Day: 1 Date: 3.16.16 Wednesday
Str Cty: Home End Cty: Bergen, NOR via Stockholm
Notes: BY SAS AIR
Left Madison by VanGalder at 2pm ($60 round trip each) and arrived terminal #5 at 5:30 to check in at 6:45 for our 8:45 flight on Scandinavian airlines #667. We sat on the back of the plane and did not take advantage of extra seat for nite sleep. Watched Creed and Steve Job movies and slept a little before breakfast. Landed in Stockholm at 11:15 local and got a wheelchair transport. Caught flight SK899 to Bergen leaving at 12:30 arriving at 1:30.
Day: 2 Date: 3.17.16 Thursday
Str Cty: Bergen Norway Str Mls: Norway Coast
End Cty: on our way north
Landed at 2:00 in Bergen, changed money and caught bus ride for 18$ per. Dropped our luggage at the ship at 3:00, sat til the line ended to check in at 4:30. Safety training then boarded at 6:00, had dinner at 7:30, a community meeting and leaving Bergen dock at 10pm. Our small abode is one step above the bottom grade so we could have a window. Had to sit and wait to go to our room til 6pm, room #346 with two singles and small cabin. We immediately took a nap for an hour. Then shower and buffet dinner with an English couple. This is the fourth group of people we talked with this afternoon and the topic every time went to Donald trump and their fear and trepidation thereof. MS Polarlys --- Year built 1996 ShipyardUlstein Mek. Verk (refurbished and this was its first 22 day round trip); Passenger capacity 619/Beds 471/Cars 35/Gross tonnage 11341/Length 123 m/Beam 19,2 m/Speed 15 knots. We toured the gym and then sat in the observation deck behind huge windows watching Bergen disappear and the channel markers leading us out. However, we could not figure out the light pattern which according to international rules is green-right-return, keeping green to left on the way out which we did not do consistently. We had one stop at 4am...sleeping!
Day. : 3 Date. : 3.18.16 Friday
Str Cty : see itinerary on page 7.. 3am
IU won 99-57, 1 down, now Kentucky Saturday. Up at 8 but too tired to go to the gym.. Off to breakfast and 11 workout. Overcast and misty today, making the coast indistinct in the spotty fog until the sun was found in Alesund. We are at 62NORD. I sat on the quay dock and talked with two young fishing boathand brothers, learning about their work at sea and life at home, and shared contact info with them. To get history and architectural introduction. Marnie took a walking tour of Alesund, voted the most beautiful city in Norway, as after a fire burned the town down (1905) it rebuilt in the Art Deco style. This is the city where my bike stopped in'12 and I stayed here for three days and toured the whole area on a borrowed bike. I worked out at 11 in the gym- walk, row, bike, floor....and Marnie exercised after returning at 3 ( while R napped). Assigned seats for our 7:30 dinner hour - guess what.. We were assigned seating with a mid-aged, American couple with a 18 month old and a 17 year old from Omaha... Read til 3:40 am because of anger over seating and because of lots of evening coffee.
Day: 4 Date: Saturday 3.19
Str Cty: Trondheim and the Arctic
Up at 6 looking for dining manager and to eat small breakfast of fruit and yogurt. By 8am we got our time to eat changed to an hour earlier and with Europeans. Finally, we got some heat in our cabin and it is more comfortable. I went back to bed at 8:30 and slept til 10:45. Then to the gym where I finally figured out how to translate from kms to miles.. walked, rowed and biked for over an hour. I talked to two post high school kids from a sports school coming home in the north for spring break. Rained the whole time in Trondheim (6am to noon), then to sea. Dinner earlier at a new table with great conversation. We walked on the outside walking deck for 1/2 mile in winter conditions. Read my Norway book about homesteading in the Dakota Territory. When the IU game came on we could stream the play by play...becoming very excited and apprehensive near the end... great elation as IU win over Kentucky 73-67... To sleep...as we are at another harbor for a 15 minute mail, passenger, and goods stop.
