Second Segment

July 29, 2015 - Ijmuiden Changeover Day

We awoke to sunshine. After a leisurely breakfast in the dining room, we took our passports and in-transit passes ashore. The visit to immigration was perfunctory and got us another Netherlands stamp in our passports. Then it was on to purchase shuttle tickets to the town of Haarlem. During our pre-stay in Amsterdam we had used the buses to visit the towns north of Amsterdam. We had really wanted to visit Haarlem then, but we ran out of daylight. How great to have this opportunity.

While waiting for the shuttle, I was able to use the free internet in the terminal to upload the first segment of the cruise blog. Then we were on the coach and off for the 30 minute drive into Haarlem. We were let off alongside the main canal just a few blocks from the city center. It was 10:30 and very quiet. As we walked toward the central square we soon spied the tower of the enormous cathedral.

Cathedral in Haarlem from the Back

 





This was by far the largest church we have seen to date on this cruise, and we have seen many. It dominates the square, but we were approaching it from the rear. Each door we encountered had a sign directing us farther on, until at last we were at the entrance on the square. It was not open, so we admired the cathedral from the outside. Several pedestrian ways radiated from the square. They were studded with restaurants and shops. We used our map to pick the route that would lead us to the visitor information office.

Our goal was to learn if we needed additional postage to mail our VAT refund forms after visiting customs, when we leave the country on August 19. While in Kirkwall, Scotland, we had purchased jewelry by a local artisan. The shopkeeper gave us forms to recover the VAT. The instructions said to drop the envelope in the mail after getting the customs stamp on our way out of the EU. My concern was that the destination was in England and the envelope had what appeared to be a British postal permit. Since we would be leaving from the Netherlands, would the permit be honored?

After stopping at the Pandora shop to get a windmill charm, we carried on to the info office. It was not where the map indicated. There was a signpost pointing the way. We walked all around the target area. Nothing. Before giving up we visited a rather sad flea market and then, a rather nice department store. This was 7 floors of merchandise and clothing. All were nicely displayed. Prices seemed high. The 20% VAT does take its toll. Next stop was a Sworavsky shop to inquire about the refund process and the info center. We got no help regarding posting the VAT refund, but we did get a large chuckle about the info office. It had moved. Where? To the opposite end of the square from the cathedral. We retraced our steps, admiring shops along the way.

At the square we looked and looked for the information center. Finally I spied a very small i symbol on a door. That was it. They were very helpful. We did need local postage for mailing the refund. The Netherlands does not have post offices. We could buy the needed stamps from them. They weighed the envelope for us and sold us the 2 euro stamps required. Great let's do some sightseeing.

Square and Front of Cathedral

We walked all around the square. It was almost noon and the al fresco cafes were setting out their tables. The strong scent of coffee filled the air. There were many more people out and about now. The atmosphere was invigorating, and the people were very friendly.

We wandered about admiring the architecture and strolling into some residential streets. Our goal was to return on the 1:00 shuttle, so we made our way back to the canal. We had some time to kill, so we walked along the canal. There were several nice sailboats tied up near a bridge. We went onto the bridge to admire them. This was a steep pedestrian bridge with a beak in the middle so slightly taller boats could pass without the need to raise it. As we returned to the shuttle stop it began to rain and a bell started clanging. We stepped under the awning of a pancake house to get out of the rain. The persistent clanging came from the bridge we had just walked on. It was about to open for boats to pass. Three good sized pleasure boats and two sailboats made their way through. The next bridge clanged and then turned sideways to the canal's edge. Neat!

The shuttle arrived, loaded and departed before the next bridge opened it would have blocked our way. We were back home by 1:30. A most enjoyable visit. This allowed us to have a liesurely lunch and relax before the mandatory boat drill at 3:30. All passengers must attend this before each segment/voyage sets sail. Today the wind is blowing at 40 mph from starboard. As a result the passengers assigned to odd numbered life boats were told to gather at specific meeting points inside the ship. All went well.

