Stavanger

Just when I thought my Norwegian antics were over, Cara did a seven-day circuit of Kiel, Stavanger, Oslo, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, then back to Kiel-- thrice! Below are my adventures from our first port, Stavanger:

Stavanger 1.0 (April 9, 2019)

Kirsty and I got off the ship early in the morning, ready for an adventure.

The harbor was a beautiful shiny grey, reflecting from the sun peeping out from low morning clouds.

There was a breeze that hurried our pace along, hopefully towards a coffee shop with wifi.

Ah, Espresso House ("Espresso House!" Sing it to Madonna's "Express Yourself" and you've got yourself the jingle for every cruise port on this contract.). With your beautiful views of Stavanger's lake and gorgeously comfortable interior, you are the perfect place for us crew members to reconnect with Instagram, download Ru Paul episodes, and figure out where the heck we are.

Kirsty determined our first order of business: find the nearest cemetery!

Kirsty enjoys cemeteries because they are peaceful and enjoyable to walk through. She likes to imagine the people who are resting there. And who would I be to turn down an adventure?!

On the way to the cemetery, Kirsty and I happened upon a free art gallery! This Norwegian artist supposedly painted unspecific landscapes, aiming to resonate with a wider audience. In the gallery, Kirsty insisted that some of the paintings depicted Tromso. I thought I saw glimpses of Bodo in another. However, up close, these painting looked as though the artist had haphazardly thrown paint on canvases, simply using the harsh lines of glaciers and fjords as outlines for his creations. It was only on our way out and up the stairs that I turned around and exclaimed, "Kirsty, look from a distance!" Now 15 feet away, we could clearly see Norwegian glaciers, fjords, and harbors! I was shocked by how detailed the paintings seemed from far away; what luck that I had turned around.

We found the cemetery atop a hill. It was indeed a peaceful place.

I definitely accidentally used the chapel restroom during a funeral. My sincerest apologies and condolences.

Next, we thought we would continue on our loop of Stavanger and back toward the ship.

Cara was docked right alongside Old Stavanger, a heritage site which dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

The area is full of white, wooden houses that used to house trading merchants. They are all built on a slant, overcrowding each other at corners, some drooping on an angle. There were quaint little gardens with cats, artisan shops, a small history museum, and a park with bronze statues alongside a kiddie playground. Right behind the Old City, a behemoth development was being built. Cara was roaring with energy in the harbor; this preserved community was surrounded by the noises and smells of consumerism.

For our final Stavanger 1.0 adventure, we headed to an area I will call Shopping Hill. It is a fun, hilly area of winding streets and every shop you can think of. At the top, an old watchtower stood, entitled the Valberg Tower. We learned that the first tower had been built in 1658, but that a new one had been constructed in 1853 and used until 1922. The watchman who resided there was essentially a fireman, and would protect the city at night by looking for smoke and fire.

Everyone in town knew who the watchman was. The last guy was named Tobias. He was a bit of a celebrity.

By this time, Kirsty and I were hungry and thirsty. We found a cute bar and enjoyed a pale ale, then found a coffee shop that had wifi. The coffee shop was a book/ board game mecca, located on a street with décor that combined Mardi Gras with the stereotypical Mexican restaurant experience. I was into it.

Stavanger 2.0 (April 16, 2019)

George and I embarked on a mission to climb Pulpit Rock, or Stiftelsen Preikestolen. This is a very famous hike that attracts thousands of adventurers every year to peer off an enormous sheet of rock and into a gorgeous fjord below. It cost us a pretty penny to get there (It was 40 euros per person round trip for the ferry and bus to the trailhead.), but it was so worth it. The projected hike time was two hours up, and a bit less coming back down.

George and I were practically running up the hill, weaving through all of the tourists. We took an hour and five minutes.

We ate some lunch at the top, enjoying the ridiculous view. The hike itself was not that difficult, at least for us, and it took us through some very interesting terrain. Back down (an hour and ten minutes), we had some wonderful life discussions, which I can always count on with George. The bus ride back to the ferry would not arrive for another hour, so we enjoyed a tea in the mountain lounge at the trailhead. What a fantastic day!

Stavanger 3.0 (April 23, 2019)

My new roommate/ the beautifully talented dresser, Luisa, our new M1, Adam, and I headed off the ship for, you guessed it, wifi! I first gave them a quick tour of the Old City, as this was their first time in Stavanger. Luisa had her heart set on a Trip Advisor-recommended coffee shop in another part of town, so we ended up exploring some residential areas on the other side of the harbor.

When we arrived, I enjoyed a full-out, actual smoothie.

I had not had a smoothie in m o n t h s, America.

M o n t h s.

Look how different Stavanger is in the sun!

We relaxed in the sun, and I took this opportunity to write my blog on Gothenburg.

Around noon, we headed back to the harbor by way of the Shopping Hill, which Luisa and Adam had yet to explore. We took a rest by the lake and a bird pooped on me. Joy of joys! Adam left us, and Luisa and I met up with Kirsty because we had planned to eat lunch at Groovy Diner! This diner was modeled after the classic American burger establishment, complete with rotating red stools, milkshakes in tall sundae glasses, and framed pictures of stars from the 50s and 60s.

Kirsty asked me, "Is this how diners actually are in America?" I laughed, and said yes, technically. This one had way cooler art (Graphic designs in the bathroom!) and didn't sport that greasy, worn, homey feeling that I associate with genuine diners. But it did the trick, and my veggie burger was delish!

My three days in Stavanger, over a course of three weeks, proved to be full of exploration and adventure. If you make it to this part of Norway, definitely drop the money for the Pulpit Rock hike, and take time to walk around the town. You never know what you might find!