LIVE from Jewel May 15, 2024 - 27 nights

[Hoopster95]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[Ozark_Kid]

I have been mirroring these pics and videos to my TV! Beautiful!  While mirroring Alesund my GD Kenzie looked and said,  wow, do people live near water?  They must get on those boats.  Then she saw a pic of Jewel.... Wow! Look how big that boat is!  I said,  that's a cruise ship.  She replied,  is that what you and Shashey get on? 😆  I bet she will love it when she can cruise. 

[Hoopster95]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

After 7.5kms from Mrydal, we arrive at Blomhelller Station 1/2 hour early. We were told we can walk farther up the path to a farm where they have more goats, so off we went.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

Time to walk back to the station, enjoy the shorter train ride home, I stopped at the train museum, but was out of there in 10 minutes. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

A few sail away photos 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[Hoopster95]

That’s it for now… until

Stavenger tomorrow G’night all

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[andreasfcb]

For me, Flam and Geiranger are the two top destinations to sail to with Royal Caribbean. The weather today was very nice as well.

[Hoopster95]

Interesting listening to WaveBenders this week and their steady dose of very loud and really good classic 70’s and 80’s rock… Les Zeppelin, Journey, The Doors, The Clash, Jimmy Hendrix, etc etc

 

There’s currently maybe 20 people on deck 4, a couple empty chairs on deck 5 & 6 looking down… they’ve driven the regulars who Sleep up there all night into their rooms or the theatre!🤣

 

I’ve watched/listened to 2 full sets tonight as I posted… not one single dancer. Great band, just not conducive to getting people up and active to participate. 
 

Conversely on Brilliance and Voyager last few weeks, steady dose of excellent dance/pop/80s/90s/rock/etc etc and the venues were always packed with dancers and seats were filled with watchers 

 

Edit… wow, Frank Zapa’s “I’m a

Rolling Stone”, guitar solo included. All

we need now is pot wafting Through the air and strobe lights 

edit #2. Now it’s Foo Fighters… a little newer and pretty cool. More people in the centrum now that the theatre show is over as well

Edited June 7 by Hoopster95

[twangster]

I've had a chance to go through some of my good pics from the train ride so here we go...

 

Leading up to the excursion I realized I may have made a mistake... this is not the train I was expecting.

 

 

Fortunately I booked the correct train.

 

Boarding the train was a bit of a cluster.  Each group had assigned cars and our car already had folks in it who had booked directly.

 

They say the right side is the place to be for the ride up but that was not going to happen the way they squeezed so many of us into the car.  So I resigned to live with that and made the best of it.

 

There wasn't anything to see on the left for a while.  The views out the right were fantastic but taking photos from the across the aisle wasn't going to happen.

 

Finally some scenery on the left appeared.  Then we reached a double track section where the downward train and the upward train meet and pass.

 

 

We stop waiting for the other train so there a chance to get some decent pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing on I managed to get a decent photo across the aisle to the right side.

 

[twangster]

As we climb higher there are more tunnels and snow sheds which provide some views but not great photo taking moments.

 

Then we see a massive waterfall.

 

 

We stop here for a photo stop of 5 minutes.

 

We were in the lead car right behind the front engine so we stopped in the next tunnel.

 

 

By the time we walked to the viewing platform for the waterfalls all 96,985 passengers from the other cars on the train that were closer had filled the viewing platform to capacity.  It took a bit but I stomped on some grandma feet, tossed some children into the river and cleared a path to near the front (just kidding).

 

 

The train had a video system that warned us of Huldra.  She is an elusive forest spirit who will draw men into the woods to seduce them.  Given the packed train car I was pretty tempted.  

 

 

 

Ut oh!  She saw me and made eye contact!

 

 

Back into the train to continue our ascent.

 

[twangster]

Once at Mydral station we reached the end of our journey up. 

 

There is a train from Bergen and Oslo that come here and this station is used as a transfer point between the two trains.  We have a 10 minute stop to allow those passengers to load.

 

 

I asked train crew if we can change seats and with permission I jumped in a better seat with an opening window for the ride down. 

 

 

[twangster]

The open window provided great fresh air but also a chance at photography without shooting through windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler alert - it's a lot nicer in a better seat.

 

 

 

[twangster]

I saw some of this from across the car on the way up but it's so much better on the better side of the train.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

Soon we were back down at the river level so that meant town was approaching.

 

 

It was a very enjoyable ride but the whole seating scramble and too many people left a lot to be desired.

 

 

Next time I'll book direct with assigned seating and avoid the Royal sardine can experience. 

[twangster]

I've already posted my beer and ice cream choices so here are some pics from around town before I got back on board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[twangster]

I did have my 360 camera on a short stick out the window slightly but I haven't had time to look at the results yet so I may, or may not, have some train video coming.

[andreasfcb]

44 minutes ago, twangster said:

Next time I'll book direct with assigned seating and avoid the Royal sardine can experience. 

 

Don't bother, we individually booked a train at a time where no excursion was supposed to join, and the train was still completely full. It was not a very comfortable journey and we could not open our window (it was stuck). I decided not to take any pictures (except waterfall) and just make the best of the ride.

[twangster]

Here is the train ride heading down from Myrdal to Flam.

 

 

 

[perfect match]

Twangster and Hoopster95, thank you both for the awesome pictures and videos! Norway has always been on my list of places I’d like to go, but usually a bit closer to the bottom of that list. I think Norway has just moved up a few spaces for me. It’s really beautiful there!

[DelMom18a]

Echoing Nancy, thank you both @twangster and @Hoopster95 for the incredible pictures and videos.  I had no idea how beautiful Norway is.  I appreciate you taking the time to share all the media with us.

[twangster]

Day Ten - Stavanger, Norway

 

Edited June 8 by twangster

[twangster]

Day 10 cruise compass

 

JW May 30 day 10 cruisecompass.pdf

[Hoopster95]

Good morning all. no one on the helipad… no one on deck 12 forward… definitely not as picturesque compared to anything we’ve seen thus far.

 

I’m heading to Pulpit Rock today (made famous by Tom Cruise and Mission Impossible). It’s a 1.5-2 hour hike one way. DIY with Go Norway transfer. Just a FYI a tourist male in his 40’s fell and died there 3 days ago. Weather is supposed to be rain all day

 

…. Those are some really black clouds and on que there’s the thunder in the distance 

⚡️⛈️😳

 

Edited June 8 by Hoopster95