Happy Rails to Cruise

Bjorn, the young man in charge of all the excursions and “entertainment” offerings on our ship (he is cute, has a very modern hairstyle, and speaks at least three languages fluently), said in his intro presentation that this ship, the M/S Midnatsol, has the worst Internet of any of the Hurtigruten ships. Guess what. He’s right. I’m actually typing this in Word so that I can copy and paste it into Blogger when I’m lucky enough to get not only a network connection but also an Internet one.

We left Oslo the day before yesterday, on a train journey known as one of the most scenic in the world. But for the lack of the Internet, I would include a link. If you ask Mr. Google to tell you about the Oslo –Bergen train, he will. We were lucky enough to get seats on the north side of the train meaning that we did not have the sun shining directly into our eyes (the sun is quite low on the horizon here). I’ve been saying on Facebook that it is warmer here than at home in Charlottesville. Here’s what the marquee in the train car had to say while we were sitting in the Oslo station. 

 As you can see, there really wasn’t much standing snow in the Oslo area. 

 That changed the more into the mountains we got. 

It also got colder. 

For the record, this is the coldest reading we have personally seen.

As we got closer to Bergen, the snow retreated,

and the rain started.

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway (Oslo is the largest, while Trondheim is third). Still it looks like a much smaller town.

Did you notice that there is now no rain? (The streaks you see are because I took this photo through a window.) We have seen more weather mood swings on this trip than we have on any other. To say ‘If you don’t like the weather, wait for 10 minutes” would be quite appropriate.

We embarked onto the M/S Midnatsol in Bergen. To “embark” simply means you get on the ship; to “depart” is when the ship actually sails. Before we were allowed to embark, we had to watch a safety presentation including information such as how to put on a survival suit and, perhaps more importantly for some people, how to put one on a baby. We also learned how to board a lifeboat and, perhaps more fun for some people, how to use an evacuation chute.

Why the people in these illustrations are not wearing survival suits escapes me. I can only hypothesize that they were told by a crew member not to bother since we were told that in an emergency we were to obey any and all instructions from the crew.

We are in cabin 320 which means that we are on the bottom layer of the ship that is above water. Looking out one of the two portholes, we can imagine that we are on the same level we would be on in a Viking longship. 

This is actually pretty scary and gives us a new perspective on just how badass those Vikings were. Today, though, we value our cabin’s location because it is near the middle of the ship’s length and as low as possible, making it about the most stable spot on the ship. There have been and will be stretches during which the ship sails away from the shore and is technically in the open ocean. Let me just say that I immediately notice when this happens and that motion sickness pills are my friend.

We are on a trip package called something like Hunting for the Light, “Light” being the Northern ones. One might think that this would include someone looking for the aurora to let you know when it is there. Not! They will announce over the cabin speakers, even in the middle of the night, if the aurora is visible, but they can only do that if someone is awake to alert the staff. (If we were on the 11-day, round trip voyage, we would be guaranteed an aurora sighting, and given a free shorter voyage such as ours should the aurora not be seen.) On the first night, we stayed up until after midnight chatting with a couple from Ohio. Mother Nature was in one of her moods, and the sky would pour rain before showing us all the stars in the heavens before deciding to pour rain again. Last night was the same. Rain. Stars. Rain. Stars. If we don’t see the aurora from the ship, and perhaps even if we do, we can go on an “aurora safari” in Tromso and try once more then.

Aurora aside, the daytime scenery is pretty damn impressive.

It is downright incredible some of the places there are buildings. It again has given us a new appreciation of our Nordic ancestors. (Total non sequiter here, but today I learned that “Scandinavia” refers to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden and using the term “Nordic” means you’ve added Finland to the mix.)

Yesterday afternoon, we went on one of the ship’s excursions, a walk through the town of Alesund. (“Sund” means sound, and “ale” means eel, so we were in Eel Sound.) Our guide was a local and 70 if he was a day old. He’d lived there all his life, and we expect became a tour guide in retirement.” Alesund’s claim to fame is that it was pretty much destroyed by fire in 1904. When they rebuilt the city, it was all done in what was referred to as “new style” architecture. (The formal name escapes me and I’m too lazy to go look it up.)

