Mr Rumor

Rachel, your mom was indeed a remarkable lady. I enjoyed reading every loving FB post you devoted to her over the last year-plus. I felt I had come to know her through your words and photos.

Roberto, after a quick dinner in Sette Mari, a foray into the boutique to use up as much of our remaining $592 worth of non refundable shipboard credit as possible (we left $1 unspent--Ginny is good at this), and a check-in at comedian Kevin Devane's performance, I decided to see if I could locate Enes. No sooner had I arrived in Compass Rose than I saw him strolling towards me. I relayed your and TB's regards, then read him your post. He broke into a big smile. He remembers you two very well, and agrees with you 100% on Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra.

Gilly, regarding Regent remembering the small details, this is probably TMI, but four or five years ago, suffering at the time from a pretty bad bout of acid reflux, I asked my stewardess for a wedge pillow so that I could sleep onboard like I still do at home, with my head elevated. One was placed under the mattress on my side of the bed that night. I've never had to ask Regent again for a wedge pillow, no matter which ship we're on. On the Explorer Maiden Voyage, the wedge pillows obviously hadn't arrived yet so a carpenter built a wooden wedge for me with padding.

Linda, I'm really enjoying the photo part of this blog--glad you like! Ron & Rick, I always appreciate your following along and your kind words. Whiterose79, I'm happy you discovered this blog and that it has played a role in your decision to try Regent; has been my pleasure to share our cruise with you. Thank you so much, Bob! Since we won't be flying back until Sunday--Jess will be at the ship to greet us tomorrow a.m.--I'm anticipating a wrap-up post or two from Oslo.

Kwaj girl, we hadn't seen Needlepoint Kits before, so Ginny scooped up one each of the two purse designs--Regent "R" and a stylized picture of the bow of the Explorer. She'll be doing the "R" design for Shauna, who has a thing for both the Regent logo and small purses. The other Regent items were golf tee and ball, golf towel, golf balls, cinch bag, visor, long-sleeve cotton t-shirt, short-sleeve sport t-shirt, short-sleeve polo shirt, and baseball cap.

Ginny and I were happy to forego the "Tjoloholm Manor" excursion and instead take the free shuttle to Gustav Adolf's Square so that we could take the pulse of Sweden's second largest city. We walked through a portion of the Nordstan shopping center, a park, and Haga, an area with a fun mix of cafes and interesting shops. We had a good time!

A few pics:

King Gustavus Adolphus has his own square:

Thrashing around:

Amid the clamor:

Haga, where “fika” is practiced (fika means having coffee or tea with a snack—Swedes are said to be big on fika):

Haga goodies for fika:

Pedaling in the park:

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I've written before about Ginny's and my magical meeting aboard the Royal Viking Star in early 1977, a meeting that wouldn't have happened unless fate had intervened (I was an emergency replacement on the Star as shipboard editor).

What I haven't mentioned is our first date, a drink before dinner before we each went to our assigned tables (remember those days?). The drink was a pina colada.

Thirty three years later, in 2010, we finally found ourselves together on our first cruise, just the two of us. The ship was the Mariner, and the occasion was our 30th anniversary. I thought it would be nice to celebrate that first date one night by toasting our marriage with another pair of pina coladas. A pina colada per cruise has been a cruising tradition for us ever since.

When Food and Beverage Director Enes Josipovic learned about our pina colada history he made us that proverbial offer we couldn't refuse: He would personally made us our pina coladas for this cruise just the way they are made in Puerto Rico, where the drink originated (and where Enes met his wife Coral in 2010). He promptly followed through on his offer at lunch on the Pool Deck the other day.

Enes had to improvise a bit, he explained, mainly because the local citrus liqueur used in Puerto Rico isn't easily available outside the territory. He used Absolute citron instead.

I watched as Enes went through his PR-inspired pina colada making paces (more steps than I had imagined) at the Pool Deck bar. Finally our drinks were ready!

GM Davor had been standing by to preserve the moment for us:

And, yes, they were scrumptious!

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Thank you, Gilly—I don’t think we’ve been on a Regent cruise where Krew Kapers didn’t come around too quickly!

Our Sony is a little too heavy for me to want to keep in my pocket, so I found a nice snug case for it and carry it with me (strap goes around my neck). I much prefer its zoom over the iPhone’s.

We’re docked in Gothenburg and I was surprised to see the USA flag flying next to the Swedish flag on the pier. Maybe because Regent is headquartered in Miami and the city likes to honor its visiting liners this way?

Meanwhile, I was not surprised to see the Volvo buildings, flags and signs. When Jess drove us through Sweden on the way to Copenhagen it seemed like every third or fourth car we saw was a Volvo.

