Day 3

Hurtigruten - Day 3

Today our "long" stop is in Trondheim. We are scheduled to arrive at 8.30am and leave at 12md. You have to remember that the time the ship displays when getting off is the time the ship leaves NOT what time to be back on board. There is no checking of bags when you embark or any other time. A lot different to what we are used to. As someone commented it's a ferry not a cruise ship.

We were off the ship when we docked along with everyone else and with a local map and a walking route already mapped out by me in the early hours of the morning we were on our way.

Time slips away very quickly on this cruise because it is still light at midnight!! Also the chef will be serving hot prawn soup or pancakes or something else out on deck to keep you from going to bed. The soups have been delicious as I think they are made of a lot of cream! They are so yummy.... and the bread is devine...

Our walking route took us along the waterfront and into the city which was still sleeping. We walked to the Royal Residence which is the largest wooden mansion in Scandinavia and was built as a private residence in 1774-78. Then onto the Cathedral... the world's northern most gothic cathedral. Built from 1070 onwards over the tomb of St Olav, the Viking king who brought Christianity to Norway.

Our walk then took us through the gardens to the riverbank where we came to Gamle Bybru... the Old Town bridge built in the 1700s.

Over the bridge and up the hill to the Fort where you can get a good view over the city. Kristiansten Fortress was built after the great fire of 1681.

Time was ticking fast now so we decided to head back to the ship as it was a good 30 to 40 minute walk from the Fort. We walked via the old brightly coloured warehouses lining the river and are now mainly shops and restaurants. The oldest of the wharves and storehouses were built in the 1700s and appear today much as they did then.

The sun was out and it was now quite hot.... hotter than I thought for this part of the world even in summer!

We had a leisurely stroll back to the ship and even managed to find an optometrist to tighten Peter's glasses on the way.

We have only one more stop today which is at 9pm and not long enough to worry about getting off the ship.

More time to catch up on this blog and soak up the scenery!

Walking into town along the waterfront

Crossing the river near Central Station

The garden at the Royal Residence

The Royal Residence... we could see the beautiful chandeliers lit up inside.... I wonder what they were doing????

The Cathedral

The river and the old bridge

A bike lift.... bike riders just rest their foot on a pad, press a button and it pushes you and the bike up the hill.... no need to peddle! And it's free!!!