Characteristics of this style include domed windows on the lower level, at least one turret, and exterior decoration on the sides. It’s a little hard to see the exterior decoration on this photo, but trust me, it’s there. Taking photos was a little dicey at times given that it was alternately raining and snowing. To make a long couple of hours short, it was wet.

Some thoughts apart from the scenery, history, and culture. I was thinking that this whole experience was not as I imagined it from reading about Norway’s “coastal ferry” or “mail boat.” It seemed a bit higher faluting. Indeed, there is an Australian couple on board who did this cruise in the summer a few years ago and are now seeing what the winter cruise is like. He told us that it is very different now than it was then. It is more of a “cruise” now and not as much of a “coastal ferry” or “mail boat.” We have cruise cards on which we can charge anything we want, including water to drink with meals. That’s probably the cheesiest thing and the one I will mention front and center if offered the chance to evaluate or rate our experience. We have assigned seating at the dinner period to which we have been scheduled. The excursions cost a pretty penny. We did the walk yesterday somewhat on the spur of the moment. We pre-registered for one tomorrow which is a visit to a Viking museum followed by a dinner in the Viking style. That will do it for us.

I thought we were going to cross the Arctic Circle today. It turns out that it will be early tomorrow. They have invited everyone to toast the crossing with champagne provided obtained using a champagne coupon one has to purchase. Given that the crossing is projected to be between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m., I think I can live without bubbly then, though if it were free I might feel differently.

Random Shots and Thoughts

Random shots from a walk to check out which train platform we need to be at in the morning and to obtain more coffee. I wonder how the ad theme below would work at acac.

Who doesn't love The Little Prince?

They start them early here. It's no wonder Norway has such good speed skaters.

I couldn't resist what with the reference to The Karate Kid (the original, good one)

No, the Lego Man and colleague were not in front of a Lego store.

Random, unfocused shot as we went up in the elevator. I do kind of like it.

Finally, legging, jeggings, skinny jeans and other such leg-wear is really "in" here. The thing is that everyone here looks good in them. The only really overweight people we've seen mark themselves as tourists by their wheeled luggage. Compared to the natives, both the husband and I are shorter than the norm not to mention chunkier.

On the Road in Oslo

I'm sitting at the desk in a 12th floor room at a posher-than-I-usually-stay-at hotel in Oslo. Looking out the window to the left, I see this.

Looking out the window to the right, I see this.

And, not to rub it in for all my friends and family at home, but it's 40 degrees Fahrenheit out there. While Charlottesville is enduring colder-than-normal temperatures, Oslo is enjoying warmer-than-normal temperatures. There is about as much snow on the ground here as there was when we left Charlottesville two days ago.

The husband is napping off his jet lag. I'm finding that four pieces of Jolt gum pretty much killed mine. Give that we'll be up early tomorrow, I'm thinking power through until early evening and go to sleep then.. Our train to Bergen leaves at 8:25 a.m. tomorrow, which means hitting breakfast when it opens at 6:30. Fortunately, the train station is directly across the street from the hotel. Tomorrow night, we'll be on the M/S Midnatsol, sailing from Bergen sometime in the evening. Fingers are crossed for some clear nights and Northern Lights. (The jet lag is starting to show.)

Delay of Gratification

I'm still waffling about the whole resolution thing. Part of me wants to curl up and hide because the responsibility of keeping any resolution seems far too heavy. Part of me disagrees. So I'll make it short and sweet. Since I have been saying that physical things I'd like to accomplish such as run a half marathon, do a pull-up (some people say I will still be able to try; others, that having torn a rotator cuff I kiss pull-ups good-bye), or use the OCR jungle gym in progress in the yard will wait until 2016, I resolve to be ready in 2016. This means lots of things, mental and physical, certainly enough to fill one year.

I have been bad about including photos lately. This is the OCR jungle gym mentioned above. Since this photo was taken, crosspieces have been added to one side for climbing up to the top. Said crosspieces are about three feet apart. The cargo net that will occupy another side is underway in the basement. The whole thing had better be done by 2016.

You Say You Want a Resolution...