Day: 5 Date: Sunday 3.20.16
Str Cty: Boda and many fjords
Up late, awake at 8:30, breakfast and rest session, and to 10am crossing the Arctic circle celebration- 66.33 degrees north. At 1am it was snowing and above the Arctic Circle there was 4+ inches of snow. This area is not as forlorn as one would expect- in fact small houses and fishing buildings dot the shores of the fjords wherever a small valley and flat land are available. We watched the Arctic Circle crossing celebration and then went to 1+ hour workout while in Boda. After workout we showered, shaved, read, and had a great nap. By 5 the skies cleared for bright sunshine. We have been surprised how rugged the coast areas are as we did not experience these kinds of conditions on our bikes in '05. The clear skies led to mild aurora borealis over Svolvaer (capital of the Lofoten Islands) while walking a 1/2 mile on very icy deck. It is still full winter here and we need heavy clothes to be outside. Read to sleep - Pre Hans frozen to death as result of his wife and dying friend's desire for him to go for a minister on skis in a blizzard.
Day: 6 Date: Monday 3.21.16
Str Cty: awoke in Harstad and moving north...
Set off north thru snow-covered wilderness and big, rugged mountains in below freezing temps ... Few signs of winter life with a few summer cabins. However everywhere appears to be connected by roads, bridges and tunnels. We were told they tried to connect all outlying areas so people did not overly migrate to the cities for sustenance and convenience. Into ice in the fjord. Workout and by 1:00 we were in huge mountains so big and rough as to not have trees. Nap 3-6 and then dinner. Sat and read in evening and took a deck walk. Tired ... A lot of people went dog sledding and touring and we think they get their excitement by something organized for them rather than like us... making adventures. Overall this trip is not very adventurous, just relaxed satisfaction...we are not sightseers.
Day: 7 Date: Tuesday 3.22.16
Str Cty: Honningsvag and Nordkapp 71.16 degrees Nord
We shall be the furtherest north today...we were here in 2005 by bike, hard to imagine having done so. Boring just sailing along, but very relaxing and demotivating. Best part is post workout (biking, rowing and walking for 1+ hours), having the feeling of accomplishment. Snow everywhere with sense of deeper winter - feet of snow now and ice in the water, but out of the most rugged mountains! No trees anymore.. In to Honningsvag by noon for a walk around and shop souvenirs. 70.98 degrees north... Tides of 3 meters... We shopped the streets of Honningvag and talked with the locals about why they live there... Back to the boat for Marnie's workout and a nap. I met and talked about forensic work with a nice British couple. Interestingly three people asked me about Route 66 - they had no idea it did not exist and where it used to go is pretty bland. Ate crab til it came out of our ears, talked with Brits, and into bed dead asleep. Overnite we stopped in Mehamn (where we have stayed) was 71 Nord and Nordkapp 71.16...
Day: 8 Date: Wednesday 3.23.16
Str Cty: Kirkenes, Norway ...top of the trip.. Turning around... 69 nord
Awoke to a different terrain - low rolling rocks and moss with no trees. Up and went into Kirkenes by bus for a 3 hour walk. Thot I deserved lunch so I overate since I have not been eating at noon. Read until exhausted and went for 1 hour nap when we were invited to the bridge for a tour. Later in the day and at the next port a small group of us were taken to the bridge. Tons of electronics and way beyond what I've seen in Polish, Patagonian, military, and New Zealand ships. This ship has three thrusters: two up front and a 360 prop rotator in the aft. She sails at 13-18 knots depending on the place in the time schedule...very punctual. The pilot house was just refurbished with all the latest nav and control equipment. Worked out except walking cuz of town and got clean clothes for dinner at 6:30 (our assigned time).
