crusinbanjo

Sorry about the interruption, but as I was updating this blog, an impromptu sail away party erupted on deck 9 outside of the Panorama Lounge. Now where was I….oh yes. From the top of the”mountain”, (read large hill), Mrs Banjo and I Started down the hard packed gravel path back to the city center. The walk down, although a little steep is some areas was a beautiful 2.6 kilometer walk through the alpine forest. Once back to civilization, the rest of the walk down was mostly on stairs, winding down past many interesting and historic,(I’m sure), wooden houses. when we reached the bottom, back to where we started, we started winding through some back streets until we were completely lost, admiring the old houses and shops. The map we were given wasn’t much help, as there are no street names printed on it. So, we were VERY LOST! Luckily, I spotted a postman who told us we were not where we thought we were and pointed us in the right direction to find our way back to the Fish Market and the Old wooden buildings at the top of the harbor. From there, getting back was a long walk, but pretty easy….weheuuuj, made it back to the ship. the sail away from Bergen was as fabulous as one can imagine, the weather was bright and sunny, but the captain has told us the crossing later tonight and tomorrow will be quite rough with 12+ ft seas and winds with 50+mph gusts. He has not said yet, but likely the outside decks will be closed. So the cruise will end, with rough seas, kind of how we began. Overall, a really good cruise with sun and clear sky’s when needed. I’ll write a full review when I’m home and have time to collect my thoughts. Hope you all enjoyed the commentary, I’ll post more pictures from home as well.

Sail away from Bergen. Today, our last port of call Bergen. Mrs Banjo and I after consulting with the local representative from Bergen and equipped with a very basic map, set off on our own to explore the city. We had been here once before, so the fish market an wood buildings were not the priority for us. Instead, we started the day walking from the ship to the funicular and up to the top we went. Getting tickets was easy with the automated machines, the just follow the floor markings to the cab and zip, on top we were. The view was nice, the city spread out below. It is much bigger than what I expected. Our plan was to walk the 2+mile path back down to the city center, so after a short visit to the WC we started through the Troll Forrest and down the packed gravel path. More later

And from Alta, NL

Wow, that went good so, here is another from the sail away from Flam

Bergen today is lovely, mild temps and sunshine. I’m attempting a photo here and will report more later

Well, I was up pretty early for our 7am arrival in Flam, but at 7am it was still dark, so I could not see the approach through the fiord. Today started out as rain. Those going on tours went out early so by the time Mrs Banjo and I arrived at La Terrazza for breakfast, we were the only passengers there……. Did we get some fantastic service this morning all that staff, just for us!! Haha. Anyway, since we had not planned to take any tours today, after breakfast we grabbed our wet weather gear and umbrellas and off we went. Some of the walking / hiking trails are really good, so off and up the side of the fiord we went. Our hike took us about 5 miles, or so. Some of the hike was in the rain, then it got to just cloudy, then, after lunch the sun came out for a while. When the sun is shining, Flam is the most picturesque stop of the cruise. I never get tired of the scenery here. The captain will shove off at 4pm and, assuming it is not raining, I will be up on deck 11 enjoying the fabulous view of the fiord as we cruise on through. Actually, we set up on deck 9 in the open air section behind the Panorama lounge, under a heater. The sail away from Flam is as beautiful as ever with lots of sun and the fantastic view of the fiord, classic Norway. sorry I can’t post pictures from here, (the internet is pretty slow), but I will post plenty of pics when I get home on Friday. Tomorrow is Bergen then the captain has promised us a nice day, but a rough ride back to Copenhagen…….. we will see how it all progresses.

