Saturn's Iceland and Norway's Arctic Explorer-July 19-August 2 LIVEish

[LindaS272]

3 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Original plan had been to go at least partway up the waterfall stairs but we didn't.  

🥲 But you have our videos from from the July 5-19 thread. Almost like being there! Just like us re-living a fabulous cruise with you guys again! Thank you!

[ellenw]

4 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

 

Went on the 9am included 3 hour excursion this morning.  Started with a scary drive up (11 switchbacks) to Eagle's Bend where there is a great viewing platform. Unfortunately, it was above the clouds so the view wasn't as nice as it was on the way up.

 

We then drove back down the hairpin road and then up the other side for a beautiful view of the town of Geiranger and its Fjord. Thankfully the clouds lifted a bit. 
 

 

OMG! Those switchbacks. So amazing. How do those drivers do it? We were blessed with great weather. So glad it cleared for you.

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, ellenw said:

How do those drivers do it?

 

They get so much practice.

 

In winter, it is the only way out of town. The road up toward Mt. Dalsnibba gets snowed shut.

[wynnsr]

Last full day. 😑 So thankful to Clay for the contributions made to make our cruise experience more enjoyable.  Thank you Big NC Bear! 👍

[purpleally]

 

 

It was surf and turf night so Mike and Gary had some tails as a pre-appetizer during the sail-out. We then went to the dining room where Mike asked for a side of a lobster tail with his lamb ( the waiter said he wasn't the only one).  I had asked Angela (our new favorite Restaurant Manager since John isn't sailing anymore) to have a birthday cake for our dinner tonight.  She asked who was celebrating and I told her Mike's three weeks ago and Robert's in three more weeks.  I was so surprise when they brought two cakes!  What's worse, we all had a piece from Mike's, 

 

 

Isnt Angela the BEST!!  Fell in love with her, you got lucky, she’s going home tomorrow 

[May B]

You know what I loved about the crew farewell on the last evening? The appreciation of the guests is huge, with the biggest reaction to the laundry crew!

 

Idont know about a farewell song but I look forward to hearing,

[May B]

And Clay, your photos of Geiranger are wonderful. As are all your photos.

[Clay Clayton]

Sorry to have been awol-the final days onboard were full and between that and the slow Internet....

 

Arrived in Oslo about 7:15pm on Tuesday and posting this from our hotel.  But I'm gonna go chronologically so will start with our port day yesterday in Bergen.

 

Awoke to Bergen - our final port😢. We get to have the day here and spend the night onboard Saturn before disembarking on Tuesday  This morning we walked to the Arven Gold and Silver Factory for a peek and perhaps a purchase before walking to the KODE museum to take their tour to composer Greig's' Villa for a tour and concert. This was listed originally as a Viking optional excursion. It's a 10-15 minute easy walk from the port and while perhaps with Viking you get to go behind the glass into the studio, not sure it would be worth my money.  The folks in the shop were very helpful and answered all our questions about the manufacturing as well as helping us spend money😳

 

From there we walked along the waterfront and headed towards the KODE museums.  This was about a 20 minute walk but beautiful sights on the way there. We arrived and boarded the green KODE bus for the trip to Greig's House. More on that in the next post. 

[Clay Clayton]

Viking originally had an optional tour to visit Greig's House and attend the lunchtime concert. But it was either removed or canceled.  We had already discovered that KODE had an entrance+concert+bus for about $40 which was a third or more less than Viking's price.  For that difference we figured we could get ourselves to the KODE to catch the bus.  Which we did as described in my last post. We could have also taken the bus or a taxi and still come our way ahead but it was a nice walk though due to the continued beautiful Sunny and warm weather I was glistening a bit by the time we got to the bus. 
 

The bus left promptly at 11 and we got to Greig's house about 11:30.  The parking lot is a 10 minute walk up a lovely street to his actual house. There are beautiful homes along the street as well as huge rhododendrons almost ready to bloom.  Anyone there in a week or two will have quite a show!  There is a modern small museum, gift shop, cafe, and large concert hall adjacent to historic home.  

This was more than enough time before the 1pm concert to tour the house, his composing studio, walk through the very small museum, have a coffee or snack, and enjoy the tranquil setting. 
 

We toured the house in a small group of 20, it was stifling hot inside (apparently they opened the windows for the next group🤪) and was interesting because of the contrast of the Victorian exterior and the Norwegian interior. The unfinished wood was really beautiful. The views from the grounds of the house of the lake were incredible.  It was lovely to sit in the shade.  
 

