Silver Wind Northern Europe & British Isles (Norway) July 14-31

Told ya he was off on the 31 July to go home. He said to us he would be still looking to work in the cruise industry, but wanted something that wouldn't mean being away from his wife and family for so long. It sounds a glamorous life "seeing the world" but there sure are sacrifices back at home doing so.

 

Albert is probably (arguably) the most well known and recognisable member of Silver Wind staff and truly an asset. Really would have loved to have seen him off in London if it had worked out. Give him our regards and apologies for "missing the boat" with our late application.

 

As you'd suggested "requests".... mine is for Egbert. (Assuming he still is on board and serving in La Terrazza still?)

 

PS ... super thread .... super photos .... and exactly what this forum is all about. It's hard to imagine anyone not being drawn to sail on this cruise or similar itinerary. I certainly will be doing so with maybe the odd "city breaks" to Norway to do so.

 

Keep it up .... and may the weather gods allow the return of the shorts! :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Les,

Egbert went home at the end of our cruise to get married.

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Spinnaker2/Candy & Larrry, Les37b/Les, TLCOhio/Terry, Joe_90; Thanks so very much for your kind words. Mr. John and Mrs. Joy will gladly pass your warm regards along to Albert. Yes, Candy we are really enjoying a visual feast of the Norway coast..and we find time to dance to the Silversea trio before dinner. Thanks again for heads up.

Tonite we enjoyed our second formal nite on board the Silversea Silver Wind as we continue to cruise around Norway. We are enjoying a sea night as we head to our next port of call, Bodo Norway. Tomorrow, July 24th, Ida and I will enjoy a morning three hour nature hike in/around Mt. Keiservaden.

First, tho we enjoyed pre dinner cocktails with cruise friends Gary and Barb, then headed to the main Restaurant on board for dinner. Please enjoy a few snaps of us in our formal finery.

Also, did not share this wonderful virtual experience Ida and I both enjoyed, courtesy of our Wind cruise consultant Asia. She has a pair of Oculus glasses that we were able to enjoy an awesome 3D Antarctica video...u felt like u were right there with the penguins stepping off the Zodiacs. We have a keen interest as we board the Silver Cloud expedition in Ushuaia in late Feb.

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Hi Les,

 

Egbert went home at the end of our cruise to get married.

OK many thanks ... I guess he's not back then! Thinking about it, I'm sure I remember him saying he will be on the Spirit next .... though that may have been him saying that's what he wanted rather than he was! I guess we might find out in April... but probably too far away to even think about!

I remember Albert from our Wind cruise last year from Southampton to Lisbon. We were at the pool bar one lunch and I couldn't decide what I wanted and just asked him to make me a "blender" thing. What came was a gorgeous tall drink with lots of fruit on the rim. Pineapple juice, rum, not sure what else was in it but it hit the spot.

Melissa

MHF, Albert is such a talented bartender, when I asked him how he learned how to make so many cocktails, Albert said, "practice, practice."

Good Morning Bodo, Norway! (Well just a few hours from docking)

Credit to the Silver Wind daily newspaper, "Bodo is the capital of Nordland County. Whether you are looking for a classical concert on a mountaintop, rock musician the park, jazz at a cafe or opera in a pub there is no denying that Bodo is a melting pot where art and culture are mixed together in a dynamic cocktail against a backdrop of staggeringly jagged beautiful peaks, dark waters and infinite skies.

Situated above the Artic circle and known to enjoy spectacular Northern Lights sightings in the chilly winter and 24-hour daylight in the pleasant summer, Bodo is as close to the wilderness as one gets in Norway.

The City, with its red sand beaches and emerald green waters, has been described as "one of the best places on earth" by savvy, seasoned travelers."

Today, we will enjoy temps in the low 70's with bright sunshine as we begin our three hour hike on Mt. Keiservaden. Other Bodo highlights include: Bode Cathedral, Nordland Museum, Norwegian Aviation Musuem, and Saltstraumen.

Salststraumen is home to the world's strongest tidal current. Every six hours a large amount of Water (5 million cubic meters) that rushes through the sound that connects the Saltenfjord and the Skjerstadfjord. The water's speed can reach up to 40khm/h creating powerful whirlpools that can be 10 m wide.

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Enjoy Bodo Wes and Ida!

Are you having any sleep issues? I found I couldn't sleep during the night as it was so light out. I was prolly the only one roaming around the ship at all hours...of course we were on the explorer so a tiny ship.

Add to that FOMO and it was an equation for no sleep.

I didn't mind, I saw a lot!

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There is always time to sleep after vacation is over. Why waste vacation time sleeping? Definite FOMO! :cool:

In all seriousness, we had a week of continuous daylight during our Svalbard trip on Silver Explorer. It wasn't too bad because you just eventually get tired and have to sleep. Plus the wine with and after dinner helps. I brought my eye covers from the plane ride over but never used or needed them.