At departure time we were assisted by two large tug boats. They helped us to overcome the effect of the strong wind. We eventually straightened out and sailed past the break wall. Wow! What a difference that made. We were really rolling and pitching by the time we went to dinner. We are so grateful that we are spared seasickness. Midway through dinner there was a parade of passengers, mostly women, to the bathroom. Not all of them made it successfully, and the clean up crew was called into action. Marian and Ken were doing well, but Marian decided to play it safe. She loaded up with saltines and went to their cabin to ride it out. The forecast called for rough conditions to persist throughout the night and all day tomorrow. Alice's and I let the motion rock us to sleep. A very good night's sleep.

July 30, 2015 - Sea Day

Today is a welcomed sea day. The trip to breakfast was exciting as the ship continues to move in fits. We are pretty good at keeping our footing, but sometimes we still need to grab a rail for safety. Today's schedule is like Prinsendam of old. Beside the shore excursion presentation, the port lecturer would tell us of things to do independently in our next 3 ports. There would also be a lecture on the history of Norway and upcoming ports. We are in heaven. Celebrity could learn so much from the way Holland America informs their passengers and enhances the cruising experience.

The various lecturers did not disappoint us. To make matters even better, when we returned to our cabin we found a pink envelope from shore excursions. Some time before leaving home I had attempted to book tickets for the Tattoo in Edinburgh. Both the front and side seats were sold out, so I wait listed us for both. When we boarded on the 15th we heard that there were no tickets to be had. I had researched the possibility of going independently, but a missed train would leave us in jeopardy. We anxiously opened the pink envelope. Two tickets for premium front seating. Hooray! What luck.

We ended our day happy and content with a good night's rest.

July 31, 2015 - Eidfjord, Norway

Eidfjord is the town at the head of the fjord with the same name. It is small and walkable. The shore excursions offered here involve long coach rides through the countryside to waterfalls or overlooks. We had done that in 2004 on the Norwegian Coastal Voyage, so we opted to stay in town and walk. Brett, the port lecturer, had mentioned an ancient burial ground high above the town. You may have gathered that we love visiting old burial sites. Off we went. The free map from the info center indicated that the yellow walking trail would take us there. We crossed the river bridge and came to a point where either a left or right turn would put us on the yellow trail. We opted to go right. This route remained flat through a quiet neighborhood. Then it followed the river as it coursed through the woods. About every 50 yards a tree would have a yellow band painted on it. One would have to work very hard to get lost. We passed many Rapids and an old fish trap. Sometimes we were at the river's edge. Sometimes we could not see the river. We could always hear it rushing. A bit farther on we came to the cleanest outhouse we have ever encountered. Maybe this was just because we were early, but more likely it is because the Norwegians respect the environment and each other.

We saw no one else on the trail, and we were wondering if we should have gone the other way, when two runners zoomed by. Ultimately we came to the lake that fed the river. High above was a mountain pass with a small glacier. The ultimate water source. We paused to admire this beautiful spot in total peace. 

When we resumed walking, the trail took a turn. There, ahead of us, was the first of many switchbacks that would take us to the ridge above the city. The grade was moderate, and we had no trouble managing it. I was still gun shy from my bout in Invergordon, so I paused often. This slowed Alice down, but she was happy not to have to get help out here. Soon we encountered people walking the other way. Yes, the burial site was ahead. No, it was not just around the bend. 

Eventually we got to a plateau. There we did discover some grassy mounds that could be burial sites. There was no marker or descriptive sign to be seen. We paused to observe and walked on.

We were in a rural area now. Some long haired cows or Bulls lay in a pasture. They all had horns, and they all were unmoved by our presence.

After passing a few farms we came to the city's outskirts. The homes were small and tidy. The road started to descend to the town proper. This descent was not nearly as gentle as was the ascent. We took care not to stumble and roll. The walk through the hilly portion of town was very nice. The map had said the walk was 90 minutes. We took three hours, and walked over 7 miles. That is not just because of my frequent stops. Rather, it stemmed from our desire to pause and take in the freshness of our surroundings.