Just below the house at the water level was the composer's writing studio. The views of the lake there were even more incredible. The steps and path down to his studio on the lake was steep and so I decided to let Mike make the trip while I enjoyed the cafe's terrace.  His photos are below. You weren't allowed to go in so forgive the reflections as he tried to photograph through the window. 

Other than seeing Greig's House the real highlight of the morning was the concert in the artfully hidden concert hall.  The hall has a thatched green roof (as do many buildings in Norway) and appears to have been built in a natural ravine so it pretty much disappears.  As you walk to the house all you really see is the green roof which looks much like the natural surroundings.  The concert was given by a young pianist who was simply incredible!  Since I don't know music I can't really review it other than to say it was really enjoyable and boy could she play...and without music!  I wish I could have videotaped it.
 

After the concert we walked back past other beautiful houses to the bus and then after getting off back at the museum walked back through town past lots of flowers, fountains, and folks enjoying the sun.

 

We arrived just in time for included panoramic tour. More on that in the next post. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[Clay Clayton]

We got back about 15 minutes before the panoramic tour so Mike ran and got us some bottle of water and we boarded our bus.  Come to find out it should have been labeled a Panoramic AND Walking tour.  As I had already walked 5 miles, I ended up being the old guy who stayed on the bus while Mike and everyone else did the walking part. My blistered toe and achy knee had had enough.  So below is what Mike posted on Facebook about this excursion:

 

Our included Bergen tour was a panoramic bus tour with stops at the unesco wooden merchant buildings. These wooden structures are about 300 years old in a city prone to fires in its history. The structures are a built using grown trees that are dug up and cut so that the trunk and limb offer stronger structure without a joint. Merchants operated out of the first flood with living quarters on second level and third floor was for stock fish storage (dried cod). The second stop was to the New Church which was built over the ruins of a palace then a prison. The church has been rebuilt multiple times the last time after WW2.

 

Clay back with some explanation about the two alleys we passed on the way back to the ship. These are very steep and the cobblestones in center section were laid to allow for easier movement of goods up and down them. The pictures don't show just how steep!

[Clay Clayton]

After getting back to the ship, we showered and went to see the "destination program" which was the violinist who performs at all Viking's naming ceremonies.  OMG, he was incredible.  I don't understand how someone can make a violin make all those different sounds. 
 

We then had our final sushi on the Aquavit and dinner in the Restaurant. Mike and I both had osso bucco which we thought was quite good.  It was fun but sad to say goodbye to our favorite servers like Alexandria from Macedonia.  We skipped dessert there and had one last bowl of gelato back up on the Aquavit before saying goodbye to our traveling companions (thanks to Paul Smith for the photo of the five of us at lunch one day) and heading to put out our suitcases.  We won't see them on disembarkation because Scott and Robert's transfer leaves at 3:15am😳 and Gary's at 8. Our train doesn't leave until 11:43 so we figure we will wait until they throw us off!😂

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[Clay Clayton]

Oh the day we all hate😢. Mike and I were out of the room 4 minutes early and headed to The Restaurant for one last favorite breakfast #lambchopsforbreakfast😂

After breakfast we hung out onboard until we thought we were the last onboard...alas, there were apparently two other couples who lasted longer than us!😂. When we got off the escalator these guys were waiting with the luggage already paired up!

 

After saying goodbye to Saturn, we had three options to get to the train station since we aren't on  Viking's pricy Oslo extension: taxi, bus, feet.  We had said if it wasn't raining we would walk the 25-30 minutes from the ship to the station. But after yesterday's death March Clay's knee wasn't feeling it so we researched the bus and taxi. The innerwebs let us down as they said a cab would cost $10, but when we left the ship it was $20-25 so the bus was it.  The bus stop was a two minute walk (the taxis were one minute) walk from the exit. Clay had downloaded the app to buy a ticket but a nice Norwegian at the bus stop told us we could just tap our phones so even easier!  5 stops and $8 (for both of us) later arrived at the train station.

 

We bought some sandwiches for the train while we waited. If we had it to do over, we would probably had just bought on board-price and quality were the same.  About 20 minutes after we arrived, the Viking extension folks appeared and by boarding time there was a big crowd waiting to board. 

