Wednesday, September 20, 2023
There was a lot of motion to the ocean last night. So much that I had to take a Bonine. I usually let the motion rock me to sleep but it was making me queasy. However, once the pill took effect, I had a good night’s rest.
We were up at 6:30 and room service breakfast was delivered at 7:15. We were to meet for our HAL tour in the World Stage at 8:30.
The name of today’s excursion was: STAVANGER OLD AND NEW
About the Excursion: Stavanger and its surroundings have played a leading role in Norway’s history for centuries.
See the Swords in Rock Monument. It is comprised of three Viking swords forced into the ground, stands more than 30 feet tall, and commemorates the place where Viking King Harald Haarfagre (Fairhair) defeated the last of the regional princes in AD 872 and founded the Kingdom of Norway by uniting the 29 small kingdoms under one crown.
You’ll pass rich agricultural countryside before arriving at an Iron Age farm. Here, the living conditions from 1,500 years ago have been recreated. The farm itself is situated in an area with burial mounds from the Bronze Age as well as from the time of the Vikings. At the Archeological Museum, you will see Viking-era costumes and artifacts.
And now, back to the 21st century! The Petroleum Museum is a striking building characterized by interactive experiences and lots of hands-on interactive exhibits, complete with demonstrations of how oil forms. There are exhibitions on land as well as simulated mini-platforms. A walk out to these installations enables you to catch a glimpse of ‘offshore’ life in the North Sea.
Before you return to the ship, stroll through Old Stavanger and past the charming, picturesque, well-preserved wooden houses in narrow lanes that date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The houses were originally built for seaman, craftsmen and businessmen. Conservation of Old Stavanger is today considered the city’s most important project. Notes: Wear comfortable walking shoes.
The bus we had today was very similar to the one we had in Oslo so we sat near the back so we could enter and leave through the middle door. Our guide spoke very good English and the sound system worked well.
Our first stop was the Archeological Museum. We were met by one of the docents who proceeded to explain about the Vikings in great detail – too much detail for me. We only had an hour here and there was a lot to see. We were then divided into two groups, and she took one group and another docent took us.
We were ushered into a small room that featured a lot of jewelry and other ornaments. The displays were very high-tech with holographs changing in each display. Our section also had a random Polar Bear skeleton. We didn’t get to see much of the rest of the museum as our time ran out because he talked a lot too. I really prefer when we get to museums that they let us go through on our own with just telling us what time to be back on the bus.
Our next stop was the Swords in the Rock Monument. It was drizzling again and the path to the swords was very muddy. We only stayed here about 15 minutes – just long enough to get some photos.
After leaving here, we made our way to the Iron Age farm. People there were dressed in period clothes and explained their way of life to us. We had to watch our step as the grass was slick with rain and the sheep don’t know they are not supposed to go to the bathroom on the tourist walking path.
The Petroleum Museum was very modern and very crowded. There were a number of children having fun with all of the interactive exhibits – especially sliding down the emergency ramp. I would have liked to have done that too, but I was slightly off the height requirement. 😁 The museum really gave you an idea of how dangerous those off-shore oil rigs are. We spent about an hour here.
Once we left the Petroleum Museum, you had a choice of leaving the group to shop and explore on your own or go with the guide on a short walk through the old town and back to the ship which we could see from old town. We opted to stay with the guide and walk. I thought the buildings looked a lot like the ones we saw in Bergen. The cobblestone path was slick and, of course, very uneven.
We also stopped at a park that was dedicated to Lars Lende. He was an owner of the “Fagamatøren” newspaper and an advocate for children. He helped children with vocational education and work, plus entertained them with his plastic saxophone and pony cart rides. His slogan was “Everything for the Kids”
I did enjoy the tour today although as I mentioned, I would rather explore museums on my own than be led around by a docent.
Once the ship left Stavanger, it wasn’t long before the rain and fog set in again and the waves got rough. Another Bonine for me.
Tonight was the Dutch Orange Party so we donned our orange shirts and went to the Dutch-themed dinner in the Lido.
I enjoyed the meatball and chicken satay and of course, the Dutch cheeses. I was disappointed that the bitterballen and the kroket were not very hot. Chuck got a Bossche bol for dessert later on.
After we finished dinner, I checked on our Canaletto reservation. I was correct. Guest Services had made a reservation for us at 7:00 for Friday night but did not remove the reservation we had for Thursday night. The maître de at the Canaletto removed it for me. I like Italian food, but I didn’t want it two nights in a row.
We then went to the first set of the BB King band. There was no second set as the Activities Director was hosting a music trivia contest between the guests and some ship officers. We opted to go back to the casino until time for the main stage show – Stephen Barry was singing again. Just like the first show, he performed flawlessly and finished to a standing ovation. I would go see him again on another HAL ship.
As we were leaving the World Stage area, we had a surprise. A woman came up to us and said that she remembered us from the Antarctica cruise. Small world. They have been on the ship for 2 weeks and were flying home on Saturday.
Once the show was over, we went by the BB King Lounge to check out the Orange Party. We decided that the whole area was too crowded. We just came back to the room and called it a night.
Travel Trivia
Stavanger, Norway
Pronounced: Stah-vahn-yer
Stavanger counts its official founding year as 1125, the year the Stavanger Cathedral was completed.
Today the oil industry is a key industry in the Stavanger region and the city is widely referred to as the Oil Capital of Norway.
Domestic and international military installations are located in Stavanger, including the NATO Joint Warfare Center.
The municipality of Stavanger is located in a coastal landscape, bordering the sea to the west and Boknafjorden in the northeast.
Stavanger domkirke (St. Swithun’s cathedral) was built between 1100 and 1150 by the English bishop Reinald in Anglo-Norman style, and in the late 13th century a new choir was added in Gothic style, with a vaulted roof. The cathedral is the only Norwegian cathedral that is almost unchanged since the 14th century.
Stavanger has the largest collection of wooden houses in northern Europe. There’s an estimated 8,000 of the timber buildings lining the city’s streets.
Norway’s largest bank robbery occurred in Stavanger, thieves escaped with 57.4 million kroner, around $10 million USD.
