Nordic Cruise #3

July 8
Oslo. A strangely modern place. Although there are loads of old buildings I had an overwhelming impression of newness. The weather was rubbish so a day for doing things indoors. However, it won't come as too much of a surprise that we were operating on a tight budget with the customary less-than-fifty-quid worth of local currency.

With the money we had we caught a little ferry (not really a ferry; more like a bus, but on the water) to the Fram museum. This I had to see. I hunted high and low, but could find not evidence of Chris Osborne anywhere. In fact there was nothing relating to insipid pop music anywhere, rather the whole building being given over to a giant ship.

We spent the last of our money on a trip to the Kontiki museum; a tribute to Thor Hyadal (sic), the most famous man ever to put to sea on a raffia mat. I remember watching the story of the Kontiki on Sunday afternoons on BBC when I was a lad, so found it quite a thing to be in the same room as the actual vessel, if one could call it that.

Then it was back to the ship and set sail for Southampton.


July 9
Another day at sea. We played ping pong (interesting when played in a North Sea "breeze"), air hockey, and had a walk round the promenade deck. The most interesting thing to happen was seeing a boy fall head first down a set of stairs, while I was taking pictures. I caught the moment on camera by pure chance (L was most impressed by this piece of Crime Scene photography).

I don't know if this says more about me and my photographic abilities, but I found all the way through this trip that just as I was about to fire the shutter on what I considered to be a possible masterpiece, some coffin dodger would appear from a doorway right in to the path of my aim for a drag on a woodbine. Why can't they stay in Marks & Spencer's food hall where they should be.

Anyhow, I'd have to say that all in all I've had a really good time ... apart from losing the new fleece I bought for the trip, which was really required for sitting outside while at sea. I'd certainly consider another cruise in future. I guess that makes me officially old, but then you probably knew that anyway.