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Jackie, I alternate between my iPhone 7 and my Sony DSC-HX80 point and shoot. I used the Sony to shoot Krew Kapers and iPhone to photograph the dance party, including the shot of CD Andy and wife/Social Hostess Tammy. (Had to hold on the phone tightly at times as the dancing got a little raucous.)

We'll due to arrive at 11 a.m., just under two hours from now, in our last port, Gothenburg. We're scheduled for the 3.5 hour "Tjoloholm Manor" excursion, and while actually going on it is still a game-time decision, Ginny and I are strongly leaning toward turning in our tour tix and either poking around town a little on our own or just staying on the Explorer and working on our packing and just enjoying the ship. We're feeling truly sated at the moment with the bounty of fantastic sights and experiences we've taken in—in fact, we're still trying to absorb them all!

I have a couple of minutes before the Regent Reward Prize Redemption in the theater, so here's a very brief edition of Eilfeltig Notaters from Jess:

In Norway all medical care is free, and there is free education through college.

The lowest tax rate for most is 36%. The highest is 75%, on income of $250,000US and above. Seniors pay 28%.

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Hi, Rich. I finally caught up with all your posts, having been somewhat out of the loop the last few weeks due to my mother’s passing. What a wonderful fun Trip! You went to some of our favorite ports. Very nice, and your posts make me ready to be aboard Explorer again, but will have to wait till February.

Rachel, I've been checking Facebook only sporadically since we've been away, so I missed the news of your mom's passing last month. Ginny and I are so sorry and send you and George and family our deepest sympathies. I just now read your wonderful FB tribute to her, and agree that you were lucky to have her for so long (100 years and 3+ months).

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Then everyone had a bang at the “4th of July Dance Party Under the Chandelier”!

Aidan wants you to party!

Andy and Tammy

Independence Day fashion statement

Rockin’ Robin

Vlad the Drum Impaler

Happy 4th from Deck Four!

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Thanks, Susan! We enjoyed our five night stay at the Kong Arthur. The rooms may be small in this late 19th Century hotel, but the place has character. Plus, we loved the location and the friendly staff.

Krew Kapers, as always, was big fun!

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Jan, Tammy boarded on May 25, Andy on June 2, and they’ll be on together until October 7. So, in short, your friends are in luck. We’ve loved cruising with them.

Today’s easygoing excursion was centered on Skudeneshavn, which became a prosperous town 150 years ago during the rich herring fishing period

The old town section has more than 130 wooden homes dating back to this time period—one even dates back to 1770—making it the best preserved old town of its type in Europe.

Our visit began with a self-guided tour of Maelandsgarden Museum, housed itself in several period buildings. Then we were on our own to stroll about.

A few snaps. . .

Museum exhibit of an affluent family’s drawing room.

All of the historic buildings we saw were painted white, an indication of the community’s wealth.

Skudeneshavn garden.

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Hello from Haugesund. The morning fog has burned off and it’s a lovely day, although noticeably cooler than yesterday in Flam.

You see a tiny portion of the Aibel yard in the bottom right portion of the photo below. Aibel once was a big name in shipbuilding, but now is one of the largest oil service companies in Norway. That’s a drilling platform going up.

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Thanks, Jackie, I'll let Jess know!

Happy 4th of July to my fellow American CC members! CD Andy has planned a "4th of July Dance Party under the Chandelier" with the Regent Orchestra and Entertainment Team tonight at 9:30 on Deck Four.

But before our dance party we'll be celebrating--and be entertained by--our talented and hard-working crew at Krew Kapers. Could it be that time in the cruise already?

Krew Kapers is my cue to share some crew stats with you. Would you believe that our 539 Explorer crew members--407 males and 132 females--hail from 47 countries!

As usual, the Philippines leads the way with 210 crew members, 154 males + 56 females. India follows with 75 males. Indonesia is third with 55, 53 males and two females.

Here is the complete Crew Nationality Breakdown for Copenhagen-Oslo:

Philippines, 210

India, 75

Indonesia, 55

Ukraine, 24

Honduras, 19

Italy, 17

France, 12

Serbia, 10

United States, 10

Romania, 8

United Kingdom, 8

Croatia, 6

Russian Federation, 6

Venezuela, 6

Bulgaria, 5

Mauritius, 5

Macedonia, 4

Myanmar, 4

Peru, 4

South Africa, 4

Belarus, 3

Mexico, 3

Nepal, 3

Portugal, 3

Thailand, 3

Australia, 2

Brazil, 2

Canada, 2

Colombia, 2

Germany, 2

Montenegro, 2

Malaysia, 2

New Zealand, 2

Panama, 2

Slovakia, 2

Argentina, 1

Chile, 1

China, 1

Ecuador, 1

Spain, 1

Hungary, 1

Jamaica, 1

Lithuania, 1

Nigeria, 1

Poland, 1

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 1

Sweden, 1

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I’m sensing a growing clamor for more Eilfeldig Notaters from Jess, so I am pleased to oblige:

If you go through a red light in Norway, it's a $1200US fine.

