Stavanger

[wellinghall]

We are in Stavanger!

We got an early train to London yesterday, and then, after a bit of a wait at Kings Cross, the train to Newcastle, followed by a taxi to the port. Check in was remarkably quick and easy although we then had a long wait until we could board. This was aggravated by only having two people checking tickets and passports, and we found out on the ship that there were about 1,500 passengers.

We have got a good sized cabin, with a TV on which the only English channel appears to be Sky news.

We had a drink and a bite in one of the cafes after we had found our cabin, then strolled round until it was dinner time, in the form of a large buffet. Then back to the cabin, as it had been a long day. I did not sleep well, possibly due to the noise, or the movement, or a sore shoulder, but I do not feel too bad this morning.

There was another large buffet for breakfast, including raspberries and strawberries, then we were getting close enough to see interesting bits of land on the approach to Stavanger. We have docked next to the P and O liner Arcadia, which is BIG.

I think we are about to move off. Next stop Haugesund, then Bergen where we disembark and get onto the Hurtigruten ship for the next leg of our journey.

I do not like this Norwegian keyboard, as half the punctuation signs I want are missing, and most of the rest are not where they say they are, like the apostrophe!

Alas, I read in the week that DFDS*, the shipping line we are on, is about to shut down the Newcastle to Bergen route, as it is loss making. This will not be good, but I am pleased we at least got to sail on it once. I am surprised, as this voyage is either full or very nearly so, and they appear to be taking large amounts of money in the bars, restaurants, shops and bingo hall.

The Norwegian for Embarkation appears to be Inschippings. The Norwegian for Boarding Card appears to be Boarding Card.

More news at some point. One of the two internet terminals on this ship is out of order, and the other is suffering from an intermittent connection, so I do not know when that will be.

*Not to be confused with DFS, the furniture company.

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

Do have fun!

The Dutch for 'boarding card' is 'instaapkard', which I think is a brilliant word.

[firin.livejournal.com]

That is a lovely word! Makes me think of a Stepping-in Card, which it effectively is. *chuckle*

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

Ignore the messages I left for you. All is under control.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

This is good - and I've now caught up on the emails that have been flying round on the mailing list.

[firin.livejournal.com]

Your observations about Norwegian confirm a long-held theory of mine, ever since I began learning some rudimentary Swedish, which is that half of English is actually merely some variation of Scandinavian spoken with a different accent.

E.g. hjärt (pronounced something like hairt) and meaning 'heart'.
Igen (prounced i-yen), meaning 'again',
or one particular line from a favourite song lyric of mine:
"i en värld av idioter": "in a world of idiots".

Makes you wonder what we'd have been speaking if we'd never been invaded by pillaging Scandinavians (and subsequently the Normans, obviously).

[firin.livejournal.com]

Though I bet, when Harald Hardrada embarked for Angleland with a few boatloads of battle-hungry warriors, nobody asked him for a Boarding Card.

"Are your papers in order, Mr Hardrada?"
"Grrr, smash!"

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Well, we know what Beowulf's reaction was when he was asked for his papers when he landed.

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

Boarding card in Norwegian: I am reminded of the time I visited foradan in Oslo, and while shopping for food I saw some beautiful apples, but had been there long enough to know that fruit can be really expensive in Norway. So I said, "Foradan, could you ask them how much the apples are?" and he turned to the shop lady and asked in English, "How much are those apples?"

[meglorien.livejournal.com]

Ah, but you miss a point there. If he had asked "Hva koster epler?" they would have answered back in English, because he probably wouldn't pronounce the r's right. Anyone sounding funny is answered back in English.

[meglorien.livejournal.com]

Mind you, I'm not sure that's how you ask the question... Nrowegian in a knot in my head right now...

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

We were actually spoken to in Norwegian today! We think it was, "The gallery opens soon" (although having seen the opening times on a notice just before that did help ... )

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

Sorry to see that Bergen-Newcastle is closing. When the Eldon Square Shopping Centre opened in 1976, the centre published promotional material in Norwegian, and I remember the parties of Norwegian shoppers on Tyneside in the late 1970s.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I have hread of such things.

There was a curious mix of voices on the boat across the North Sea - Norwegian and Geordie.

[findabair.livejournal.com]

I totally understand the keyboard thing - I'm finally getting used to the English keyboard, which is going to be annoying when I come home to the Norwegian one... :)

Enjoy Norway!!

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

We are doing so - very much!

[mrkinch.livejournal.com]

The adventure begins! I hope you get a decent connection periodically to give us the details.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Further updates now posted. Yesterday, apart from the reindeer, we saw terns (presumably arctic) and ?dunlin. We also hope to see puffins and king eider ducks while we are on Svalbard.