SLSD

Tromso, Norway has an easily accessible "old town" which is a very easy walk from the pier where Ovation docks. I would say it is less than two blocks away. There is a beautiful church in this area that you can easily find. It is the Tromso Cathedral which was built in Gothic Revival style in 1861. The cathedral is painted a pale yellow and is well worth a visit inside. Directly across the street (on the side) from the church is the restaurant where Mr. SLSD and I had lunch. It is called Emma's. It is a small wine bar with a short lunch menu. We enjoyed it immensely. It is cozy and small and very pleasant with a great wait staff and chef. We both chose to have pork schnitzel and an excellent glass of Sauvignon Blanc (a real step up from the included ones on the ship). For dessert we each had a piece of house made chocolate with a sprinkling of ground lingonberry. It was memorable.

We've been above the Arctic Circle for several days now and today we were high above Tromso Norway taking in some great views. Note how huge the rock cliff is and how small our Ovation looks down below.

On our tour of the Lofoten Islands yesterday, we stopped off in one village for lunch. As you might imagine, it was a buffet, but I soldiered through and enjoyed it. There was a note from SB that our tour would be up to "local standards" and the same for our restaurant meal. It included such things as fish stew, crab salad, potato salad, deer stew, smoked salmon, baked peppered salmon and chocolate pudding. Don't worry, I didn't try everything, but especially liked the potato salad and both kinds of salmon. The restaurant was very cozy and I like to think somewhat typical of a village restaurant on the water. By the way, we took potluck on our suite and its location. We are on the 9th deck and fairly close to the bow. Fortunately, we have had fairly smooth sailing so far. We are always very satisfied with a basic Veranda suite. I love having six pillows on the bed and the bed suits us perfectly in terms of comfort. Our suite is in excellent condition and has plenty of closet space. The veranda furniture is in excellent condition as well.

Yesterday, we were in the Lofoten Islands. We took a ship's tour--a long one--and were very fortunate to have an excellent and very personable guide. On our tour, in addition to the Viking museum, and dried fish here, there and everywhere, we saw many islands. We went through several tunnels and drove through quite a few villages. I'll include some photos here just to give a flavor of the countryside as well as the design of homes in the villages. It was a great day. We just don't have any complaints about this cruise yet. Today, the internet was down for part of the day--probably due to satellite issues. It's back now and all is well.

I know that some of you are going to be doing the Norway itinerary in July, so I wanted to comment on weather and what type of clothing is needed. Yesterday was quite cool--meaning the temperature hovered in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit. There was also a sprinkle of rain while we were off the ship. We were glad we had layers. So--my advice is to bring a raincoat for sure as well as several layers which will fit under your raincoat. I didn't wear my gloves yesterday, but had them with me and if we had been outside a bit longer, I would have put them on. A warm cap is also advised. I was amazed that some people got off the ship just wearing a sweatshirt or similar lightweight clothing and no raincoat. . I suppose it depends on what you are used to. Perhaps July will be warmer, but we are glad we came with sufficient layers.

We had a great dinner with Mr. and Ms. Bizinsider. It's always fun to meet Cruise Critic contributors in person. I'll post more photos of the Lofoten Islands tomorrow. I just can't stay awake any longer--and tomorrow is another day. We'll be in Tromso.

One of the reasons we enjoy cruising is that we always learn new things. Today, there was a steep learning curve about dried fish. Did you know that dried fish heads are considered a delicacy in some parts of Africa? I certainly didn't. Our guide took us to a rural location where there were racks and racks of cod's heads drying. I was shocked when I saw how many teeth they have. And did you know that fish tongues are a delicacy? Norwegian children are taught from a young age how to cut out fish tongues and adults are not allowed to encroach on the fish tongue business which is considered to be the domain of children. Dried fish are even sold in restaurants. The third picture here was taken of dried fish for sale in a restaurant. Our guide told us that this kind of dried fish can last for 50 years. And the last photo is fish drying on the side of a house.

Today, we were in the port of Svolvaer and did a ship's excursion called The Lofoten Vikings. It was a full day of sightseeing. We usually don't opt for such long excursions, but we really wanted to see the museum associated with the archaeological discovery of a large Viking settlement in the area of the Lofoten Islands. I'll post some photos of the museum and its area first. You'll see a long green field with some large wooden stakes. This is the area where a very large Viking long house was discovered. It is the largest house that has ever been discovered in the Nordic areas. The museum has reconstructed the house as closely as they could imagine it based on findings. It's huge! The artifacts discovered at the site include glass, pottery, parts of weapons, and jewelry.

6:45 works for us. We also dine early. We'll see you there--hopefully you will recognize us. I was paying no attention to who was sitting around us at tea today--so you will have to introduce yourselves.

If you want to meet for dinner at The Restaurant--what time--and you could ask to be seated with the Daniels. Who should we ask to be seated with?

That would be great Herb. Name a time and place and we will meet you there. We would enjoy meeting you and Mary. You must have seen me typing away on my laptop. We are just back to our suite as well as we are wiped out from our long excursion today. Still trying to decide it if it too cold for Earth and Ocean. I think Mr. SLSD may go out and assess.

