Tuesday 1/15 - Stavanger - Swords & Fjords

We set an alarm as our day in Stavanger (Stuh-VANG-er) but muffed the details, so startled awake to a lengthy announcement around 8A.  We had arrived late at the port, and all the morning tours were delayed.  We ditched the idea of a morning shower and headed up for a quick bite of breakfast, also ditching the idea of eating a hearty one as we had two tours scheduled. 

Exiting the boat is a bit of a process, one's room key card is scanned to document your departure (Where'd You Go, Bernadette?).  The tour groups gather at a given place on board and the guide leads the group off together.  The day was gray and damp, but the rain had stopped.  We had a short walk to our bus, which threaded its way through the narrow downtown streets to the Oil Museum.  Seems that some years back, Danish engineers had evaluated the offshore area for likely oil deposits and found none.  American companies repeated the process and found higher hopes.  Some 70 dry wells were drilled before a huge deposit was found on Christmas Eve.  Perfect timing!  Subsequently there has been much development and lots of learning (the original rig was towed up from the Caribbean and promptly decimated by the very active North Sea).  As in Alaska, the national profits from the leases are deposited to a government trust for the benefit of all Norwegians, though the distribution here is in the form of such social supports as health care & education, rather than a personal check.

Back on the bus, we proceeded out of town through neighboring countryside.  We saw the "Three Swords" monument, commemorating the final battle that resulted in the unification of Norway under Harald the Fair-Haired ... who had fallen in love with a princess who wouldn't be satisfied to marry a petty king.  Her requirement was that her suitor unite the country under himself.  He set out to do so, swearing not to cut his hair or beard until he succeeded.   Ten years later, he would have made quite a picture ... but he got his kingdom and his wife.  Hooray!

We were introduced to the mystery of why metal helmets were never found in Viking graves.  The Vikings believed that if they died in battle, they'd go directly to Valhalla, where they could fight with abandon.  Why?  Because if you died (again) in Valhalla, you'd be resurrected the next day.  So no need for protection!

Waterfront buildings erected long ago

Coming back into town, we saw the many wooden homes constructed centuries ago.  They've been preserved as a national treasure.  Many had been used to process herring when those fish arrived here, and later to can them when they arrived from farther away.  There's a big cathedral built to entice a bishop who would set up his own fiefdom here and grant the then-king a divorce.  And a little lake in the middle of town, created (we were told) by an angry troll, incensed at the construction of the cathedral, throwing a huge rock at the structure.  It missed the mark and left a huge hole in the ground ... and the angels were so grateful that the church was spared, their tears of joy filled the lake.  As good a tale as any, we felt!

Back towards the boat, with (we believed) just 15 minutes to reach our next tour.  Did we need to re-board or should we just wait on the sidewalk?  WELL.  Turns out our tour was delayed by half-an-hour due to the late start of the morning versions.  So we got a light lunch and met up with the group as it was moving down the hall.

 

Stavanger harbor

 

This tour was on a smaller boat similar to many harbor tours in the US.  We went up a pretty fjord, seeing salmon and mussel farms closer to town, and being regaled with upcoming changes as a result of bridge and tunnel construction.  More reliance on cars and less on ferries.

Bridge across the fjord

salmon & mussel farms are just offshore

As we went under a long, high bridge at the entry to the fjord we were surrounded by towering cliffs.  Our first stop was at the "Vagabonds' Cave" where long ago, a band of thieves deterred the local sheriff by holing up there and pelting the posse with rocks.  

Vagabonds' Cave

Next was "Pulpit Rock," a very tall slab thrusting into the sky.  It's supposed to be a climbing treat, but you'd need much better skill AND motivation than we could offer.  

Climb THIS?  Not for us!

Further up the fjord, there was a beautiful big waterfall (recently replenished by heavy rain).

what a lovely waterfall

The sea is a master sculptor

 

Though we had nice pauses at these scenic places, it was time to high-tail it back to the dock as the ship was scheduled to depart at 4P.   Along with another bus tour group, we scrambled back onto the boat just in time.

After all that, just kicking back a bit was in order.  I took our laundry down to the (free!) self-laundry, and my cross-stitch to a nearby seating area overlooking the atrium.  Piano music at first, then replaced by a string duet ... I achieved several small goals with the needlework, oriented a fellow passenger to the laundry instructions, and got back to the room with a roll-aboard full of freshly-folded clean clothes.  Angie woke up from her good nap.

We weren't up for a full dinner (and still faced the challenge of the remaining half of the cake) so we returned to the pool deck for the "kebab night" there.  Entering the area, we could hear the pool waves, and as we took our table (rejoining ladies we'd sat with on the boat tour), we had a clear view of the water in motion.  And a poor fellow with the hopeless task of squeegeeing the escaped liquid back into the pool.  Good LUCK with that ... eventually several people in high-ranking uniform arrived to survey the scene, and we were told later in the evening that the pool was being drained.  I guess SO.

Back to the room, and asleep to the rocking (though much gentler) of the boat.