Our ship came in today – to the port of Trondheim, anyway. The sun has yet to shine, but at least it wasn’t raining on us as we departed to go see what we could of the city. I ordered a taxi before we got off the ship so Stuart wouldn’t overdo it by walking too much. It’s a good thing I did because the big thing to see in Trondheim is Nidarosdomen, the holiest sight in Norway, and it was only open for half an hour this morning. It’s a church that was built in 1070 over the grave of Olav Tryggvason, the Viking king that brought Christianity to Norway. It’s said a spring sprang up over his grave that had miraculous powers, so for centuries, Norwegians from all over the land have made a pilgrimage to this spot in Trondheim. I’m glad we live in a day and age when we could arrive by taxi.
The church was only open to the public for a brief window of time this morning because they do have Sunday services there, so Stu and Judy were some of the few to go in (see Stu doing the Hallelujah pose above). Kory and I used the time to just walk around town since we’d already been there. It was another awe inspiring moment for the two of them, though, not ever seeing any kind of cathedral the like before. They were both in a state of shock when we met up with them afterwards. Glad it didn’t disappoint.
The rest of town was closed up tight. Not only is it Sunday today, but it’s “Pinse” (Pentecost) one of the holiest days on the calendar. Fortunately, because of that, we got a little parade of bunads (traditional Norwegian dress) as people made their way to two different churches, one was holding infant baptisms and another, confirmation. We were relentless in our pursuit of photos, so we had no shame in asking everyone we could, to stop a minute so we could take a picture of them. That wonderful Norwegian “hospitality” came through and they were happy to pose and smile for the camera.
We slowly walked our way back to the ferry from the heart of town, having well over an hour to go less than a mile. Judy watches Stuart like a hawk and is worried if he’s sitting too long, he must stand up, and if he’s walking too much, he must sit down. Her job isn’t an easy one.
The ferry left at noon from Trondheim only to pass through an incredible lightening and thunderstorm soon thereafter. The slanted front windows of the ship made it appear as if one were standing under a waterfall as the water just kept on coming. The only hope for seeing anything out the windows was from the sides of the ship, and even then, the gray clouds were low and thick. I didn’t bother taking too many photos today. The last time we were through this stretch of the coastline, we had the exact same weather, as there is a famous octagonal shaped lighthouse we passed and I took yet another photo of it surrounded by a gray dreary blanket of sky. Kory then sat down and drew that scene while I worked on making a photo book of our trip to Israel. At least the day was productive, if not a little boring.
We have only seen the rest of our group during dinner tonight. The ship is big enough we can easily lose people so we haven’t had much social time today with anyone. Stu and Judy explored a few more floors, but they’d yet to be up on top, out in the weather. Tonight when we docked in Røros, Kory and I got off the ship and looked around in another Hurtigruten ship that was parked in the same dock. Boy am I glad we are on the best one in the fleet, as I’d surely have claustrophobia if I were on that one. It’s only one step down in size from the one we are on, but it makes all the difference, with smaller windows, smaller lounges and no big open areas. Yikes.
I called Kaleb today and he was sounding a little worn out. He said he’s missing me a little more, but still having a good time. He slept over with his pal Toban last night and was at Andre’s grandmother’s house when I called. He’s been adopted as Janne’s “fourth son” so I’m sure he’s being well cared for. But I’m starting to miss him now, too.
Kory took a nap on the top deck today, wrapped up in a wool blanket, snoring away. The hum of the engine is good “white noise.” I’ve enjoyed being rocked so sleep each night as I lie in bed. My only misery has been a full stomach because the food is just so darn good I can’t miss a meal. It’s hard to complain about something like that, however.
Well, day three is done. Only eight to go. Lord help me.
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