Norway Adventures: Port of Call - Haugesund

Our final Port of Call was Haugesund. 

 

Boy did this port look totally different than those small towns within the fjords.  After a couple of early mornings, we had a low-key day with a later wake up time and used the hop on hop off bus to tour this quaint town.

 

As it turned out, we could have used more time for this port and will know that if we ever visit again.

 

We spent time touring an old mining town and the Viking Village which took up our whole day.

 

After riding the bus to the cruise port, we set out on foot up a big hill to grab some Coke Zero with the last of our local Norwegian currency.  At that point, it was time re-board the ship for sail away and our final sea day.

 

Other Norway posts:

Southampton and P&O Britannia

Stavanger

Flam

OurScenic Cruising Day

Norway Adventures: Port of Call - Nordfjordeid

The announcement came just after 8am, due to high winds, a big ship, and a tiny dock, our port day was cancelled. The consultation price was a scenic cruise day along the fjords. 

The weather was amazing and we’d booked a balcony this trip. We spent some of our impromptu sea day both with the group and on our balcony. 

By evening we had our group’s tropical night, organized by the Cruise monkeys. Our festive attire had the rest of the cruise passengers intrigued by even more. 

It was a great day and I stayed up late where we partied listening to 80’s music. 

Don’t forget to catch on all our Norway adventures including P&O Britannia, Stavanger, and Flam.

Norway Adventures: Port of Call - Flam

Flam is exactly what you think Norway should look like, a small quant town surrounded by large cliffs. I learned from our tour guide what constitutes a fjord is a long narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs with was created by a glacier and filled with salt water. 

Our captain made an announcement the night before that we would enter into the UNESCO World Heritage Site at 5 a.m. and sunrise would be just after 7 a.m. I set my alarm and regretted it when I looked out the blinds into darkness. I re-set the alarm for 6 a.m., stepped on my balcony and could not believe the majestic views in front of me. 

It was amazing and the day only got better. 

We had two excursions, one on a bus to see waterfalls and one on the train. Both were enjoyable and highlighted the beauty of Norway. 

We also swung into a local brewpub before boarding the ship where we bumped into the Cruise Monkeys and some of our travel companions.  

Our scenic sailing that evening was delayed due to the need to rescue some passengers from an excursion which thankfully, no one was injured. The moon came up as we sail, but a change of plans the following day allow us to enjoy more of the beauty of Norway.

Catch up with our adventures in Stavanger here and aboard P&O Britannia here.

Norway Adventures: Port of Call - Stavanger

Our first Port of Call was Stavanger.

Our day in Stavanger was overcast but the rain held off most of the day with was great.  Our plans included the hop on hop off bus and walking around town.

 

My first stop was Starbucks.  I was missing a good cup of coffee and mostly, I was missing cream/half-and-half.  Europe doesn’t put half-and-half in their coffee, instead skim milk.  I was desperate for coffee, which the Stavanger Starbucks didn’t have cream other than what they use for whip cream.  Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!  Since my luggage was already packed to the brim, my only souvenirs were a Starbucks mug and a cute set of earrings I found in town.

 

Our bus took us to the Swords in the Rock. Per Wikipedia, Sverd i fjell (English: Swords in Rock) is a commemorative monument. The three bronze swords stand 10 metres (33 ft) tall and are planted into the rock of a small hill next to the fjord. They commemorate the historic Battle of Hafsjord which took place there in the year 872, when King Harald Fairhair gathered all of Norway under one crown. The largest sword represents the victorious Harald, and the two smaller swords represent the defeated petty kings. The monument also represents peace, since the swords are planted into solid rock, so they may never be removed.

 

Our next top was a visit to the Petroleum Museum where we wondered around for several hours.

 

From the museum we walked back to town among the adorable cobblestone streets in search of a brewery which appeared to no longer be in business. 

 

We debated grabbing a bite to eat or a beer at a local pub but with the expensive prices and the start of rain, we decided to return to the ship instead. What a small quaint town for my first visit to Norway. 

You can read about our adventures in Southampton and aboard P&O Britannia here <=