We lived on the 3rd deck ....the bottom passenger deck and just above the staff deck -- the least posh and the most noisy from the engines. The true tourists and expensive rooms are decks 5&6 with double beds and TVs. We have two comfortable singles, a desk and a bathroom/shower. We have open breakfast times, two shifts for lunch and 8 seatings for dinner with assigned seating. Great and fun staff. Rather good food with reindeer last eve and King crab the nite before. You do not choose who you sit with so little variety- we have upper British dinner people we enjoy. Everyday there are all kinds of activities and tours one pays for in addition to the cruise fee. Non-adventurist (organized activities for them) take snowmobile trips, dog sled tours, rides to the Russian border, but we make our own free excursions to town to walk to see and talk to the local people. We go to the gym, daily. 69 miles per degree of latitude... We are now the only Americans on the ship, as Omaha family left to fly home. We have slept very well but I am increasing in pain, knees and lumbar, and less ambulatory than usual, started Aleve.
Day: 9 Date: Thursday 3.24.16
Str Cty: moving South .... Hammerfest midday... 70.39 nord
Awoke to rough seas in exposed area and heavy snow... Overcast and looking very cold. Into Havoysund and the snow is 24 inches on the dock. We spent all day in the port side 4th deck cafe, now on the land side of the ship. We missed some attractions we might have attended but we only feel remorse after having not planned and going on the activity- Now I would have liked to snowmobile and dogsled, mostly to see the land and infrastructure of the Arctic areas. It is not the matter of the cost, but of comfort and motivation. Fashion show by staff at 10:30 pm to show and sell clothes from the ships store.
Day: 10 Date: Friday 3.25.16
Str Cty: Harstad - 68 nord
We are back in forest but still in snow in the Lofoten islands. We are getting close to the Arctic Circle. Trip to the engine room today. This trip and it's many activities are well planned and organized. The unfortunate part is we cannot mix more at meals to spend greater time with different folks. Favorites are the dancer and her clothes, Danish guy with whom I can't talk, Cardwells, blondy- Amanda, Ballen, skinny chef, Suzann, and etc. Now passing a church built in 1250... Watched a road along the forlorn coast and it disappeared into a mountain for one k and then reemerged before the next level area and a town. 10 hrs to the circle at 14 knots with 110 k/degree. We passed the cod drying racks again (a poor picture, but nice re-memory). Norwegian Sea / North Sea at 51 Nord... Workout very early, walked in heavy snow on deck, napped, and dinner and read much today.
Day: 11 Date: Saturday 3.26.16
Str Cty: Boda 67 Nord ...Arctic Circle today
IU lost in a good effort.. we followed the box score/pbp at 3am. Slept less well last nite. Nothing much to look forward to today. Amanda with part of the crew leaves tomorrow in Trondheim and we shall depart the day after. After the city tour we will be at a hotel...just learned city tour was cancelled, however. South on Arctic Circle at 9am. Tour of the engine room postponed til today. Worked out and read before tour. Feel the best of the whole trip. Went on engine room tour with master of the power... 4-9 cylinder engines, 20k liters of diesel, 40k liters of water/sewage, auto control from the bridge with prepackaged programs for use of/caring for/ needs for the 4 engines, two types of gears for each engine, rotary prop rear thruster, water heaters, prop feathering, and shop for maintenance. Bergen has the engine makers so it is easy to get parts and repair at the end of each trip. Good lunch and talked with Cardwells all afternoon. Get told off for talking with Danish hog farmer living on an island.
Day: 12 Date: Sunday 3.27.16
Str Cty: Trondheim and a city tour. Happy Easter
Poor sleep after reading very late. Leaving at 8 for city tour for two hours. Gave the two kids- Beth and Amanda - money for America, doubting we shall see them again. The hotel-casino is closed for Easter. Thru the Lutheran cathedral with hat... Our tour around Bergen for tomorrow has been canceled due to a lack of participation. Read the remainder of Salem Falls and it resolved the way I'd hoped. Went for 45 min work out, shower and computing. Nothing much but relaxing and tired today. Dinner was free and we sat and talked with the English for evenings entertainme
... Did not sleep well.. Dreaming and bad seas..this boat lists badly on turns and rocks in quarting seas.