When we reached sea level in the heart of town, we discovered crowds of athletes. This was Friday, and a mini triathlon was scheduled for the weekend. Road bikes were being wheeled into the hotel. Swimmers in wet suits were heading to the fjord. Runners, like the ones who flew past us, were warming up on downtown streets. We made our way through the crowd to re board Prinsendam. After a restful lunch we found a place to sit and recount our delightful experience.

Eidfjord was charming and fun for us.

August 1, 2015 - Bergen, Norway

We docked about a 15 minute walk from the central fish market. As we walked away from the ship we passed some huge vessels which we believe we're oil rig tenders. We wrote down the names of some, and I will Google them to learn more. Beyond them were park grounds and the Bergen castle. We have visited Bergen twice before, but never got to this area. This time we enjoyed touring the castle grounds.

As we walked on toward the fish market, we passed through Bryggen, the old Hanseatic seaport. The buildings are being restored using materials and techniques that approximate the originals. Most of the restored buildings are now shops and restaurants. Faithful exteriors with "polluted" interiors. Only our take on things.

We continued our walk now along the water. Transient boats are allowed to tie up here as many as three deep. We don't know how the inside boat gets away if it wants to leave first. We did see two sailboats from Poland make their escape. It was easy because they were leaving together. It started raining as we watched them go. We retired to the backside of a ticket pavilion. Here you could by tickets for the fish museum, and wait for a small water transport to take you there. Business was not booming, but there were many of us standing in the shelter of their roofed structure. They did not mind. We stood there for 30 minutes before the rain stopped. As we waited, we watched moms cope with tired little ones. Some were better at this than others. One mom planted her crying child in an exposed stroller and headed off into the rain as the child continued screaming. Peace for us at last. 

The rain stopped, and we made our way to the fish market. How different it was. Our last visit was in 2004. Then the stalls were all fresh catch for sale to the local people. Today the stalls displayed limited fresh fish for selection by the tourists to be cooked and served at tables behind the counter. It all looked very good, and probably tastes great, but this is not what I would call a fish market. A bunch of al fresco cafes serving fresh catch. 

Beyond this travesty was yet another. A new tourist information office has been built alongside the harbor. It is well stocked with helpful material, and free internet is provided. But the architecture is atrocious. It is not in keeping with any of the surroundings, and the colors are garish.

We walked back to the ship happy that we had been to the castle and disappointed that commercialism has spoiled the harbor area.

August 2, 2015 - Alesund, Norway

We arrived in Alesund at about 9:00 Sunday morning. It was sunny and calm. We visited here in 2004, but. Cannot remember it. We came on the coastal voyage. Today the Hurtigruten Vessel Troll Fjord docked behind us right after we arrived. It was on her sister ship Midnatsol that we had come the last time. Troll Fjord stayed just 45 minutes. That is probably why I do not remember our last visit.

This visit will not be so easily forgotten. We walked and walked. We started out along the harbor. The boats and reflections were captivating. We took many pictures in hopes of capturing the serenity. Because it was Sunday the shops did not open until noon or later. We walked along the sea as far as we could. Then we moved inland a few blocks to a street lined with shops. It was fun to window shop, and even more fun to photograph the art nouveau architecture. The city was destroyed by fire in 1904, and it was decided to rebuild in this style. Very beautiful.

At the visitors' center in a book Alice found a picture of 4 ornate manhole covers in the street, but it did not provide the location. She asked one of the girls at the counter. This drew a total blank. She asked another. Same result. Finally the third woman remembered seeing something similar, and told us where to find it. Isn't it amazing what we take for granted in our own hometowns? We continued our walk, and ultimately found the cluster of 4 manholes. They were different from the picture and not nearly as elaborate. They had been changed over time.

We returned to the ship having logged just over 5 miles. We had a marvelous time and enjoyed all of it.

August 3 & 4, 2015 - Sea Days

We are now headed north. Our ultimate objective is the polar ice cap on the 6th. Now we are on our way to Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen in the Svallberg Archipelago. The sea is very calm. The cruising is very pleasant. We fill our days with lectures, computer classes and trying to organize photos and write the blog. Life is good! Oh yes, and the sun does not set now. We are enjoying 24 hours of daylight.