So, after Alta, a sea day was a little anti climatic, but Mrs Banjo and I survived in good fashion. I have met a few people that recognized me from the pictures and asked if I was going to play the banjo on the ship. The short answer is, “there will be no public performances”. I always say this for 3 reasons, first; although I do play for a number of bands in my home local, I do not consider myself a professional musician, but just an amateur who can hold it together in a group setting. I rarely play as a soloist and on the one time I took out my banjo on a cruise ship, it was a big mistake. The musicians did not appreciate my “stepping on their toes”, (so to speak). So it NEVER COMES OUT, even if I have it on board for my personal pleasure. Anyway, enough about that, we managed to stay happy and rested, getting ready for our short visit to Sortland, on Sunday. Sortland is the town painted blue. Sortland translates into the dark country, so artist Bjorn Elenes convinced the residents to paint the town blue, (mildly interesting story). Mrs Banjo and I decided to take the tour out to Nyksom, a fishing village that was abandoned, in the 1970’s at the request of the government, but is being repopulated and restored by a few brave families. Mainly the tour was a 1+ hour bus ride over the hills through some pretty country side with snow capped mountains along side the fiord, a 5 minute photo stop, 45 minutes to explore the small village, have a raisin roll with brown cheese and coffee, then the hour plus ride back to the ship, with a small diversion into the blue town center. They even have a Burger King, with a drive through. (So exciting haha). Up to deck 11, for a 2 miles walk around the track, then pizza and a glass of wine in Spaccanopli for lunch as the captain cast off and we headed out to sea on this bright sunny, (sometimes snowing), day today is another sea day, tomorrow is Flam, with the fabulous cruise down the fiord, I’ll be up early to enjoy the very scenic ride in.

Alta, what a day! We have had bright sun and chilly temps all day. Mrs Banjo and I took the morning tour to the Alta Museum, it was originally said we could view the ancient rock engravings, (estimated to be more than 6000 yrs old), but because of frost and ice on the path, we were limited to seeing replicas inside the museum. But it was still nice and the view out the back was spectacular with snow covered mountains in the distance. The Norther Lights Cathedral was also included. It is a concrete structure covered in Titanium shingles similar to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain. The overall design is round with a spiraling steeple at the end of the Main Street. It fits in nicely with the look of the very modern town. After an informative presentation about the cathedral’s history and construction by a church staff member we were treated to a video presentation about the auroras of the night sky. After lunch we took the shuttle back to town to do some exploring, the town is really small, but it has a nice inside shopping mall, that was just right for walking, in the “not cold” and just checking out the shops. Before returning to the ship, we enjoyed a hot cocoa with lots and lots of whipped cream on top, (yummy), and a piece of raspberry cheese cake. After skipping dinner, (so much food, you can’t believe), it was off to the Sami reindeer camp for some education about the Sami way of life and a possible sighting of the coveted NL. We dressed in lots of layers but being outside at night in 20F temperatures for over an hour, we were pretty cold. The reindeer were cute and the presentation was interesting and going into a Sami tent with a fire blazing felt really good! Inside we were treated to some really hot coffee, (made a great hand warmer), some story telling and yoking by our host’s wife. It was all quite interesting, but as we went outside to board the busses, the sky’s lit up with a beautiful display of the Aurora. Bright greens and reds. Needless to say, nobody got on the bus. Johnathan Ward, the guest speaker and Astro enthusiast said it was the best display he has ever seen, wow! When the bus finally left the Sami camp, we were all freezing, but immensely satisfied with the display of NL, but the best was still yet to come. As we drove back to the ship, the lights were dancing on the right side of the bus and when we reached the dock the aurora arched through the sky and danced in greens and scarlet red. WOW, again! so after we got back on the ship, it was off to the arts cafe for a hot cup of tea, then off to bed, what a day!

The other day one guy on our cruise came to Atlantide in jeans and what looked like a biker jacket…….. Well, at least he had a jacket on.

