STAVANGER

  

Eurodam tied up right down town in Stavanger (Star-vun-ger) this morning after cruising through the night down the west coast of Norway from Flamm. Stavanger is a mixture of the old and the new. Old Stavanger is a collection of 173 small, white, wooden houses built some 200 years ago. The story goes that when a farmer or a fisherman had a very good year, he would paint his house white. In the poor years the house would not undergo a repaint. Many remain occupied by locals and some now house craft shops, galleries and museums. The area is a National Heritage Site and is also where the Norwegian Canning Museum is located.

Michele is walking a little more freely now so we undertook a slow walk around this delightful town and took in most of the sights. It was Saturday and a lot of the locals were out taking in the late summer sunshine. As we walked down the pier a group was setting up a wooden 'rock-wall' climbing structure that jutted out into the little bay where our ship is docked. Two participants at a time vied to race each other to the top of the wall. A great crowd gathered around urging them on to see almost all of them lose their grasp and fall into the water to the cheers of the onlookers. And in the same arena reasonably large sailing yachts seemed to be practising rolling starts out of the bay. A very festive mood.

We made our way around the town and stumbled across Stavanger Cathedral built in the Anglo-Norman style in 1125 CE when the town only had 200 inhabitants. Stavanger Cathedral is a scaled down replica of Winchester Cathedral in England. It is one of the few churches in Scandinavia that has kept its original design. Its patron saint is St Svithum. I thought you'd like to know that.

Stavanger's economy once depended on herring and sardine fishing and the canning industry but built its wealth on the petroleum industry where it has significant holdings in the North Sea. We wandered into the Norwegian Petroleum Museum in a very impressive, large building but M indicated she wasn't all that interested in looking at 'petrol stuff' so we backed out through the large revolving doors. I did note, however as I checked out the restaurant within that a hamburger would cost me around $40 should I want one. Norway, with a population of around 5 million, is the fourth richest country in the world, a very high standard of living, and very expensive hamburgers. With the Eurodam just a few blocks away we knew where we could get one for free! Norwegians pay taxes between 28 and 72 per cent with  an average of 50 per cent; but education is free and health care is free. Average salary is $7000 a month. ($5000 construction industry; $10000 petroleum industry) 

We found the centre of town at which time M decided a rest was required outside McDonalds where I was able to patch in to their free wi-fi and make yesterday's post to the Blog as well as check the email. There is still no wi-fi on the ship but I find I can post some pics from my mini iPad. Of course I did have to run into some electioneering  for some imminent political event. The Pensioners' Party spotted me (not sure how) and thrust some papers into my hand. I asked him did he know Paul Keating and when he said he didn't I told him not to depend on my vote. The nice lady with the big smile handed me a plastic bag full of papers for the Family First Party and I mumbled we had one of those in Aus but she just smiled. I liked the chap who handed me a paper bag with a sweet bun inside but I still don't know which party he represented. Anyway I am likely to vote for the Sweet Bun Party.

After just half a sweet bun each we were getting hungry and wandered off through the cobbled walkways where baskets of multicoloured petunias festooned the sidewalk and pointed the way to the ship and lunch which we will need to be spare with as we have planned tonight as our Anniversary Dinner having booked from home one of the fancy restaurants on the ship for which you have to pay a premium. Once per cruise the Pinnacle Restaurant is transformed into the legendary Le Cirque Restaurant of New York. 'An Evening at Le Cirque' will bring traditional French cuisine to this very American ship.

As we were concluding lunch of a salad sandwich and a glass of lemonade, two acquaintances from a previous evening dinner passed by with their plates; so we invited them to join us. Chester and Sunia are black Americans who grew up in Southern U.S.; and they are brother and sister, not husband and wife as we had imagined. They are possibly a little younger than we and, as Sunia says, "there was probably some white fella in the background somewhere" as their skins are a lovely coppery colour. Chester is slightly balding but with unruly, curly grey hair and a moustache to match. Sunia is older than Chester and seems more refined in her appearance making her age difficult to tell. Chester was a mathematician and later a lawyer and Sunia was a dermatologist and now retired. M had sat with her at an evening dinner and they had discussed my dermatological issues about which she was very interested indicating she had performed similar operations throughout her career. She was very impressed with the skill of my plastic surgeon. I had not spoken to her on that evening as one of the other diners was Marilyn Monroe herself. I kid you not. She is an artistic impersonator and she had this one down to a tee. The hair, the skin, the teeth, the low cut dress! Now you know why I was distracted from the good doctor. So perhaps if we invite them to lunch I might be able to swing a free consultation.

The conversation flows easily as if we had known each other for years and we discuss the racism that has existed in both our countries and the plight of the disadvantaged in achieving a fair go in life. We talk about the Aus Aborigine and his belief system and Sunia remarks on the similarity with the American Native both of whom have a seemingly innate love and respect for their land. And the similarities with other cultures throughout the world at various stages of their development are noted. I offer the suggestion that cultural belief systems have their roots in finding explanations for what cannot be easily understood or relate to man's fears for his own existence now and after death. Heady, serious stuff but all in a friendly humorous way. There is the usual banter between Chester and Sunia as brother and sister do. Sunia suggests that perhaps belief systems can be found in DNA and Chester challenges her for evidence and we laugh again. Sunia and Chester grew up in a single parent household with very few resources, a history I also share. Sunia declares that anything is achievable with a mother's love for her children despite all the challenges and I cannot help but agree. But I don't get my free consultation.

So tonight we dressed up a little more than usual and settled into Le Cirque for a special meal to mark the occasion of this Anniversary Cruise and took along a bottle of champagne purchased from the grog shop in Copenhagen. We both had the lobster salad and a pea soup for entrees. M had the Sea Bass and I had the Chateaubriand. Desserts were a fancy pineapple concoction and a strawberry pavlova. So I hope you are feeling suitably envious. We are feeling suitably full. We were presented with a small Anniversary chocolate cheesecake which was then wrapped in foil to take back to the cabin. I start my sugar free diet next week.

We conclude the evening with the 10 pm show in the Theatre. Just a few months ago the world lost the great jazz singer and instrumentalist in BB King. There is a black band on board playing in the bars most evenings reproducing sights and sounds of the BB King Jazz band. Tonight they are in the Theatre playing to a packed audience. They soon have their admirers on their feet clapping and swaying to their loud and brilliant renditions of BB King's music. Complete with dreadlocks, 'BB King' and a fabulous female black singer belt out the songs supported by two large trumpet and saxophone players, an amazing guitarist, keyboard and drums. It is one heck of a sound and transports us back to the alleys of New Orleans and drinking rum-based Hurricanes with the wonderful Robyn and Warwick in 2011. An evening to savour!