THIS IS OUR SECOND NORWAY CRUISE—it’s really the only affordable way to see Europe’s most expensive country. Our first two ports-of-call were nothing special. Haugesund, once a mainstay of the herring fishing fleet, now makes its living from North Sea oil. Its major business builds and services the oil rig platforms. A few buildings from the 19th Century make it worth a look-see but it isn’t anything to write home about.
Haugesund, without the herring
A rainy day in Olden
The Carnival Pride cruise ship beat us to the pier in Olden so we had to anchor in the fjord and “tender” to shore. Connie and I waited until all those with paid excursions had gotten off, hoping that the weather would clear. While some of our shipmates paddled kayaks around the harbor, the big thrill in Olden for most of the passengers was a $175 bus ride around the glaciers outside of town. Having hiked and crampon’d across glaciers in New Zealand, Alaska, Antarctica and Canada, we opted for a free walk around town instead. Everything was so picturesque, like a rainy Switzerland, with weathered houses, colorful flowers, rushing streams, seasonal waterfalls and snow-covered mountains as a backdrop.
The White Church, Olden
The Red Church, Olden
Leaving the Carnival Pride in our wake
Island Princess had the Pride blocked so we got a head-start through the fjord out to sea. The scenery changed minute by minute as the “borrowed” pilot cork-screwed us through the twisty fjord with the Carnival ship in our wake. Every view looked better than the last and few of the photos will make the final cut.
