On Board and More Bergen










On Board and More Bergen
10/6
After a somewhat late and hearty breakfast, we took a cab with our luggage to the ship, checked in and waited in the lounge for Barry and Sharon who had met up with Josh and Paktis after breakfast. Once we were all together, we went to the center of town where we all took a funicular to the top of one of the 7 mountains that surround Bergen. It was rainy and cold initially at the top but cleared up and we were able to enjoy some truly spectacular views over the fjords of Bergen. 
And noticed this odd sign. For Halloween???
There was also a friendly small herd of goats that we petted and took pictures of.  
Back at the ship, we were able to check into our rooms, unpack and settle in. 
Then we enjoyed  our first dinner on the ship after meeting at Patty and Ira's room for champagne. After dinner, we listened to a violinist play traditional Norwegian music of Grieg and Bull then on the way back to our cabin we listened to a violin and cello duet that was quite good.


10/7
Barry and Sharon got together with Josh and Paktis rather than going on the Bergen bus tour that Viking provided. We had a great guide and saw some of the sights of Bergen. 

The king's residence when he is in Bergen
A suspension bridge from the island to town






After lunch on the ship, we lounged around and explored the ship. Dinner was a special seafood buffet with lots of different seafood dishes.  The ship sailed just after dinner and as we walked back to the cabin, we were feeling some rocking and rolling. The captain had warned that there would be 35 MPH winds and 4 foot seas as we sailed across the North Sea to Amsterdam. Our cabin is almost at the the very bow of the ship and the night was pretty impressive in terms of the pitching and rolling. In the morning, it was just slightly calmer but at one point, we saw a wave come over our 5th floor deck. It was really difficult to walk without holding onto something.
10/8
We were at sea all day. The night had been less than restful and we ended up sleeping through breakfast though I felt less than wonderful and wasn't hungry in the least. As the day progressed, the sea calmed down a bit and we made it to lunch. By dinnertime, all was fairly calm.

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