Celebrity Silhouette, Norwegian Fjords Sept. 1 2019

[Bimmer09]

Back  to the ship

I dread to think how my day in Alesund would have been if it had rained constantly. No Mt Aksla walk! Ditto Bergen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol was in this building at the time enjoying the museum

 

 

[Bimmer09]

You don't need a shuttle to get in or out of the port in Alesund -just feet. 

 

 

a great shop for cruise passengers and fridge magneteria

 

 

my guess is the hull will be painted dark blue during dry dock and I don't approve if so

 

 

 

the little engine that could

 

taxi!

 

been there, done that

[Bimmer09]

Back on board at Sunset Bar with Guinness

 

rainfall over the distant mountains

 

that rainfall made a beeline for the Sunset Bar and soon all was much cooler and wetter and everyone fled indoors

 

I met Carol in the long corridor to our room and she had enjoyed her excursion, particularly the otters who are like cats in their cuteness but with waterproof fur. She was jonesing for afternoon tea so we hit the buffet and ate indoors. On leaving the buffet a waiter accosted us to tell us that Le Petit Chef restaurant was discounting the 8.15 dinner seating. $35 pp instead of the usual $55. As I wanted to experience it for myself I suggested we book it and Carol was game.

 

At 5pm we pushed away from the dock just as Pacific Princess had done a few minutes prior

 

the town's fireboat gave a farewell spray

 

 

our turn

 

Drizzle and cooler air as the ship got speed meant it would be an indoors night.

For us, after leaving the harbor it could only mean one thing- a nap

[Bimmer09]

I'm down on deck 3 after my nap to get a beer to take to deck 5 where I won't get wet

 

Passport Bar

 

while down here...

 

suites only

 

 

there were some menus to tempt

Luminae

 

Tuscan Grille lunch

 

Sushi on 5

 

 

[Bimmer09]

While we are getting dressed in Smart Casual outfits here's a little catch-up video

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

Le Petit Chef

It happens in the restaurant known and loved as QSine. You have to be there on time, in our case seated by 8.15pm. Keep your stuff off the table-in my case cameras but could be purse. Don't lean over your plate before your eat as there is a projector involved. Each course is introduced by a chef who appears on your plate. Rule #1-don't move your plate. 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

I opted for the alternative soup-French onion but Carol enjoyed her Bouilliabaisse. The dishes are taken away and then it's on to another act

 

 

[Bimmer09]

and another

 

 

[perfect match]

Le Petit Chef looks amazing! We aren’t usually into specialty restaurants, but for the right price, we would do that! I can’t wait to see your actual dinner!

[Bimmer09]

 

[Bimmer09]

 

[Joy_K]

Loving your review and really cute meal!

[Bimmer09]

along the way to dinner

 

the poor bare tree

 

Le Petit Chef

You've seen the show on video. Something different huh? Fun! The food was good although don't expect big portions. Here's the lobster dish

 

 

the food was very tasty.

Filet Mignon medium..

 

ice cream sundae

 

mango sorbet

 

espresso and Sambuca

 

Good meal, fun presentation we were happy to pay $35 each for. The light in the room is very low for taking photos so these were taken @ ISO 25600 mainly (for the camera people)

 

Next the room....

[Bimmer09]

QSine, the room

 

 

pictures taken after the show/meal

 

You can see the 4 circular projectors above each table in this shot 

 

 

Friendly staff. Service was on point

 

It was a 2 hour meal so no show for us (shows at 7 and 9 pm).

Some were having a blast

 

On deck for my after-dinner cigarette it was still raining and cool

 

Tomorrow we will wake up already berthed in Flam and have a long excursion called Norway in a Nutshell. We are in bed by 11 and fast asleep by 11.01

Norris

[Deck Chair Queen]

The Alesund aquarium excursion. This was a great little excursion, just the right length. Also the best tour guide of the trip. A professional handball player from Macedonia. He kept everybody engaged, taught us some Norwegian, and was very knowledgeable about Alesund’s famous Art Nouveau architecture, pointing out gorgeous little details on the buildings I would otherwise have missed. Of course the fire was a great tragedy but it accounts for the unique architectural uniformity of the city. 

 

We had a nice long time at the aquarium, which had both indoor and outdoor exhibits and  a dramatic waterfront location. I’ll try to insert some of my photos but my iPhone shots are embarrassed to appear alongside  Norris’s photography! The tanks are all filled with sea water and feature the staple fish of the area such as herring, cod, and salmon. Outdoors are the penguins, seals, and otters. Many hands on exhibits inside and timed feedings. You can barely see the diver for the fish! Later I visited the Art Nouveau Museum, a former apothecary shop with the owner’s home above it. There is a great “time machine” exhibit about the fire and the amazing rebuilding feat and stunning Art Nouveau rooms and decor. 