If you have an accident while texting or speaking on your cellphone, no insurance will cover it.

You are considered a drunk driver in Norway if you register 0.02. Drunk drivers lose their license for two years, pay the government a penalty equal to whatever their salary is for one and a half months, spend two weeks in jail camp and have to take oral, written and driving tests before being allowed to drive again.

Good drivers are rewarded with insurance discounts up to 75% off the regular insurance price.

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John, that’s funny! According to the article that Wes linked to, the dancers are students at the Norwegian Ballet School.

We had a gorgeous day in port, and our railway excursion today was Flamtastic! Just wish that every passenger who wanted to go on the train could have been accommodated, but there was only room for 400. The 100 on the wait list had a choice of two other excursions. So if Flam is on a future itinerary of yours, book this excursion early if you are able.

You can easily Google "Flam Railway," so I'll just mention that the train does not turn around, so to have views from each side you'll have to switch sides at Vatnahalsen, where you'll get off the train for coffee and a snack-sized portion of Norwegian waffle with sour cream and preserves at the Vatnahalsen Hotel.

Also, if you take the morning tour and feel up to it, you'll have plenty of time to walk the 1.5 kilometers to the village where you'll see the old church (1667). Or, like us, you might be content to photograph the town from the train.

View from a passing train. . .

After my waffle at the Vatnahalsen Hotel I took a short hike. I ran into this friendly young couple from: Utah!

The path not taken—I didn’t want to miss the train back to Flam!

Passing the village of Flam as we near the end of our unforgettable ride.

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Correction, it’s the CMV Columbus, not Magellan, that’s in port with us today.

Stan, if I knew you were aboard the Viking Star I would have waved! Regarding the threat to fjord towns from a big chunk of mountain causing a killer tsunami, our guide yesterday passed around a copy of a poster for a Norwegian disaster flick, “The Wave.” Where does The Wave hit? Geiranger!

Wes, we indeed had a moment this morning with the Dancing Woman, as a Celtic tune played on the platform at the Kjosfossen Waterfall. As the article you provided the link to reveals, she’s the Huldra, “an elusive forest spirit from Norse mythology” who “lures men into the woods to seduce them.”

I was beguiled (but not seduced!).

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Good morning from Flam! The ports of the world website I consulted listed the Explorer as the only visitor for today, but I definitely see another ship (as it turns out, the CMV Magellan).

We’re taking—what else—the “Flam Railway to Vatnahalsen.” It’s billed as one of the most beautiful train trips in the world, and is one of Norway’s top tour attractions.

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Bob, Jackie, Sheila, Roberto, Jan, (and Malbec Wine from earlier) it's enthusiastic responses like yours that keep the blogging fire lit inside me--thanks! The plan was to do a second late-night post yesterday, but the internet went down again (it's a fjord thing). This was probably good because by the end of that amazing, spectacular, incredible day I was blooey (the best kind of blooey)!

So, after the photo stop at Eagle's Bend Viewpoint, we motored through a breathtaking piece of the West Norwegian Fjords, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with Pablo, our guide. With 197 cruise ships visiting Geiranger (as many as five a day!) this season, there is an opportunity for guides from other countries to earn some summer coin. Pablo hails from Spain, and he was great.

Our destination was the historic Herdalssetra Mountain Summer Farm in Norddal, in operation for 300 years. At its peak, Herdalssetra boasted 15 farmers. Today, there are four: one sheep, one cow, and two goat. We were there for the goats!

The two goat farms produce two traditional Norwegian products, brunost (brown goat cheese) and goat's milk caramel, the old-fashioned way. Part of that old-fashioned process includes hand-stirring a big iron pot with the curds and whey--and then just the whey, after the curds are removed, which gives the cheese its distinctive brown color--for eight to nine hours!

With 380 goats, the farms are busy, thanks especially to their "record goats" who are able to produce seven to eight liters of milk a day. The production is such that workers for Tine, one of Norway's biggest dairies (we drank their cow's milk and ate their yogurt at Jess'), make pickups every three days.

We had an hour at the farm to ask questions of the young managers, Eva and Filip, from the Czech Republic, taste yummy samples and then stroll around the idyllic mountain pasture grounds.

Many of the 30 buildings at Herdalssetra are today rented out by the night.

The way-out WC at Herdalssetra!