Day: 13 Date: Monday 3.28.16
Str Cty: Bergen
Up at 7 to pack (vacate cabin by 9), pastry and coffee. Stowed the bags at the lift at 9 am, waiting out the last 4.5 hours in the cafe reading and writing. Rain and a grey sky. OH, BY THE WAY...WE DID NOT HAVE TELEVISION (the 5th and 6th floor rooms did) and we have not seen TV for two weeks....wow!!... That has not happened since living on Kelzie's School. They did a minimal straightening of our room daily and once in awhile exchanged towels. Assigned seating at lunch and dinner got boring..tho we liked the assigned table mates. Did more than 3000 miles in 11 days to 50 harbors on the MS Polarlys at between 13-18 knots. Shuttled to the Clarion hotel, room 309, by 4 PM. Went for a drizzling walk and ate fruit for dinner in room while watching a Tattoo from Edinboro. Slept well.
Day: 14 Date: Tuesday 3.29.16
Str Cty: train to Oslo Up at 6, 6:30 breakfast, taxi to train station at 7, loaded train at 7:30, and left at 8. Breakfast was massive with over- abundance of food types. The train over the mountains to Oslo goes thru 182 tunnels, longest is 10.3k. We passed thru Voss and by the hotel I stayed in '12. Up higher in the mountains, thru valleys and into the snow - very deep snow and snowbound cabins to which the inhabitants must ski. Junction with the Flam railroad. As we passed over the top it got more white and no trees. Snow to the top of the houses and no one home in this environ at 4000' and 6.4 mile tunnel. Interesting country. The train goes up to 70 mph even in this dramatic weather on great rail bed in rugged mountains. Finally, we passed thru an area of downhill skiing at 2.5k'. Into Oslo at 2:45 PM followed by a difficult walk to the Clarion hotel. So far plans have worked as prescribed. Went to info to find a city tour but none worked with our schedule, so we walked a couple of blocks to McDonalds and gorged, for which I needed rolaids. Slept from 5 til 8 and then prepped for tomorrow.
Day: 15 Date: Wednesday 3.30.16
Str Cty: to Lisbon by plane
Left at 10:30 to walk to the 11:30 airport bus, arrived at the airport at 12:30, to checkin at 1:05, for 2:05 flight on TAP - Portugal Airlines. Up at 7:30, shower-shave, breakfast-read. The workers here and in the service industry of Norway do not look Scandinavian, and we saw an unusual number of Muslims. Oslo is a beautiful and interesting city, but it does not show itself best without green... Like it did when we were here in '05 to fix Marnie's moto - Rain and grey do not help. At the airport early and relaxed here to avoid rushing. Bought great chocolate bars. Fly at 14:05 on TAP 761. Got a pusher for me and went to car rental... many add-on things to pay for to jack up the cost, like toll pass option, no insurance for Spain, etc. got the car and pulled into rush hour traffic to the west and outside LISBOA to HIx. Ate delivered pizza/salad for dinner - ordering done by the staff (due to language) who are very nice. My stomach fought all nite and I did not sleep restfully.
Day: 16 Date: Thursday 3.31.16
Str Cty: Lisbon Paodia by car
start miles: 17863 Miles: 230 miles
Up at 6:30 with gippy tummy... Breakfast and left at 8 with diluted expresso. 20 miles to Sintra and up the mountain to the Moorish castle and village area, settled in 14th C by Muslims. Removed later. 40 miles to Batahla to see the tomb of Prince Henry the Navigator in the national cathedral. Henry died before the advent of the GPS in 1460. 30 miles on to Tomar where the Knights Templar had their castle and training area before leaving for the crusades. Then 90 miles on fast road before turning into the mountains going over 3200' on increasingly smaller and winding roads to Piodao. Checked into the Inatel. In Piodao we walked the church and hillside village of 60 inhabitants made totally of stone. Then we drove to several other valley and hillside villages for a look-see at the terracing, ancient stone walls, and unique housing. It is spring throughout Portugal and beautifully green except for a few higher mountains. There were thousands of electric generating fans on the very top of every range of mountains..thousands all turned by Atlantic air. I was the only person in '12 and thought it was a forgotten place, but it is full of people and a tourist attraction today. I was here shortly after a fire had burned of the hills and maybe that kept the tourists away. Met Alexandra Dias at the desk. Swam for a soak. Smorgasbord dinner at 7 and one meat was goat which we did not know until after eating (otherwise we might have been sensitive). There is to be a 25K and 50 k trail run race here Sunday...and several runner are already here. We have a Hyundai small car which drives very well. Slept with the window open for fresh mountain Air... We are in nice spring weather now.