 

Carol

 

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by Deck Chair Queen

[perfect match]

Thanks, Carol, for the review and pictures! I think I’d have gone along for the ride with you and sent my DH to climb hills with Norris! I would have loved the view from the top of that hill, but my legs would not have loved the walk up that hill or back down it! 😱

 

Please tell your iPhone not to be embarrassed. It took perfectly good iPhone photos. Besides, I’ll bet that camera Norris uses so effectively can’t do a lot of things your iPhone can do with ease. 

Edited October 5, 2019 by perfect match

[CruiserRob]

5 hours ago, perfect match said:

Thanks, Carol, for the review and pictures! I think I’d have gone along for the ride with you and sent my DH to climb hills with Norris! I would have loved the view from the top of that hill, but my legs would not have loved the walk up that hill or back down it! 😱

 

 

The little tourist trolley will take you to the top (for a fee) - so no walking required unless you want to.

 

Robert

[Bimmer09]

Had you not gone ashore in Alesund here were your choices

 

 

 

 

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Camera gear used this trip

 

An iPhone 5 was used to take this picture and airplane shots (not yet seen). I left 2 cameras at home this time- a Canon T3i and a GoPro 3 so the camera used was the Canon 6D Mk II you see on the Manfrotto tripod. If you are wondering why an iPhone 5? It fits on my belt at work and a bigger phone wouldn't work as I bend down a lot and that makes back pocket storage a no-no too. I see a lot of iPhone users with cracked screens. Not mine.

The lens on the camera  is a Canon 16-35mm F4L with image stabilization (used in tight spaces such as at dinner-lens was still on the camera from Le Petit Chef)

 

The camera has no flash nor do I use it. (ISO up to 40,000 so can take pictures at night with very little light) It has wi-fi which I didn't use this trip-I can set it on the tripod and take selfies using my phone to control the camera. I can see the picture I'll get via the phone. It also has GPS to let me know where exactly the photo was taken but that's a battery-suck and I don't use it.

 

Other lenses from Left to Right;

 

Canon 24-70mm F4L lens with image stabilization- most used lens in the review. My walk around lens. Has Macro for extreme close-up but I use that for flower close-ups only

 

Carl Zeiss 21mm F2.8 Distagon manual lens (no auto focus) used for wide angle shots up mountains or in fjords

Not used on bus shots as I have to focus by hand and eye

 

Canon 70-200 mm F4L telephoto with image stabilization used for zoom shots from up mountains (e.g ship closeups in Bergen and Alesund)

 

Canon 40mm F1.8 Prime lens (called a Pancake as it is so small) Very detailed images, no zoom. 

 

Sony HD video camera

[Bimmer09]

Flam

(pronounced Flom. The J is silent and invisible)

(Alesund is pronounced Olesund)

We awoke in Flam and looked out at the industrial wasteland before us

 

mists!

 

waterfalls!

 

Sunset Bar chairs! (drying off)

 

Coffee from the buffet below, cigarette, eye candy. Good Morning Flam!

 

Looks like a model village on a train set

 

speaking of trains-we'll be going on this one today

 

We love train rides in mountains! White Pass train in Skagway? Oh yeah! We've also done the Chama (New Mexico) to Antonito (Colorado) steam train 3 times (Cumbres and Toltec steam railroad). Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon? Yup! All aboard! We will be on 2 different Norwegian trains today.

 

what a beautiful setting for a small town

 

 

that's better!

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

I see two trains parked. Yahoo!

 

is picturesque a word?

 

Play Misty for Me

 

 

 

 

the beautiful pool deck

 

 

we've got company

 

 

[pinkpanther52]

Enjoying your fabulous review Norris and Carol. Your writing style and sense of humour is great. 

 

Loved you videos of Le Petit Chef 😀 It cheered up a very wet day in Edinburgh.

 

Looking forward to your pics and review of Flam it’s one of my favourite places.

 

Did you get the chance to go into the Brew House/Pub?

[Bimmer09]

We are going ashore after breakfast for our 7 hour Norway in a Nutshell tour. Originally wanted to just do the Flam train out and back to Myrdall but the NIANutshell tour was broached by Carol I had a rethink for one particular reason-there would be a one hour coach stop at the Stalheim Hotel for waffles. I checked a video of the hotel on Youtube and the setting was something that appealed to me even more than waffles. Ignore the interior stuff at the beginning-it's what's outside that appealed...

 

Now imagine my chagrin when a month before sailing I get an e mail from X saying they won't be stopping here for waffles for an hour on our September  5th date, for "operational reasons".

 

Rats!

[Bimmer09]

14 minutes ago, pinkpanther52 said:

Enjoying your fabulous review Norris and Carol. Your writing style and sense of humour is great. 

 

Loved you videos of Le Petit Chef 😀 It cheered up a very wet day in Edinburgh.

 

Looking forward to your pics and review of Flam it’s one of my favourite places.

 

Did you get the chance to go into the Brew House/Pub?

 

Thanks and I am glad you are enjoying following along. Welcome aboard!

I didn't get the chance to visit that pub. I didn't spend enough time on the ground in Flam itself but wish I had done. The same goes for all 4 ports as I loved what I saw of each of them.

Next time!

Norris

[Werangels]

Stunning.....