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 bed’s undulating movements. When the episode finished and the sounds of battle should have faded as sleep took over, they didn’t. Had the next episode automatically started? No. And it certainly wasn’t Sue doing her usual sleepwalking tap-dance on the cabin table, sipping brandy while balancing the bottle on her head. Instead, it was the North Atlantic battering the ship’s bow, seemingly right behind our headboard.

At times, I felt pressed deep into the mattress, while at others, it seemed the only thing keeping me from being flung from the bed was the ceiling above. This ghostly activity finally relented around 7 a.m. The real miracle? Even with Sue’s delicate constitution, the sick bags in cabin F114 remained unused and, thankfully, unnecessary!

We rose at 8 a.m. for breakfast to find we’d arrived in Ålesund. It appeared we weren’t alone in having our sleep disrupted by the wrath of the Norse gods, though we did meet a rather large lady in the lift who remarked, “Storm? What storm? I slept like a log.” I instantly took a dislike to her.

After a hearty breakfast, we disembarked under rainclouds that were quite eager to unload their contents with gusto onto any passenger daring to venture out. Our first mission was to climb the mountain overlooking the town (at least to cloud level) and admire the view below, as there was nothing to see beyond that or in the distance. There were moments when the rain and wind paused, but these were fleeting at best. From the mountain, we next set off in search of the Ålesund Museum. We knew we were close, but finding it proved elusive. After nearly circumnavigating the block and stopping to consult maps in sheltered doorways, we finally located it. I’d brought my tablet with navigation software, but the rain rendered the touchscreen useless!

Eventually, we found the museum, thoroughly explored its displays, and headed back to the ship for lunch, passing an obvious pavement sign directing us to the museum, right by the spot where, only an hour earlier, we’d stood scratching our heads over a rapidly sogging tourist map.

We decided to have lunch in the Peninsular Restaurant, where we discovered it was waiter service rather than buffet-style and were reluctantly seated at a table for six. Instead of our usual light salad, circumstances led us to have a full three-course meal.

To burn off the extra calories, we donned our rain gear and ventured down the gangplank in search of the town church. We found it quickly and took a moment inside to shelter from the elements before heading towards the harbour, braving a fierce gale to reach the Fishing Museum. Slope-assisted, we arrived promptly and spent more time than usual appreciating the history and workings of the Norwegian whaling and herring fleets.

Afterwards, we meandered through town on our return to the ship. The museum informed us that the original wooden town burned down in the early 1900s. How, one wonders? Wet wood doesn’t burn easily, and there certainly shouldn’t have been a shortage of water to put out the flames! Something fishy indeed!

Back in our cabin, we changed into drier clothes and then made our way to Al Fresco for the obligatory coffee. For the rest of the afternoon, Sue went to watch the film ‘Pompeii’, while I opted for a steady bed. Later, I waved my goodbyes from the top deck to its diluted citizens as we departed a very rainy Ålesund, before joining Sue for yet another coffee.

We changed early for dinner, as there was a ‘Queen Tribute’ show in one of the theatres, and luckily we managed to secure seats near the front. The entertainment was excellent, with all the well-known songs blended with some impressive choreography. I could have watched all night! But dinner beckoned, so we made our way to the Oriental Restaurant, where our table at the stern with a panoramic window gave us a clear view of an increasingly rough sea, an ominous sign for the overnight sail to Trondheim.

We wrapped up the evening with a performance by a singer delivering classical arias. Sue enjoyed his singing, though I found it less captivating. Here’s hoping for a good night’s sleep!