Strangely enough, I actually have a harder time sleeping when we go somewhere that has just a few hours of daylight, like Oslo... Or Copenhagen this past May, when the sky was light until after 11PM, and started up again around 3AM. That is tough because as long as there is some night time, I feel like I have to wait for darkness to go to sleep, and wake up with the first light.

But if the sun is up 24h a day, I just give up and sleep whenever I want. Odd, isn't it, how we all adapt differently to stuff like this.

***

Bodo sounds like a fascinating place, and glad to see that SS is offering a nice hike as an excursion option. Looking forward to the pictures!

Yes definite FOMO!

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Spinnaker2/Candy, JP; we absolutely loved Bodo what's not to like about beautiful sunny 70+f Norwegian weather for a Nature hike (except did a face plant--pls c below)

We are now enroute to our next Norway port, Trondheim.

This morning in beautiful, sunny 70F/20C Bode Norway, about twenty of us Silverseas Silver Wind active guests went on a Nature Hike on Mt. Keiservarden.

Our guide, Benta let us know we are at 67 degrees N, and opposite us at. 67 degrees S is Antarctica. She explained to us that in Norway, there is always the "Right of Way" meaning there is no such thing as trespassing. Benta also let us know that in the Bode summer there are 24 hours of sunlight meaning residents have to spend much more time tending their gardens.

Please enjoy photo's that helped capture this delightful Nature hike up to the stunningly beautiful top of Mr. Keiservarden. You first see our tour group getting a quick orientation/safety brief by out guide. Next, Ida and the group enjoy a brief respite half way up to the top of Mr. Keiservarden. Ida then hopped on the bike preparing to race down Mt. Keiservarden (in reality this bike is stationary and we had Ida pose with the beautiful Bode Mountains in the background).

We then took a few more snaps at the top of Mt. Keiservarden. Interestingly for both Ida and I have served in the U.S Army Air Defense Artillery that had/has (Hawk & Patriot missile systems) our guide let us know that Keiservaden's mountain top used to be a Norwegian Air Force Hawk Air Defense missile site.

Final photo shows our Silver Wind Keiservarden group and then Ida heading down to our bus.

Sidenote, during the descent, Wes took a nasty fall (face plant) and within a half hour experienced the wonderfully efficient Norwegian healthcare system. My story--an ugly largeTroll making his home on the path leading down Mr. Keiservarden tried to grab Wes's right leg and down he went face first tho he did prevent a total face plant with his arms/legs. Long story shorter the guide, our Silversea escort (Fitness Instructor Martin) and our fellow hiking group guests took immediate action. Lost a good puddle of blood from a nasty forehead gash and nose

Smash. Now, look like a raccoon with two black eyes and swollen snoz. The guide had a Taxi waiting for me at the base of our climb, and off we went (10 min) to the nearest Norwegian emergency clinic. Was seen by very competent medical staff (nurse and doc) within 5 min and professional cleaned up--we were back on the Silver Wind within 45 min of leaving the Keiservarden base. Did see the ship's doc when we returned and he confirmed what the Norwegian doc said, they will refer me to an ENT specialist in Bergen to make sure my nose/septum is not broken. Darn, we will now miss the Silversea L'ecole des Chef, David Bisland's market visit to Bergen, Norway on Saturday.

So, now that that medical drama is out of the way, think you will enjoy these photos.

Just received a very nice visit from the Silver Wind Hotel Director, and Executive Concierge. The were checking to make sure I was ok..and hand delivered a nice note from the crew signed on their behalf by the SWCaptain wishing me a speedy recovery. Silversea service top notch even in a mild medical event.

Lester did let me know he has arranged our next Silver WindCrew profile--gallly team on Sunday---can't wait to profile the hard working galley crew that contribute to making our tummies sing with gustatory joy @ breakfast, lunch, dinner and during the cocktail hour.

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JP/Candy, forgot to add--we are having no problem getting shuteye at night (as you note surely the wine (esp nice Italian vintages) help. Plus, we do at least 2-3 hours of daily exercise to about 11pm it is off to dream land:)

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Yikes Wes!

Be well soon.

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Admiring Ida's couture jacket and matching chapeau avec le velo...

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Poor Wes. That sounds uncomfortable. Head gashes always bleed like crazy. Feel better soon!

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Wes sorry to hear of your accident. I bet you both got a real scare. Good to hear of the excellent on the spot care and following emergency room treatment.

Rest up and heal. Best wishes, Jean.

Oh Lordy! Hope it's not too sore Wes.... and I think the version you fought off the troll to protect Ida sounds better!

BTW .... Mr Silver, it dawned on me regarding Egbert. I'm fairly certain he said his next contract was on the Spirit and would be on for our trip. That said, originally I was looking at the one 2 weeks or so previous and from memory he was coming near the end for that. Fingers crossed he's still on board.