The day in Tromso just kept getting better. We docked in the industrial port, (not my favorite), rather than the old port, which allows for walking into the city instead of a shuttle ride, but whatever. The city has changed a lot since the last time Mrs Banjo and I were here, still all was good. The weather improved from broken overcast to bright sun, a refreshing change. Temps, as expected stayed near freezing. We took some time and went up the cable car to the top of “the rock”. Wow, was it cold and windy there, but the bright sun made for good photos. In the evening we took the boat excursion to hunt for Northern Lights. Expectations were low, because of some clouds and previous experience, but near the end of the excursion, NL were spotted. Not the brilliant display seen on many of the photos, but still nice to see and experience. We hope to see more tonight in Alta. Now that I know how to set up the camera for better exposure, my pictures should be better. cruising the approach to Alta at this moment. Bright sunny sky’s, and cold. Hoping this continues!

So, Wednesday turned into a sea day, as the schedule was changed. The captain said there was some safety concerns in Leknes, so we would not be stopping. Sky’s were mostly overcast and the seas generally calm, temps at about the freezing mark, 0c or 32f. mrs Banjo and I spent the day watching the waves, and taking part in some of the daily activities, very relaxing. Dinner was in the SALT restaurant. I must say, the food was good, I particularly liked that the menu is kind of what might be served locally, but the atmosphere is less than what I expected. The restaurant has more a feel of a diner. Maybe that’s the feeling SS has intended, and if so, they succeeded. today we are in Tromso, temps again near freezing, some sun with broken cloud cover, plenty of snow in elevations just above the town. Will report on activities later today. Hoping conditions are good and NLs appear on tonight’s boating excursion.

So, Wednesday turned into a sea day, as the schedule was changed. The captain said there was some safety concerns in Leknes, so we would not be stopping. Sky’s were mostly overcast and the seas generally calm, temps at about the freezing mark, 0c or 32f. mrs Banjo and I spent the day watching the waves, and taking part in some of the daily activities, very relaxing. Dinner was in the SALT restaurant. I must say, the food was good, I particularly liked that the menu is kind of what might be served locally, but the atmosphere is less than what I expected. The restaurant has more a feel of a diner. Maybe that’s the feeling SS has intended, and if so, they succeeded. today we are in Tromso, temps again near freezing, some sun with broken cloud cover, plenty of snow in elevations just above the town. Will report on activities later today. Hoping conditions are good and NLs appear on tonight’s boating excursion.

Thanks! The evening went well, we even saw some lights from the north, but the were just from the city, (HAHA), no NL, but we did get to see a few stars through the clouds!

So the captain was right about Sunday night and Monday morning, it was pretty bumpy, not the roughest I have seen, but a bit uncomfortable walking around the ship. Sunday night the Venetian lounge was filled with the fabulous voice of Sashell Beck who sang from operas including the Phantom and other broadway shows, great performance to end a busy day. I should also say that after returning from Sunday’s hike in Alesund, I was wet from the rain and ready for a hot shower. Unfortunately, the hot water had different plans. So, after a cold shower I ask for somebody to come and fix the problem. ……well, apparently, the water heaters go to sleep during off hours, so unless I wanted to wastes about 20 gallons of water “waking up the system” cold water is what you get. Lesson learned, no showers before 7am or mid day, or after 9pm. Ughh. Monday, sea day, was pretty uneventful, clouds, rain and moderately rough seas. By late afternoon, the seas calmed and we were able to enjoy a nice dinner in Alantide then see the show, (which featured Tian Jiang). Quite good as would be expected. still have not tried some of the restaurants, but over the next few days we intend to try them all. I am particularly interested in the Silver Note, because of the jazz music (of course). Today is Tuesday, we are in Narvic, this port’s only reason for being is to transfer iron ore from the mines in Sweden to ships for transport around the world. It has some interesting history that Mrs Banjo and I have learned. Rather than a tour today, we went walk about and explored the city and the museums on our own. That took most of the morning, afternoon has time for a nap, after putting on a few miles of walking. Tonight, we will be on the cable car tour up the mountain to view northern light, (hoping somebody knows where the switch is to turn them on……haha). There is some sun and high clouds today, so we MIGHT have sky conditions to see the lights, if it occurs. Now going to pick and strum on the banjo, (with the mute on so as to stay quiet), for a while, so More tomorrow!