Right now, we are in the Observation Bar having another leisurely tea--our second of this cruise. I've included a photo of the sweet and savory offerings. It looks like a lot--but somehow we managed. At the same time, we're listening to acoustic guitar with singing, This is just the perfect thing to be doing after a very busy day. Tonight is BBQ ribs night in the Colonnade. We were tempted, but the menus at two other venues are calling our name. We are going to try to brave the weather and go to Earth and Ocean as they are serving one of favorite menu items--slow roasted lamb shanks. The Restaurant is serving rib eye steak, so that is also tempting. It's not that we don't love ribs--we love them--but can have been any day of the week at home. So--it will either be lamb or steak tonight. The second photo is my entree from last night in The Restaurant--grilled shrimp with spinach and risotto. It made for a wonderful meal.

We have enjoyed the lectures on this cruise! There is an excellent Russian specialist , Jennifer Eremeeva, who is giving expansive lectures about the Vikings. We've heard two of them in person and are in the midst of watching the third on TV in our suite. Then, last night, we joined most everyone on the ship for a presentation by Steve Wozniak. He is quite personable. I especially enjoyed his comments on his childhood. His father was an electrical engineer and Steve had an interest in electronic since the age of eight. We look forward to his next two presentations.

We did not have a delay at all last night in the dining room. We DID go to the presentation, then walked down a few fights of stairs to the dining room afterwards. It was exactly the same efficient service as before. It just goes to show that not everyone has the same experience on the same cruise! Perhaps we have been very fortunate, but so far, service has been fabulous in every venue. I'm sorry to hear about your delay.

No saggy baggy jeans on my husband. I think the real issue for some is that this is how dress normally and smart casual does not mean the same thing to them as it does to you and to me. Plain and simple, it's a cultural difference. I like hearing your great report about Venture.

What an excellent lunch we had in The Restaurant. The Restaurant Director confirmed that it was at the beginning of THIS voyage that Seabourn started opening The Restaurant for lunch every day alone with opening for breakfast everyday. I wish the hours were longer, but so pleased that it is open. This is a fleet wide change the director told us. For my appetizer at lunch, I had a grilled eggplant dish that is among the tastiest item I've had so far during this cruise. And for the entree I had a tofu noodle dish that was delectable. The Restaurant is so peaceful at lunch--just the way we like it.

I understand that freshly frozen concept, but I am puzzled that anyone would actually expect truly fresh fish on a ship.

Were you having lunch in The Restaurant? The Restaurant manager there is very hands on and available.

I think you can ask for an included wine list at Seabourn Square, or from the people mentioned above. You might also ask the Restaurant manager. I've seen the lists in the past--so they do exist.

Last night, we dined at Earth and Ocean and the weather was perfect. In addition to great weather, we had a wonderful meal. In fact, we both thought it was the best meal of this cruise so far. I had Wagyu Beef Cheeks and Mr. SLSD had Sea Bass. There was a fabulous appetizer (bread with different spreads), a pasta first course for Mr. SLSD and a caesar salad with tasty anchovies for me. And then there were scrumptious desserts. Mine was a glazed fig concoction and Mr. SLSD's was a bread pudding.

Here are a few more photos from the port of Alesund. There is the advertising sign from a theater, an stone owl motif over a door, the dining room in one of the grander Art Nouveau houses, a flower market on the street, the white Customs House which survived the fire of 1904, a replica of a Viking boat, a well preserved Art Nouveau house built after the 1904 fire, and an Art Nouveau design exterior house decortaton.

I don't know the names of the surrounding mountais, so I am not sure.

Wouldn't it be difficult to store actual fresh fish (never frozen) on the ship? When I buy fresh fresh at our local grocery store, I usually cook it on the day I buy it--and at the very latest, the next day. Is it possible to keep fresh fish much longer that that? If there is, please clue me in.

Today, Ovation docked in Alesund Norway at 9am. Mr. SLSD and I took an excursion which focussed on the Art Nouveau architecture in the city. In 1904, Alesund, which had a population of 12,000 burned to the ground. Only one life was lost, but almost the entire town lost their homes. The houses at the time were all wooden and only a few survived. Norwegian architects who had studied in Germany immediately started planning for rebuilding. Art Nouveau was the style at the time and this is what the designed. The city was rebuilt in two years. Not all of the homes built at that time still survive, but many of them do. I've included some photos from today. In one photo, you will see a blue wooden house. It is one of the houses which survived the fire. In another photo, you will see a charming outdoor cafe where Mr. SLSD is enjoying a Hansa beer. We also stopped off at a family owned bakery and purchased a fabulous cookie to share. While there, I photographed their shelves of freshly baked bread. The weather could not have been better today. It was alternately cool (in the high 50 or 60s perhaps) or quite warm. We dressed in layers, but often took off our jackets. It was a good day! Everyone has to be back on board by 10:30pm today.

As I mentioned before, The Restaurant is now open for breakfast and for lunch every day. For those that might be interested, I took photos of the menu at lunch today. There is a classic (always available) menu and a menu with specials of the day.