Tuesday is Gala night. Ken and Marian and we decided to dine in Canaletto. This is the extra charge Italian restaurant aft on the Lido deck. It is a part of the Lido that gets set aside in the evening. The format is geared to sharing. The suggestion is 2 small plates (appetizers), 1 pasta plate and one large plate (meat course) per couple. Each couple followed this protocol, and we shared as appropriate. What a delightful meal. Each course was prepared to our order, and presented beautifully. We were neither rushed nor made to wait. The timing was relaxed and excellent. The wait staff was efficient, and the wine steward was properly attentive. Our reservation was for 5:30. When we finished dessert it was 7:45. We had such a great time together that this time flew by. We thanked Widi, the manager, for an excellent evening. He is a friend from our two South America voyages.

Until now I have not commented much on our dining experiences. I must say that all have been exceptional. All of the food has been very well prepared. The presentations keep iPhones clicking all around the dining room. The service has been extraordinary. We cruised on Oceania last summer. They are noted for their culinary prowess. We were not impressed. Having again returned to Holland America we can say that Holland takes a back seat to no one.

August 5, 2015 - Longyearbyen, Norway

Longyearbyen is the northernmost city with a population of over 1,000. We docked on time. After breakfast Alice and I walked ashore. We met a friendly young lady at the information trailer on the pier. She gave us a map and some directions. I think she got more than she expected in exchange. Traffic was slow, so we decided to chat a bit. We learned that she was Swedish from Gothenburg. A year earlier she had tired of the rat race, and moved to Longyearbyen. She may stay another year. She teaches kindergarten. She does not mind the months of total darkness from late October until March. Having a boat and snowmobile helps getting around, but there are things to do in town. We trudged off in the direction of town. This is a former coal mining town. The American, Longyear, created the town to exploit the rich coal veins in the surrounding mountains.

We are well above the arctic circle, and the ground is permafrost. This requires buildings to be fabricated on low stilts. This enables compensation for the changes in support as the permafrost shifts. The site of the old city is marked by pilings that stand about a foot above ground. The structures are all long gone. What does remain are parts of a cable gondola system that was used to move coal from the mountains to the ships.

The present town is very colorful and somewhat sprawling, yet contained in a relatively small area. As you approach the edge of town you are met with signs warning that you should carry a loaded rifle and be alert for polar bears. Within the town are signs warning of the protective nature of the nesting arctic terns. Their eggs are the subject of attack by silver foxes and other bird species. As a result the terns dive bomb the heads approaching beings, and can inflict painful injuries. The accepted defense is to extend one arm above the head and wave it in a circle. The use of sticks is forbidden. Fortunately we were not attacked.

It was a long walk along the road to get into town. The volume of traffic was surprising, as we kept moving out of the way. We passed repair crews and the bus depot before we finally got to town. There were two objectives here. Find the post office and mail a postcard home. Visit the northernmost church in the world. A brief stop at the town museum in a fairly new and modern structure pointed us toward a footpath that would take us to the center of town and keep us off the road.

Soon we found the post office, and dropped our card in the mailbox. We had purchased our stamps on Prinsendam. So no Norwegian krone were required. We were now in the center of the retail district. There were grocery stores, a small mall, leather and woolens shops and of course jewelry stores. Almost all of these were very small with a limited selection. We were not shoppers today except for the search for something for Sean and for Shelly. The department store met our needs.

We finished walking through the business district and found the main information center. The young lady we had met on the pier was now here to help us. She kindly showed us the way to the church from the far end of town. That is just what we wanted. On our way to the end of town we would pass through a nice neighborhood. Before we left she gave us a personal username and password for an hour of free secure internet usage. We were only online for five minutes to check our emails.

We were now so far north that the ship had no satellite links except for navigation. Internet and TV services would not be available until we came back south to Iceland.

