many Filipino, are away for long periods with few precious opportunities to contact friends and family. The museum was a friendly place and, unusually, had a secure network. I started my Flickr uploads but was not comfortable without doing the meticulous research (for my notes) and had a beastly headache which curtailed my efforts and made me feel faint as we rejoined the ship.
Perhaps because of the holiday restaurant closures, the ship was not as quiet as it might have been on a port day and lunch was a bit crowded. At this point, I would record that there may well be as many sticks, crutches and wheels on board as legs but then my cousin would find me even more (potentially) rude and intolerant so I shall put this in hidden text [I wonder if it will work]....No? Oh dear. Whatever one’s level of social benevolence, this is one of the older cruises we have been on and has a clientele who perhaps do not mind the relentlessly British food. It remains adequate and often tasty but poorly presented and appears in poorly crafted menus – meaning, for example, you wonder exactly how the vegetables on offer would actually go with the main courses.

Afternoon rain was limited; afternoon sleep fought off my near-migrainous headache and the cloud retreated to medium levels. Small Stavanger is going to make Flåm and Olden look tiny but the stop was a good one and I am anxious to get the time to process and upload my photographs to show that. As we sailed away some rain fell, enough to drive us from the deck. From the restaurant a solitary wind turbine and, later, a strange fluorescent marker (a wreck perhaps) caught the eye. Dinner was fine and I tried the ‘Regional Dish’ which was tasty. We went to the show again and it really was very good. ‘Stop In The Name Of Love’, was Motown themed and cleverly put together in ‘Mamma Mia’ style. The energy of the dancers who perform most nights of the cruise and rehearse is unbelievable. The show was highly escapist and is absorbing enough to blot out any worries from outside. Now as we transit misty seas, I am looking forward to two train rides tomorrow.