9 September 2023

One of us woke earlier and headed outside to test the conditions. It was a little breezy at the pointy end.

Not long after, the fog rolled in and the scenic viewing was severely reduced. In all our planning, we had considered heat, cold, rain, wind and snow. I forgot about the most obvious really. Fog!!! Fortunately, it was only light and lifted within an hour or so. Back to scenery stalking.

All three of us had booked into excursions today. Emily and I signed up for a walking tour of Trondheim , while Grahame braved the Nidelva River, flowing through the town, in a kayak.

Em and I headed off with Rosanna, an Italian lady, living in Norway, and fluent in several languages. Fortunately for us, the tour was conducted in English. Talk about feeling inadequate!!

Trondheim, like the other cities we’ve visited, has those wonderful timbered warehouses lining the river. And yep, they’ve been burned down, once or twice in its history.

One of Trondheim’s claims to fame is it’s Rockheim. The National Museum for Popular Music! The building was an old converted warehouse with a pretty amazing roofline. Our view was impressive, but on various occasions it is lit up to acknowledge special events, making even more photogenic.

We ventured further into the city to view Stiftsgården, a Royal Palace which had an interesting history before being handed over to the Royal Family. The original building was commissioned by a bit of “party girl” to entertain her friends and local socialites. The top floor was built with a 15 inch gap between it and the ceiling of the bottom floor. Apparently this was to stop the chandeliers from rattling downstairs when there was dancing upstairs!! Must remember that, the next time I build a new residence!

Trondheim is home to the imposing Nidaros Cathedral. It is built over the burial site of King Olav II (c. 995-1030) who became the Patron Saint of Norway.

Inside was, as many Cathedrals are, breathtaking, to say the least. We tip toed around snapping pics and admiring its beauty while a service was in progress. It was a special treat to hear the hymns echoing through the building.

Trondheim is celebrating Pride this week and was setting up for a service in the Cathedral. We could hear the Parade approaching, but as we were on a tight schedule, we had to leave before the service began.

Fun fact: High up on top of the spire is a statue of the Archangel Michael. Due to harsh weather conditions, he occasionally needs replacing and updating. “According to the [most recent] sculptor, the archangel’s face is modelled on Bob Dylan, who at the time was a leading voice in the movement against nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War.” ( Google) The artist was a fan!

From here, we visited the Gamle Bybro (Old Town Bridge) also known as Lykkens Portal (The Gate of Happiness). It was once a toll bridge dividing the residential area from the wharves. Rumour has it that if couples kiss under the arches , their relationship will last forever! Our Hurtigruten Expedition Leader informed us, last night, that he tried it out and he can categorically state that it does not work.

Em and I didn’t kiss, but so far our aunt /niece relationship is still going strong. (Mind you, I haven’t consulted Em in order to confirm this! )

It was time to hightail it back to MS Polarlys before she set sail to the next port. We made it with five minutes to spare. Grahame wasn’t so lucky!!!

A taxi was organised through Hurtigruten to take the Kayaking group up the Nidelva River, in order for them to kayak back down to the harbour.

They had an easy paddle, aided by a gentle flowing river, through forests, posh houses, past the University Students Colour run (in support of Pride) and finally back into town.

He passed under “The Gate of Happiness” without kissing his wife. Maybe that’s why he chose to do this excursion rather than the one with me. Just saying!

Everything was going smoothly up until the end . There was a large group entering the river at the kayak wharf causing a kayak-jam of sorts. Grahame’s group had to wait until the they had all entered the river, wasting valuable minutes and the clock was a-ticking.

Panic stations!!! The group leader rang Polarlys, warning of the delay. The taxi driver helped drag the boats out of the water, then quickly herded his group into the car and sped back to the boat with minus five minutes to spare. They made it back two minutes before the extended deadline. The ship would have gone without them.

Relieved to see my husband again, we settled back down to a relaxing afternoon on the sea.

I found us another cute little light house. This is Kjeungskjær Lighthouse located on a tiny island 3.5 km from Uthaug. “Prior to being automated, (1987) the lighthouse keeper and his family lived on the lower floors of the building.” (Google). And before anyone asks, I’ve researched it and I can’t find any information on rental possibilities!!

Shortly after, we were summoned to the back deck. The chef had sourced a whole pile of mussels earlier in the day from one of the little villages. He’d cooked them up and was doling them out by the paper cup full. So, so fresh and absolutely divine. I had two cup fulls. And an Aperol or two to wash them down.

So much excitement in one day!! The Captain now had a bit of work to do. He had to negotiate our ship down this very narrow strait and fit us under this bridge up ahead. He reckoned our clearance was going to be two metres, which isn’t much, methinks. What if the tide was in or recent rains had swelled the Fjord? What if he didn’t do a tight enough turn to get us through the pinch point???

We held our collective breaths as we squeezed up the narrow opening and sailed smoothly under. No worries!!

A girl can only deal with so much stress in one day. A comfy chair in a warm sunny spot, a belly full of mussels and a nice summer drink put the finishing touches on an exhausting day.

Dinner was pretty good too!!

It’s going to be an exciting day tomorrow. Stay tuned.