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Wes,

Sincerely hope your injuries do not interfere with the enjoyment of the rest of your cruise :(

We have heard that Norwegian Akevitt has almost magical healing properties. Surely the clinic gave you a bottle on prescription? If not, insist on a full case when you visit the medical centre in Bergen :cool: ;p

S&D

Sorry to hear of Wes's misfortune and hope recovery goes well without intruding on the enjoyable voyage we are all vicariously sailing along with.....😊

Wes, best wishes for a speedy recovery and a good report from the ENT in Bergen!

That'll teach you for wearing your summer shorts in Norway and tempting Ullr, God of Snow. All kidding aside, hope your checkup goes well in Bergen and the scrapes/bruises don't slow you down. Bergen is too fun a town to miss!

Three cheers for the U S Army Col Retired Wes. I'm so sorry you had this accident...we all are sorry. We salute you!

Sorry about your accident, my friend Wes, but happy to know you are handling it with your usual good grace! And as a former Navy doc, I would be happy to treat an Army guy like you for a mere fraction of my usual fee! With Ida as your caregiver you will be back to your normal in no time! All the best and keep having a wonderful cruise! Keep posting no matter what!

Dieter

Wes, keep your pecker up and hopefully the most photographed thumb on CruiseCritic is unscathed. :)

Bummer about the nose incident, Wes. I personally would skip the ENT in Bergen and go with the excursion. Heck, if your nose is broken, what are they going to do? It looks like it looks.

Very sorry to hear about your fall Wes, you are a real trooper keeping so upbeat about it all.

Thank you for the blog, i'm enjoying all your stories and photographs.

Take care.

Pam.

Spinnaker2/Candy; Thanks for your speedy recovery well wishes and Ida enjoyed her faux ride down Mt. Keiservarden yesterday :)

JPabny/JP--Thanks for you well wishes too--hope to recover lightening fast with Nurse Ida's help.

Liptastic/Jean; Thank you for your healing well wishes--yep a tough face first fall (this a.m. Have large Racoon eyes (scare the crew--?what happened?"---as Les said above fought off the Troll protecting Ida:)). Jean, Ida and I know it could have been worse esp. when the Norwegian ER clinic nurse said many of the tourists they see have been helicoptered off to see us--no pity party for us--have to mix up morning work out (Doc told me not to sweat for two days--help scalp wounds heal not get infected) so am going for an hour power walk on upper deck @ Stumblefoot's turtle speed :)

Les37b--thanks so much for the wonderful/correct version of my Troll counterattack during my accident yesterday at Bode's Mt. Keiservarden. And sincerely hope you have a wonderful Spirit voyage soon!

Flossie009/David &Susan; thanks for your kind well wishes too and the Aquavit suggestion is spot on--will ask Albert and or head bartender if they have some on board. If we get a case in Bergen will have to give many bottles away to the crew before we disembark next Monday :)

Mysty; thanks also for the nice well wishes--recovery is going well...even head Sommelier Wolfgang got in the healing picture las nite at La Terraza--had ordered with LT Sommelier Tes

A nice super Tuscan--Wolfgang came to the table and suggested to wait a few days to open this Bottle (due to nose injury, and smell not 100% therefore wine taste affected) instead he gave us a nice Cab to go with the delish Saltimbocca with Parma Ham. We both were touched with the SW crew's kindness and well wishes yesterday.

Stumblefoot--thank you too for your well wishes--we hope our ENT visit is brief so we get a chance to walk/see Bergen on our own.

UkJeff; Thanks for your well wishes and my left thumb fell off yesterday :)...only my nose/forehead involved.

Dr. Rachel--thank you and will share your wisdom with Ida--Bergen here we come :)

Pamela1/Pam--thank you too for your healthy well wishes.

Now for today's first post

Good Morning Trondheim ! (Nearly there)

Credit to Silverseas Silver Wind daily newspaper, "Today we are visiting one of Scandinavia's oldest cities. Trondheim is Norway's third largest and has a population of about 200,000 of which 36,000 are students

Founded in 997 by Viking Olaf Tryggvason, and it was also the first Capital of Norway. Today Trondheim is a university town as well as a center for maritime and medicate research. The wide streets (e.g., Monkgarten Avenue) of Trondheim's city center are still lined with brightly painted wood houses and striking warehouses."

According to our outstanding Silversea Silver Wind lecturer, Captain (Retired) William Wells, Trondheim is a very clean city with a lovely city center--Bill feels Trondheim is one of Norway's prettiest cities. Highlights of this beautiful city include: Nidaros Cathedral with a fascination gray facade--architecturally unique, statute of the fames Explorer Leif Erickson, the St. Olaf city Center, and two wonderful museums (Maritime and Justice). Captain Wells also let us know during his excursion lecture to look out for the uniquely designed man hole covers--many with maritime themes.

Ida and I will explore Trondheim on our own after we dock about 1pm. We are taking it easy today as Wes recovers from the Troll induced fall yesterday during the descent from spectacularly visual Mr. Keiservarden in Bodo, Norway.