Day: 17 Date: Friday 4.1.16
Str Cty: Piodao start Ks: 18546
Miles 200 End Cty Tourem
The forests in Portugal are either eucalyptus or pine and most are factory forests. The Inatel with breakfast - cost 74E for b&b and dinner for two was 23E. = hotel. Fuel 1.38 E/liter - fill up = 49+ E. Up at 7 for 8 breakfast and off at 9. Drove 200 miles north, stopping in Viseu and Vila Real for looking and shopping. Spent a great amount on toll A roads (but only $25 for all, a surprise when we turned the car in). Arrived to tour Piteous and then to Tourem / Casa dos Bragnacas about 2:30. After a joyous reunion we negotiated our stay - 55E for room and breakfast and dinner with family at 8 in the evening. I spent the rest of the afternoon with grandfather and uncle who took me to work on vehicles with dad and Marcio, who were working on grandfather's tractor. We met Tania's boyfriend, Daniel, who was fixing the lights on the school bus. Snowed here yesterday and was warm in the sun but cold in the evening. As I was working in the courtyard the cattle bells started ringing to indicate returning to pasture after milking. They walk thru the streets to unfenced pastures. Family dinner of pork followed by family around the fireplace - Tania, Marcio, Fernando, Elisa Carvalho, grand mother Lucilia, and boyfriend Daniel.
Day: 18 Date: Saturday 4.2.16
Str Cty: a day in Tourem miles 20
Touring the towns after 9 up and breakfast. Drove all the winding, undulating streets of Tourem before going to the countryside, Spanish communities within 4 miles, and to Pitoes da Junias. The streets in these villages are where the houses aren't, thus very narrow and walled originally sized for walking and animal drawn vehicles. While in Pitoes we saw 2 men with bakery box and without language were given a look and required to each have a pastry. We were stopped several times by herds of cows transiting thru the village streets to pastures. The cobbled streets are narrow and developed originally for the cattle herds, animal-drawn carts and small autos, with no walkway and abutted by granite-constructed buildings. There is little fencing except for small rock walls. An unattended flock of sheep with a dog found and stayed in their field only surrounded by low rocks. Collecting basins for water are common. We watched a stork nest and family but could not get a good picture. Saw several persons fishing in the lake. Tourem is at 2500' and we had to go over a very rocky 4200' in the 6 miles between the towns. Back by 1:00 for a nap. Questions: haying now...feed for cattle. Plaque of Red square with white circle? Hunting limited to club, restrict hunting area... Cutting trees on road west? Grow better. Rain started in the late afternoon and continued all nite. This is the only place we have not been asked about Trump. We had an afternoon nap while the women of the extend family and friends made special dinner bread loaves with meat/cheese over a wood fire - 7 dozen eggs, 24#s of flour, and other secrets ingredients. This is a special meal around which the families get together. After a nap and the baking was complete everyone gathered in the central room with fireplace. We ate the breads with meat and cheese baked into them, drank wine, and Marcio, an untrained but accomplished accordion player, played for 2 hours while many danced. The men, all at one end of the table, argued politics until I told them they could not argue unless they held hands...many around the table grasped each other and laughed like wow! We also had soup, tho others didn't and we did not understand why. Sleeping at mid nite.
