Aboard Holland America 'Veendam' Day 6 (At Sea)

Woke up around 9 a.m. after a long night of weird dreams brought on at least in part, presumably, by the continuous and sometimes profound rolling of the ship (and after losing a third hour as a result of our steady movement eastward). 

Discovered to much consternation that the Fitbit charger Diane bought at Walmart just before we left was not the right one for her device, despite assurances that this was the case, thereby invalidating any walking she might do until such time as she can acquire one. Tried to find one after breakfast at the various gift shops and front desk but to not avail, ensuring unhappiness on this account for the foreseeable future. 

Went at 11 a.m. to an interesting coffee chat with cruise director Thomas and lecturer Robin Ross, who was active in British "pirate radio" in the 1960s and '70s and, in the course of his ensuing career in legitimate radio, interviewed numerous music industry artists. 

Worked in the cabin for awhile creating a product bundle for the Skirmisher Publishing section at DriveThruRPG and adding content to my neglected d-Infinity Online game magazine (my main co-contributors Chris Van Deelen and Clint Staples having disappeared from the site, almost like clockwork, as soon as I departed for this cruise). 

Main dining room once again appeared to be closed for lunch so instead went to Lido, had a somewhat uninspiring meal there, and then returned to the cabin to work for awhile. 

Lots of vibration, rolling, and general turbulence throughout the day as a result of significant chop in the ocean, and with Internet access regularly disappearing and then becoming available again sometime thereafter. 


Breakfast: Congee with chicken, beef, dried cuttlefish, and scallions. 

Lunch: Korean-ish noodles, pork with vegetables, and seafood stew (all just OK), three tuna rolls, iced tea, a baked apple, and a cone with one scoop of pretty good coconut ice cream. 

Dinner: Salad of Boston lettuce with crumbled gorgonzola cheese, rare prime rib with carrots, butternut squash, Jackson potatoes, and a bottle of red wine. 

Viking Sky, Day 12 (Stavanger, Norway)

Arrived in Stavanger, Norway, c. 10 a.m., about the time that I got up, and I got some coffee and then worked in my cabin, mostly on updating my TravelBlogue, until going to lunch at noon. Went back to the room after that and worked for an hour before going ashore for a two-hour walking tour of the city, which included a visit to the surprisingly interest Oil Museum (below top), the cathedral, and the old historic district.

Stavanger is the third-largest city in Norway and is widely referred to as the "Oil Capital" of the country because of its booming offshore oil industry, which remains a pillar of the local economy. It is located on the Stavanger Peninsula in Southwest Norway and was established officially in 1125, the year that Stavanger Cathedral was completed (shown at right). Much of its heart is dominated by 18th- and 19th-century wooden houses, some of which can be seen in the image at bottom, which are considered to be an important part of the Stavanger's cultural heritage and contributes to its prevailing small-town ambiance.

Breakfast: Black coffee. 

Lunch: Small piece of marinated and grilled Arctic chard, pureed cauliflower, stewed mushrooms, five sauteed shrimp, some green pasta with crab meat, one glass of red wine, and a scoop of chai gelato in a cone.

Bottom: A glimpse of Stavanger from my stateroom aboard Viking Sky while in port that shows the monument to Admiral Thore Horve, who led the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1946-49 and in 1951. 

Viking Sky, Day 9 (Warnemünde/Berlin, Germany)

Sunday, September 3 we made port at Warnemünde, Germany, and took a train that the cruise line had chartered into Berlin, about two hours away. This was a special treat for me, as the train was very similar to the ones I had ridden around Germany and France while living in Europe in the 1980s. 

While in Berlin we took a tour of the city and then visited the famous Brandenburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial, and Checkpoint Charlie, and had lunch at a traditional German restaurant with our friends David and Candida from the U.K., who just happened to be visiting there at the time. 

Viking Sky, Day 2 (Stockholm and Baltic Sea)

Still on an odd schedule and woke up early and, after laying in bed for awake some time, got up about 5 a.m., took a shower, and then went back to bed for another hour or so. Got up for good around 7 a.m. and then went to breakfast and worked ahead of meeting in the theater for our tour at 10:15. 

Departed on a panoramic coach tour of Stockholm — capital of Sweden and the most populous city in Scandinavia — at 10:30 and spent two hours driving across several of its 14 islands, neighborhoods, and sections and saw numerous points of interest and got a good overview of the city from our guide Mia. 

At 2:25 p.m. we had the mandatory safety drill and subsequent briefing in the theater. After that I had to run back to the room to get my laptop and then return to the theater to meet the cruise director, Aaron, and the stage manager, to make sure I knew everything I needed to for my lectures and that my PowerPoint presentation would display properly. 

Took some time after all that to work for awhile, mainly on proofing the presentation I had to give today and doing some background reading tying in with it, while we sailed out through the Stockholm Archipelago, a sprawling collection of 30,000 to 40,000 islands, most of them rugged looking and forested and many inhabited (see a 14-minute video of this that I shot at the bottom of this page). 

About 4:30 p.m. went up to the spa and enjoyed, in succession, about 15 minutes in the dry sauna, a cold plunge, about 15 minutes in the steam room, five or so minutes in the snow room — yes, a room on the ship filled with actual snow! — and then soaked for awhile in the jacuzzi before shaving and heading back to the room to get cleaned up for the evening. 

Gave my first presentation of the cruise, "Land of the Teutonic Knights: Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia," at 7 p.m. in the Star Theater and was very pleased with the nearly-full-house turnout (especially as it was right in the middle of dinnertime), how it went, and the response it received. Finished it up right at 45 minutes and then chatted with and took questions from four or five people as I packed up and headed out of the theater so it could get set up for its next activities. 

Had a fairly quick dinner in the World Cafe and were impressed with how much nicer and more elegant the offerings were than in the equivalent venues (i.e., "the trough") on other ships we have been on. 

Arrived early at the Captain's reception so as to get seats up front and then was brought up on stage with my fellow lecturers, Commander Michael Cheshire and Dr. Robyn Woodward, and introduced to the passengers. Stayed for the variety entertainment that followed and enjoyed a couple glasses of champagne. 

Went back to stateroom with the intention of reading and working for awhile but, after reading maybe a half page, passed out after a long, enjoyable, and productive day. 

Breakfast: Small portions of smoked and baked salmon, smoked haddock, prosciutto, crusty bread with butter, orange juice, and coffee. 

Lunch: Nice slice of juicy, medium-rare leg of lamb, with some white rice and a cold salad of Brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and potatoes, along with a glass of red wine. 

Dinner: Started with two small meza-style dishes, one of grilled asparagus and chorizo, and the other a tartar of Arctic char on cucumbers. Then moved on to a main course of seared duck, braised Belgian endive, and white rice. Enjoyed two glasses of red wine with my meal.