Yes they were quite helpful, and the hotel is nice and in a fantastic location. We are very glad we selected the Bethel Hotel. I would definitely recommend it.

Sorry for not posting sooner, just getting the Wi-Fi working this morning. Apparently, my VPN was not completely disabled, so I was being shut out of the Wi-Fi. so we were able t board in Copenhagen with no issues, the ship is beautiful, as expected. My first impressions were that the public spaces seem very wide, and feel as I the ceilings are low, (I know they are not, but they feel low), particularly in La Terrazza, and the Venetian show lounge. Also, the ship’s decor is very brown! There are many little things missing from the SS of old, but I guess this is the new reality, luxury cruising ain’t what it was, ( but it is still better than the other lines). we departed on time and have had some bumpy sailing yesterday and today into Alesund. Today in Alesund, the weather is off and on rain with the high temp at 45 F. I chose the hike the mountain, Mrs Banjo elected to stay on board. As we left the pier, it started raining and most of the hike was in the rain, but the views were quite good and there was a bright sunny spot on top of the hill before the rain began again for the trek down. We arrive back on board pretty wet, but it was still enjoyable. Not likely to see an Aurora tonight, maybe tomorrow. we are still getting used to being an such a large SS ship. Previous SS cruises were on the Cloud, Wind and Whisper, so the number of restaurants, and choices are still a bit daunting, but we are managing to find really good food, wine and deserts, so no need to worry about us! 😂 The Captain has said that tonight, will also be a bit bumpy with 10ft swells and winds over 25 knots, I think we will eat dinner earlier and avoid a possible cup or dinner plate sliding off the table. Overall, still really good and looking forward to seeing Narvic on Tuesday.

Arrived in Copenhagen at 6;30 am (local time). We were fortunate enough to get a direct flight from Boston. We are at the Hotel Bethel, right on the canal in old Copenhagen. Arriving at 7:30 am, obviously our room is not ready and we got no sleep on the airplane, but the manager was kind enough to find us a day room so we could sleep a few hours, then off on a sightseeing walk. Weather is some sun, some light rain showers, but not really objectionable. Nice lunch in a local cafe, salmon sandwich yummy. Tomorrow we board the Dawn after more sightseeing later today and tomorrow morning.

Mrs Banjo and i are set to depart today for the October 6 departure on the Dawn, round trip from Copenhagen. Checking the weather, we are leaving in bright sun and warm temps and will be arriving in Copenhagen to clouds and rain, not so good for seeing the lights, but we hope for better weather as we progress. I will report as often as possible on the ship, the IT, weather and activities as often as possible. No matter the weather, we are going to fully enjoy our time o the ship,( our first time on this class ship), so any advice is appreciated. As for the moment, time to fix breakfast and then clean the house before the car service arrives. Very excited!!!

wow, I hope that doesn't disrupt the schedule for our January 5 sailing on Onward!

https://www.donvappie.com http://plinkfloyd.com i don’t think either have gigs in the next few weeks, in fact I think Lee Floyd is touring in Southeast Asia but check out their sites. Both are amazing.

Two jazz banjo players I know well in New Orleans are Lee Floyd and Don Vappie. Completely different styles and both unbelievable musicians. I don’t know how they do it! Yeah, I need to get back there for a visit.

Yes, love the trad jazz. Sadly, I am the baby in most all of the trad jazz bands in my area. Love the music, hate seeing the older jazz musicians passing away.

👀Just missing a banjo 😉

Mrs Banjo and I received our cabin assignment today for the October 6 sailing on the Dawn. We had originally booked a Panorama suite guarantee, “Port to Port” and took advantage of the 20% discount for full payment up front. So today we were upgraded to a superior veranda suite in what I think is a very favorable position on the ship. Yippee, getting very excited!!!