Valentin, from Austria, stirs the pot at Herdalssetra. Each potful yields four kilos of cheese.

Thanks to Jess, I'm quite familiar with brunost. It is a bit of an acquired taste, but I've come to enjoy very thin slices of it atop crackers.

Filip just kidding around. We didn't get to meet the milking goats as they were out to pasture.

This is Eva's third summer working at the Herdalssetra Mountain Summer Farm. She found her job by Googling "goat farms Norway."

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Sheila and Jean, wishing you the same spectacular weather when you sail into Geiranger that we enjoyed today.

As soon as I got up this morning (at 5) I parted the drapes, went “Wow!” and immediately parked myself with camera at the “bump” in our balcony. This was my view looking forward:

I would have had a great view of the Seven Sisters from our balcony but decided instead to check them out from Deck 12:

And then I got a little distracted playing around with reflection shots:

Soon I spotted the zig-zaggy road our excursion bus would be taking up the side of the mountain:

Around one last bend in the fjord: Geiranger!

A couple of hours later our tour, “Herdal Mountain Farm,” was under way with a splendid view of the fjord (Viking Star is on the left with the Explorer a little further back, on the right).

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Jackie, stand by for more Notaters from Jess.

Boatmans Lady, you might want to order an “appetizer” portion of lobster tempura (it’s still a lot), like I did, then order something else for your main course. You get to sample two mains that way!

Thanks, Jennifer! The Viking Star was one of two other ships anchored with us in Geiranger. First time I’ve seen a Viking ocean liner.

Thanks, Gerry—that photo op made my morning in Alesund. (The photo from the viewpoint on high made my afternoon.)

A quick hei from Hellesylt, our second port of the day. My words and pics can’t do justice to the magic of Geiranger, but I’m determined to try, as soon as I can post from the ship again (internet has been down all day)! For now, here’s a shot of the Explorer from the bridge over the waterfall in the sweet little hamlet of Hellesylt, where the internet is fast and free.

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Saying god natt now with another edition of Eilfeldig Notaters from Jess:

New mothers have to take off from work for 52 weeks, with full pay. Dads have to take off for 12 weeks in the first year, also with full pay. Parents receive about $2000US a month from the government until each child reaches 16.

Oil is why we have so much money for family welfare. Norway is Europe's largest oil producer.

Norway only uses 1.2% of its oil income for welfare, culture, sports, and road construction. The rest of the money goes into the bank. Norway invests all over the world, but will not invest in weaponry or in companies that harm the rainforests.

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Sheila, I think you'll like the Sunnmore Museum, with its collection of of more than four dozen old houses spread about the peaceful landscape. You'll see sights like this:

The museum also boasts an impressive variety of old boats, including replicas of a couple of Viking ships, ruins of which that were discovered nearby. We also learned about a WW II Norwegian resistance operation involving fishing boats, a couple of which are also on display. If you don't mind a little "homework" before your visit, Google "Shetland Bus World War II." I found this story fascinating.

Several shots to cap our wonderful day in Alesund:

This building is reputed to be the narrowest in all of Norway, just over three meters wide.

Along the Alesund waterfront. . .

Fishermen would haul their catches up these steps, to the fish market on the plaza:

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Jackie, I’m happy to pass on your regards to Abhi. Glad that you and Dennis are able to relive your own wonderful time in Norway via these notes and pics.

No need to trek the 418 steps up Mt. Aksla to the viewpoint, as our sea eagle’s eye view of Alesund and the Explorer was included In our afternoon tour, “Alesund and the Sunnmore Open Air Museum.” As you can see, the afternoon turned out to be postcard perfect!

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I like this vertical view better. (The fog has burned off and it looks like it will be brilliantly sunny for our tour this afternoon, and hopefully after Trivia, my walk up to the Fjellstua Viewpoint.)

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Well, Gerry, some fog did roll in this morning, but it made for this special photo. The old lighthouse today serves as a nearby hotel’s bridal suite!

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Sailing into Alesund. . .

Docking (the view from our “bump” balcony). . .

I see the viewpoint, Wes! Even though we have morning and afternoon tours today, we don’t sail out until 11, so I’m hoping to do the climb!

Jackie, the Norway crab-eating-the-fish issue you mentioned sounds vaguely familiar. Will ask Jess about this when we see him again at the end of the cruise. By the way, I saw Staff Captain Abhi at the SSS reception last night and he asked me to say hi. Such a nice guy.

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Nightcap Edition of Eilfeldig Notaters (Random Notes) from Jess:

Trees are the biggest issue in Norway. People go to court over trees all the time—even to the high court. This has to do with height and shade and sun. People want their sun.

Norway has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

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After midnight, en route Alesund

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