28th August 2014 We woke up very late this morning, and even so, there were only a few people at breakfast, indicating that our fellow passengers had “chilled out” a bit more than we had! In the morning, we attended a lecture on the Aurora Borealis. The Oriana will be sailing to the northwest of… Continue Reading

27th August 2014 Today is a sea day, which means there’s no rush to get up. However, we still made it to breakfast by 8 am, and unsurprisingly, there was only one other couple there. We lingered for a while, sipping our coffee and scanning the sea for dolphins or whales, but, as has been… Continue Reading

27th August 2014 After a late breakfast, we watched as the ship sailed into Bergen and docked. The weather was overcast, with clouds hanging just a few hundred metres up the mountainside. Fortunately, we’d been given a berth right next to the town, so there wouldn’t be much walking to reach it.   As soon as… Continue Reading

  25th August 2014 Last night, even though our route should have taken us straight down the neighbouring fjord, for some reason we had to sail a good 16 miles out into the North Sea, only to turn around and steam back into the fjord arm that leads to Geiranger. This meant we were tendering… Continue Reading

24th August 2014 Lying in bed, we heard the unmistakable sound of the Oriana docking in our next port of call, Andalsnes. It was 8 am, so we dragged ourselves out of bed and had a quick breakfast. Stepping out onto the deck, we were met with some of the most jaw-dropping scenery you could… Continue Reading

23rd August 2014 Today is Sue’s birthday. Like me, she has successfully navigated the course of life through both calm and stormy seas, and has now docked peacefully in the harbour of six decades! Thirty-eight years ago, she acquired the latest in biological GPS systems to guide and accompany her on this remarkable journey, helping… Continue Reading

22nd August 2014 The 7:30 am alarm was shattered by the sound of clanking chains at 7:00 am. Being in a lower cabin at the front of the ship means enduring the anchor being dropped right outside your window. It’s not a continuous, dramatic clanking like a World War I tank, but rather a series… Continue Reading

21st August 2014 A day at sea meant a well-deserved lie-in, so we didn’t stir until 9 a.m., practically decadent by our usual standards. After breakfast, we shuffled off to a port presentation on Åndalsnes, before rewarding ourselves with coffee in one of the lounges. Suitably fortified, we sat through a surprisingly engaging lecture on… Continue Reading

20th August 2014 A peaceful night’s sleep, gently rocked by the motion of the ship, left us bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:30 a.m. We had breakfast with Barry and Jan (though I’m not sure they were thrilled by the company) before heading down the gangplank to a sunny and surprisingly warm Trondheim quay. Most passengers… Continue Reading

20th August 2014 What a night! Lying in bed, I decided to listen to a BBC Radio 4 podcast on the First World War that I’d loaded onto my tablet and connected via Bluetooth to a pair of headphones, so as not to disturb Sue. As the programme unfolded, I became increasingly aware of the… Continue Reading