This is the time of year when I traditionally look at last year's or July 1's resolutions and consider how I've done with them. Then I make a new batch or propose a new direction in which to live. I'm just not in the mood for that this year, chiefly because the past half year has been a wee bit or more crappy. The last good, full workout I got was almost exactly six months ago. In no small part because of that, I can no longer wear most of the pants I fit into six months ago. Although I have somewhat gotten used to asking for help, it sucks still to be doing it on a more-than-daily basis. I tell myself that there's no direction in which to go save for "up" (there's no comeback without a setback), but really, truly believing that is more difficult. Still, there are some hours left in 2014 and 24 in January 1, 2015. I may still be able to wrestle my angst into something useful. As the song I started out with ends, "Don't you know it's gonna be alright." Resolutions or none, I imagine it will be.

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like Christmas

I love Christmas music and have been known to make it the soundtrack of my day even in the depths of summer. I especially love the carols, by which I mean the religious rather than secular pieces. It seems hard these days, though, to find a radio station playing the day away with carols or, for that matter, secular songs. Perhaps I just have the wrong stations "buttoned" on my car radio.

The physical therapy assistant who runs me through shoulder exercises twice a week asked what my favorite Christmas song is. For carols, it has to be "Silent Night" especially when sung in what I imagine the original manner was, by a solo singer to minimal accompaniment such as just a guitar. The large-scale choral or orchestral versions don't do it for me. I prefer simplicity.

Thinking about a favorite of course led to thoughts of a least favorite. I'm not sure I have one of those when it comes to carols, though there are some that do much less for me that others. I have never, for example, warmed up to "Good King Wenceslas." "Ding Dong Merrily On High" doesn't do much for me either.

When it comes to the secular side, it is safe to say that my favorite song can change from year to year. For the past couple of years, it has been "I'll Be Home for Christmas," but one specific version, the one on Josh Groban's Noel. Before, after, and during the song are clips of deployed soldiers or their families talking about their wishes for the season. Hearing those adds so much meaning to the lyrics. Oh that they all could be home for Christmas and not just in their dreams.

And if I have a favorite secular song, where to begin with the least favorite? Does anyone like "Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer"? Or "Jingle Bell Rock"? Or the current version of "Winter Wonderland" in which the snowman built in the meadow is no longer Parson Brown but a circus clown? Really? It's not politically correct to have Pastor Brown marry them while he's in town? Give me a carol or Josh, please.

Now where's my iPod?

To Do Nothing in Haste

The coming Monday will be six weeks from my shoulder surgery. This means that at my surgical follow-up tomorrow morning, I will likely be told I no longer need to wear the sling that has held my right arm for every minute of the last five-plus weeks save for those spent showering, layering or unlayering clothing, or doing physical therapy or having it done to me. Quite frankly, this terrifies me. I know myself too well. I am a perfectionist and hyper-competitive, especially with myself. While I have become a bit better at it since the surgery, I still hate asking for help. Lightner's First Law is, after all, "if you want it done right, do it yourself."

I have been told that almost 20 percent of people who tear a rotator cuff re-tear it and have to have repeat surgery. I have also been told that 65 percent of those who re-tear it do so in the first six months after the surgery. My physical therapist has shown me movements that would likely re-tear something. The problem is that many if not most of these movements are done quickly or instinctively, usually with one's dominant hand which for me is on the same side as the repaired shoulder. I am pondering ways in which to remind myself to think twice, or more, before I use my right hand for anything. I saw or heard somewhere that holding a pen in the hand works. I have also considered a fingerless glove, though I have not yet looked through the glove supply to see if there's a right glove that fits the bill.

I have needed help with many little things. I skipped having a hot dog for lunch today because I was unable to open a new jar of relish with only my left hand, even with one of those grippy things. Unloading the dishwasher often means one plate or bowl at a time up from the dishwasher to the cabinet. Most pullover shirts won't without torquing my right arm too much. If the right arm can't go in first and come out of a shirt last without being tweaked in the process, I don't wear it. The husband has been a dear about tying my shoes each morning and putting my hair into a ponytail. While I expect I will be able to tie my shoes when I'm free of the sling, I may still be unable to do a ponytail myself. And whatever I can do, I must do slowly.

And that's going to be the hard part--harnessing my type A personality and taking it down to B if not below. It's scary; it really is. Perhaps I'd best go look through the glove supply.