 

We had lots of legroom in the "Pluss" seats but wished table would fold away. #firstworldproblems  but glad we opted to do this independently, as the Viking folks are in standard seats🤔. You can see the leg room difference in the 2 pictures of my knees. 

 

The views all along are incredible and a few photos are below.  But we quickly realized that it's just about impossible to catch the shots as you're moving fast and often a tunnel or trees gets between you and the camera lens.  Trust me, it's a beautiful ride. That being said, it is also a long one.  If flying to Oslo and the train are the same cost and you've done the train in Narvik or elsewhere, you might want to consider how best to spend the 7 hours. But that also being said, I would love to do this ride again in the snow. #fickle😂

 

We arrived in Oslo about 5 minutes late, gathered our luggage and rolled the three blocks (once we rolled at least twice that far to get out of the station😳) to Hotel Thon Astoria - it's not a Waldorf but it will be fine. 
 

After settling for a minute we headed back out to find supper but it started raining so we grabbed hotdogs at the 7/11ish place on the corner and came back to the room and had them and the leftovers from lunch and some cans of Coke Zero that mysteriously appeared in our backpack before we left the ship🤔

 

Mike is snoring and now that I'm caught up I hope I will soon be also. 
 

Tomorrow (presuming no rain), we are doing a "free" walking tour and hopefully going to the sculpture park and then have dinner reservations at https://www.dengladegris.no

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[depplep]

Great trip, great scenery. And you're still in shorts! That's promising. I hope you will continue to post on this board. Looking forward to the rest of the trip.

[aungrl]

Loved all the photos of Greig's estate.  It brought back lots of memories of our visit there a few years ago.  At that time, the concert hall was undergoing some minor renovations, so our concert was held inside the house, on the piano in the living room.  It was early September and the weather was gorgeous, but warm.  By the time everyone crowded into the room, even with the windows open, it was pretty uncomfortable.  But the pianist was amazing, and made it easy to (almost) ignore the temperature.  

 

Thanks again for posting so many pictures and doing such detailed posts of your trip so far.  Looking forward to hearing more about Oslo!

[Twitchly]

We did have some snow when we took that train in March a few years ago. Beautiful! I imagine in deep winter it would be spectacular.

 

Is that the world’s smallest shower?

Edited August 3, 2023 by Twitchly

[Clay Clayton]

7 hours ago, Twitchly said:

We did have some snow when we took that train in March a few years ago. Beautiful! I imagine in deep winter it would be spectacular.

 

Is that the world’s smallest shower?

No, have you not sailed on NCL?😂. Actually its about the size of most cruise ships showers and is the size of the prefab Sears one in my first house. 

[Hobson1754]

Thank you for your great reports & photos. It really seems as if you’ve had a great cruise.  You must be very disciplined as, whilst I would have every intention to undertake a report everyday of our cruise, I know that halfway through they would tail off.  Kudos.

[Frenchberet]

Clay & Mike, great report!  Thanks for taking us all along on your trip!  Great info & lovely photos.

[paulpcsma]

Clay, Mike, and the Gang

    Being on the trip with you guys made it all the better for Sandy and me.  Thanks for your support and friendship.  And your posting and photos were the best.  I may (or may not) give you photo credit when we share on trip pictures with friends.  Thanks again.

Best

Paul

[Clay Clayton]

Another beautiful morning in Norway perfect for our "free" walking tour. We walked by and learned about the Opera House, floating spas, the fort, City Hall, the National Theater and the tour ended at Parliament.
 

We went back to City Hall to go inside its incredible central hall. This is where the Nobel Peace Prize is award. The details on both the exterior and interior are just beautiful.
 

We had planned to go to the Sculpture Park this afternoon but after the 4 miles on foot this morning we decided to share a Fish & Chips and then go walk on the roof of the Opera House.  
 

The stunning Opera House was designed by snohetta. We walked up one side and down the other (along with lots of others out enjoying the Sunny warm day. It was great to watch folks swimming in the fjord, it was hot up on the roof with no shade and I so wanted to join them but wonder if my southern body could deal with the northern cold water🤔. The new Munch Museum next door to the Opera and is also interesting looking and our guide said he really liked it.  We didn't have it in us to walk over there #nexttime
 

After coming down off the Opera's roof, we went inside to see the beautiful interiors. The three concert venues are clad in oak which contrasts with the white marble of the rest of the building. The interesting perforated panels that are back lit are one of the integrated artworks in the building. They hide the coat check, restrooms, etc.   The other artwork built with the building is the one in the water and is made of aluminum, glass, and concrete. It is a statement on global warming and the impact on the glaciers. Interestingly, it is anchored and floats. It moves around based on wind and water conditions. It was fun to see that the seagulls enjoy the opera house as much as people. We also loved the tour boat made to resemble the Opera House,

 

After leaving there we went across the street to the branch library. It was incredible! Combined a coffee shot, bar, day care, office space and book storage.  It was so well used.  If only our libraries could be like this.🤔.