We walked as far through town as we thought we could and still visit the church and return to the ship on time. What did we see. The neighborhood had attached dwellings like row houses. Most were a single story. A few were two stories. They were neat and well cared for, but approximated barracks. Down the middle of the gravel street were attached sheds for storage. These had numbers corresponding to house addresses. Beyond them was a lot for parking snowmobiles. There are not many cars here.

When we turned back toward the ship we crossed the river again. It was flowing from a glacier outside town and carving away its banks. It was a rushing muddy mess. As the road wound up the hill toward the church we passed the remains of the old city, including rotting gondola towers and the remains of the posts that supported buildings on the permafrost.

Finally we were at the church. It is clearly marked as the northernmost church in the world. Its simple exterior masks its beautiful interior. The entrance is on the downhill side into the lower level. Here there is space to remove your shoes and hang your coats. At the top of the stairs is a large greeting room with tables and chairs and a nice fireplace. Beyond this is another room, the church proper. It is all natural wood with fabric and painted accents in light pastels. Very soothing and ethereal. It was a pleasure to spend some time here.

Upon leaving we continued downhill on a road that seemed to lead to the sea. After several turns led us into an industrial park, we could see the harbor road at the bottom of our descent. This meandered along the water to the pier and Prinsendam.

August 6, 2015 - Sea Day and Polar Icecap

Today is a great adventure day. We continue on without a sunset in search of the polar icecap. We should meet it early tomorrow morning at about 81 degrees north. This will place us within 600 miles of the North Pole. The captain will use the expertise of the ice pilot and reports from other vessels to guide Prinsendam safely through the drifting ice. 

It is cold and misty outside. The fog comes and goes, but mostly comes. We can see large pieces of ice slide past our hull. Our speed is only 2 knots, so they pose no problem. We learn that we are 20 miles from the actual icecap. The ice flows are growing in size and we will not proceed any further. A tender is lowered to cruise around the ship and photograph it. They will also collect some ice to bring back to the ship.

Nice Sailboat

The Ice Cap Is This A Way

During his dinner time report from the bridge, the captain explained the safety concerns and apologized for the need to turn back. Then he gave some good new. The ice pilot told him that we had permission to cruise a fjord that we would normally pass just before arriving at Ny Ålesund, and view its glaciers. We would arrive at 5:00 AM.

August 7, 2015 - Glaciers and Ny Ålesund

We awoke at 4:30 and saw ice flows drifting outside our stateroom. By 5:15 we were on deck as we slowly passed glacier after glacier. We were in the fjord. At the end was a very wide but not exceedingly high glacier. It was very impressive, but low lying fog kept us from seeing how high were the mountains that contained it.. The impression was that they were not high at all. This makes the glacier's vastness even more impressive. After turning around here so that both sides of the ship had a good view, we headed out of the fjord and around the corner. An hour later we were docking at Ny Ålesund.

Where Is The North Pole?

Ny Ålesund has a population of 150 in summer that dwindles to 30 in winter. It is a research station at 79 degrees north. This makes it the northernmost town in the world. Atmospheric and marine research dominate.

Going ashore here makes me think it might be similar to a landing in Antarctica except that Antarctica would have ice and snow. Here we were limited to walking a gravel road that marks the perimeter of the town. There are research buildings and housing structures. Housing is in old barracks. Many are left over from coal mining days, while others seem to be old military housing. There is one hotel, one souvenir shop and a post office. When we first stopped at the souvenir shop, the line extended outside the building. The wait to check out was over an hour. We moved on to the post office. Again, thanks to Prinsendam providing stamps for sale, we just dropped our postcard in the mail box. We are anxious to receive it and learn how the northernmost town in the world cancels stamps.

Marine Research Center

The Main Drag

Foundation for Permafrost

Our Postcard Only Took Two Weeks to Arrive

Continuing along the road, we came upon signs explaining the coal mining past. We also saw some "finer" housing that was used for mine managers. Eventually we were at a junction with a trail that went toward the mountains. This was the road to the old coal mines. A sign indicated that travel beyond this point required a rifle as polar bear protection. 

Moving on along the perimeter road led to another road to wilderness with a bear warning sign. This went a step further. There was a piece of buried pipe standing above the ground. The sign said to load you rifle, place the barrel into the pipe and fire. This was to insure that your weapon was firing properly before leaving the safety of the compound.