Day: 19 Date: Sunday 4.3.16
Str Cty: Tourem 71 miles around the area over the two days touring
Tourem is in a national park and limited in development - hunting is allowed and wild horses roam the area. Now we know what it is like to live in a late Middle Ages castle with only fireplace heat, tho we had many more heat sources and comforts. Went to 10 am church in a building built in 1777 and toured a house on the way back built in 1776...of course we could not understand a word spoken in Portuguese of the itinerate priest (or "holy father" as the natives call him) ...but the intent was there. We knew several people from the party last nite. Instead of shaking hands to greet each other during the service they do the traditional double cheek kiss. Now for a countryside trip... Holy father then made a visit to each home in the village to make a blessing... Marcio carried the cross to be kissed..and collecting money from each house. The family prepared a small table alter in prep for visit... Tania and Daniel left to return to LISBOA and their jobs- nurse and delivery truck driver. Now for a tour...to Montalegre to get payment for Casa and buy pastries (blah!), ride around a well ordered, non-agri town, and out into the mountains with an ancient walled castle at the highest point in the city. Also this city is the center of the bull pushing contests, where field bulls touch heads and see which one can push the other backwards- the town has a nice statute to this activity. Back at Tourem we napped and then joined family for a traditional cod dinner. Rained off and on all day. Total Casa cost was 250 euros.
Str Cty: leaving Tourem for Marvao...
Miles start: 18658/ 790 miles total/ 289 miles today..
Time to leave Tourem... Worst nite of sleep in a long time, pain and thinking. Marcio and Fernando were off to school in Montalegre- dad is the bus man and there are 3 kids from Tourem in school 17 miles away on small winding roads..trips back to bring them home in afternoon. The roads in the north are narrow and winding but after getting to Chaves and the A roads the infrastructure of Portugal is excellent and maintained. 75% of the land we have seen is overall scrub and unproductive.....except for olives, grapes, minimal grazing, and cork trees. We drove back roads to Chaves to catch A24. South to Viseo to catch A25 toward Spain. South of Guarda we saw many cork trees (now black from last year's harvest- when they would have been bright red-brown) and many stork colonies nesting in trees. On back hill roads we got to Marvao, only getting trapped by the GPS in a town. One goes up and up til the fort walls appear and then enters thru a tight barbican. The roads are much smaller then elsewhere and are very steep. We drove the very, very narrow streets and at one point were blocked by a truck and lost our way. Eventually we happened on the hotel we were looking for... El Rei Dom Manuel, a hotel with a parking place, a restaurant, and a magnificent view when the rain stopped and the clouds receded. It gives a surround view of the plains far below. Marvao is a castle town high on a large hill placed to repel Spanish invasions of Portugal in the late Middle Ages. Dinner is 7:30 of omelette and salad. After dark we could see the lights of the villages far below and into Spain. Rained all the 280 plus miles, the first 200 of which were in mountainous terrain on A road (toll).
Day: 21 Date: Tuesday 4.5.16
Str Cty: to LISBOA 280 miles start 19121. / today 180 miles
Breakfast at 8 and leaving for LISBOA at 9 thru the barbican. We saw many cork trees, they are a variety of oak. We drove leisurely back to LISBOA and then went to the airport to confirm a wheelchair tomorrow then the city center and old town area where we saw many places and monuments we had visited in '03.. To HIx by 1 pm. Went for gas, packed for the trip home, read, edited, ate pizza/salad and got ready for bed.
Day: 22 Date: Monday 4.6.16
Str Cty: toward home all day. Total miles: 957 miles driven/15236K
Up at 6, 6:30 breakfast, 7:00 to return car.... Cracked windshield for 586 euros..or $665 for replacement. Wheelchair to gate 3 hours early to fly at 11 to London Heathrow. Load for London on time.. Rest in London for 3 hours. Heathrow is a screwed up place...no wheel chairs..two buses and no cart to get us to the gate..one block walk..went thru the expedited line cuz pissed.. Followed a wheel chair person being pushed on to beat the line.. Seat and exhausted, at least one the last leg. Watched three movies- the Big Short, Concussion, and Spotlight. Paul picked us up at park and ride at 11:30 and we were in bed by midnite.