 

We were both tired and dehydrated so we went back to our hotel to address both.  It's a good thing we did because we had a downpour while we were at the hotel. (We have been so so lucky weather wise this trip). 
 

About 7, we headed out and rode the tram to supper.  I can't remember who told me about it, but I had heard good things about Den Glade Gris (The Happy Pig) and had made reservations.  They are known for their pig knuckle roasted for 5 hours but after seeing it in the way in we decided it might be too much for us both to order. So we ordered it and some ribs. The ribs were fine but the pork knuckle was incredible. The crispy skin was so delicious and the meat succulent. The mashed potatoes and mustardy gravy were also wonderful. We ran into a group from the cruise who had been on the train yesterday and they were also enjoying their meal.
 

From the restaurant we walked a couple of blocks to the Royal Residence. And then down Oslo's Main Street (that's the long street in the picture that taken from the top of the steps at the Palace) back towards our hotel at the other end. A final Norwegian waffle with brown cheese and jam (I've finally figured out I like brown cheese if I have some sweet with it) finished our final evening in Norway sitting and people watching on the street eating our traditional waffle. After 7.7 miles on our feet we are ready to relax😂
 

Tomorrow we are going to sleep in, enjoy the incredible breakfast here at the hotel and head for the airport about 12:15.  Thankfully checkout is at noon😀

 

We both have enjoyed our day here in Oslo but it (and the cruise) has made us realize how much we miss the slow travel we did in 2018 & 2019 when we were homeless and would spend 3-4 weeks in a place.  I wouldn't be surprised if Oslo isn't on a future Airbnb wish list😂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[Azulann]

Clay, I have so enjoyed your trip report. Your itineary is awesome.

Your pictures and description of your excursions were so informative.

 Oslo's modern buildings are beautiful. 

I do want to go to Norway and of course back to Denmark,and even  Sweden  again. 

I wishI was 20 years younger.

I think I might do a land trip if I find a good tour company that goes to where I want to visit. 

Thanks again and look forward to next cruise report in the future. 

[Twitchly]

I know what you mean about the joys of slow travel vs. cruises (and organized land tours). The latter is like snacks from street vendors; the former is a banquet. Both can be great. But I do miss the slow version. Probably won’t get the chance to spend that kind of time overseas again.

[Clay Clayton]

9 hours ago, Twitchly said:

I know what you mean about the joys of slow travel vs. cruises (and organized land tours). The latter is like snacks from street vendors; the former is a banquet. Both can be great. But I do miss the slow version. Probably won’t get the chance to spend that kind of time overseas again.

 

10 hours ago, Azulann said:

Clay, I have so enjoyed your trip report. Your itineary is awesome.

Your pictures and description of your excursions were so informative.

 Oslo's modern buildings are beautiful. 

I do want to go to Norway and of course back to Denmark,and even  Sweden  again. 

I wishI was 20 years younger.

I think I might do a land trip if I find a good tour company that goes to where I want to visit. 

Thanks again and look forward to next cruise report in the future. 

We have yet to get to Sweden and loved our few days in Denmark so maybe we will plan a month or two in Scandinavia rather than just a week or three in Oslo.  The included excursions reminded me of why I hate land "tours". I just don't fit in buses very well and that was really obvious on this cruise when for the first time in our 7 Viking cruises that the buses were routinely full or very close to it. I don't know whether that is the new normal or was just the case for this itinerary where the optional ones were very expensive. 

[Clay Clayton]

Tip for anyone flying out or Oslo with a non EU passport. Do not dilly dally in Duty Free.  Passport control line is very long!  The picture is of when we joined it.  By the time we got to the cattle corral it was at least twice as king.  Took about 25 minutes. 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[Clay Clayton]

Crap, the picture says it's loaded but...trust me, it was a long line with unhappy folks who were running late.