Around the corner was the sled dog kennel. We saw at least 12 dogs here. Most were sleeping. All were large and looked strong and healthy. Farther on we passed a construction site where precast concrete wall segments were being put in place. There was no way to tell what this structure would be, and there was no one to ask.

When we left the ship we were admonished to stay on the gravel path and heed the monitors who were at various positions to direct us. Here we saw a woman wander off the road and across a gully to examine a bone. The monitor's repeated calls to get back on the trail went unheeded. Finally the woman kicked the bone all the way back to the trail, completely ignoring the cries of the monitor. At least she did not take the bone. It is this type of inconsiderate behavior that may one day ruin it for the rest of us.

We passed some equipment sheds that housed heavy equipment for snow and earth removal. Some brand new snowmobiles were awaiting commissioning before being placed in service. Currently daylight lasts 24 hours, but in mid October night will fall and remain for four months. With this will come snow and ice as well as winter isolation. It takes a special breed to handle this. We are glad this is summertime.

Our walk of the loop now complete, we returned to the souvenir shop. We were able to shop and check out in half an hour. Stock was pretty well picked over, but it was already being replenished. The hot items are things that say 79 degrees North.

We climbed aboard an hour before departure, and had lunch. Then I went to the Crows Nest for our departure. Alice went to a computer class. Shortly after getting under way, the captain announced that the excursion vessel along the shore ahead of us had spotted polar bears. That ship, the Hurtigruten Fram, would move to the dock we had just vacated. No wonder souvenirs were being restocked. We would move to its position along the shore. 

The polar bears were still there. I was able to see them, but I did not have a camera. Alice had gone on deck outside the computer lab and captured a mother and cub. How great! The captain turned the ship so that the other side would get a view. Then he took us out of the fjord and into the Norwegian Sea. It was calm as we started our two day run to Iceland.

Alice and I took some time to marvel at our good fortune. We had just gone farther north than most non-explorers and non-scientists ever go. What a thrill this had been. We had met special people with a pioneer spirit. Truly this had been an inspirational experience.

August 8 & 9, 2015 - Sea Days

These days provide an opportunity to catch our breath and get some needed sleep. When awake, the lectures and classes continue to keep us occupied and entertained. Yesterday we attended a coffee chat with the captan, hotel manager, chief engineer, staff captain and cruise director.

The captain recently took command after having served previously as staff captain. He knows the ship well. The hotel manager has been on Prinsendam since 2013. He was our hotel manager around South America in 2014. He is currently planning for grand voyages in 2016.

Chief engineer Wilco has been on Prinsendam since Holland America acquired it in 1993. He has overseen a complete refit of the ship's systems in that time. The staff captain was just brought aboard to cover a vacation. He had been assigned full time to the shipyard building the new Koningsdam. He is intimately aware of the economics of running ships.

Much of the questioning was about the future of Prinsendam. Will it be sold? Will Holland America build other small ships? The cost of the new Koningsdam is $450,000,000. The replacement cost of Prinsendam is $650,000,000. Koningsdam caries 2,650 passengers. Prinsendam carries 850. It is only the loyal following of Prinsendam, willing to pay a premium, that keeps her viable. A new build of her size is unlikely.

Today we went to lunch in the dining room. We requested a table for two. Shortly after we were seated Marian and Ken were brought to the table next to us. When Kiki saw us later, he wanted to move the tables together like dinner. When we asked him if these were open seating tables available for dinner, he said yes but they have a time limit. We would not be able to sit as long as we do at our fixed seating. He was kidding, but we do usually take 2 hours to eat and get caught up on the day's events.

Tonight is another Gala night. Kiki says do night call it formal night. The guys in the office think gala makes people feel better than formal. Everything is being changed by guys fresh from school, who do not know the business. He used to be the maitre de. Now he is Dining Room Manager. Why? We think Kiki's retirement at the end of the year is coming at a good time for him. We will certainly miss him, and we wish him well.