Tromsø - gateway to the not so frozen north

I’d dreamt of visiting Tromsø for a long time, as there was something about this far northern Norwegian city that really appealed to me. The city is located on the island of Tromsøya which sits in the Tromsøysundet strait, just off the mainland of Northern Norway. The mainland suburb of Tromsdalen is connected to the city centre on Tromsøya by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel. The city centre contains the highest number of old wooden houses in Northern Norway, the oldest dating from 1789, and acts as a cultural hub for the region. Whilst Tromsø isn't as far north as Svalbard—which is separated from the European mainland and lies roughly halfway between the latter and the North Pole, Tromsø certainly evoked the atmosphere and look of a frontier town perched at the boundary of the frozen wilderness.

It reminded me of the town on the fringe of the frozen north, that was brought to life by author, Philip Pullman, in his work, Northern Lights - the first book in the original “His Dark Materials” trilogy. Those amongst you who have read this remarkable series, will recall the un-named, far-northern settlement, where the books’ protagonist, Lyra Belacqua, first encountered armoured bears and the adventurous balloonist, Lee Scoresby. So, when our cruise ship arrived at this town, close to the northern tip of Norway, I truly felt as though I had reached the edge of the Arctic, reminiscent of the setting from the novel.

Unlike the previous post, where myself plus most of the ships company walked into the city centre, that wasn't really possible due to the location of the docks, to the north of Tromsø. Given the mountainous nature of the surrounding area, and the associated scarcity of flat land in this part of the world, much of the area between the port and the city centre is given over to warehousing and associated light industries. In theory, it was walkable, but it would have been a lengthy, and rather boring trek. Fortunately, the cruise line had arranged a complimentary shuttle bus service, operating every 20 to 30 minutes, between the berth and the town centre. A similar, free service, was also available in other ports, such as Trondheim and Alta, and Ambassador Cruise Line are to be commend for providing such reliable transportation between the ship and the various city centres.

The coach dropped us at the waterfront just a short distance from the city's main shopping area and, true to form, I began my visit by calling in at the local Tourist Information Centre, to pick up city map. Much to my family's amusement and son Matthew's disgust, I’m an avid map reader, especially as I find navigating my way around a new or strange place, far easier with the aid of a paper plan, than it is using my phone. Matthew, and to a certain extent Mrs PBT’s as well, is the one who normally relies on me to navigate our way around a new location, but surely, he must realise I don’t carry this information in my head! Perhaps he does! For the record, the TIC was situated inside the ferry departure terminal, where ships connecting Tromsø with nearby islands and other, outlying settlements, set sail from.

Next to the tourist office, was a FOREX outlet, where I was able to switch some of the Euro’s I’d brought with me, into Norwegian Krone. I then proceeded uphill towards the centrally located Tromsø Cathedral. Built in 1861, this attractive and unassuming building is Norway's only wooden cathedral, but due to its simplistic design, as well as its timber construction, doesn’t look out of place with the rest of the town. Just up from the cathedral, and running at a right angle to the latter, is Tromsø’s main shopping street. This area features a variety of interesting shops, cafes, restaurants, and bars, and includes, for those interested the world’s most northerly McDonald's restaurant, as well as the city’s own Hard Rock Café.

As I’m sure you will appreciate, I hadn’t travelled all this way, only to sell myself short with mas-produced pap from Uncle Sam, especially as I was in need of a locally brewed beer or two. I’d pre-selected a couple of pubs which looked promising, at least on paper, so I set off in search of the first of these. Described as Tromsø’s oldest pub, despite only dating back to 1928, Ølhallen is the flagship outlet for the Mack Brewery. Founded in 1877, by Ludwig Markus Mack, this family-owned brewery was originally located in the centre of Tromsø, but moved out in 2011, to Nordkjosbotn, 70km to the south. The old brewery buildings remain in Tromsø and are used primarily as a visitor attraction. The move possibly means that Mack are no longer the most northerly brewery in the world, but let’s not get too excited over such details.

Despite the move, Ølhallen remains a “must” for visitors to Tromsø, and descending the steps down into what, for me, had the feel and character of a Bavarian or Austrian Bierstube added to the excitement and sense of occasion. Ølhallen is a place where townspeople of all ages meet and enjoy beers from the Mack portfolio, as well as other Norwegian breweries. The outlet boasts of having one of the largest tap selections in Europe serving Norwegian quality beer from 72 different taps!

Others describe Ølhallen as a place where people of all ages come together, to enjoy a wide selection of beers from Mack and other Norwegian breweries. Ølhallen state that their Beer Hall has long been part of the city’s everyday social rhythm, describing it as a daytime and early-evening meeting place, where people stop for a social pint after work or sightseeing. Even today, it typically closes early in the evening and remains closed on Sundays, reinforcing its role as a pub focussed on the local community, rather than a place for late-night drinking.

Mack claim that in decades past, the Beer Hall was a well-known gathering place for polar explorers, hunters, and fishermen preparing for journeys into the Arctic ice. This history is still visible inside, with a stuffed polar bear serving as a reminder of Tromsø’s hunting past, while photographs of well-known Arctic figures line the walls, grounding the space firmly in the city’s northern identity. Ølhallen retains its traditional layout, including long wooden tables designed for shared seating. This combination of history, beer culture, and communal atmosphere makes the Beer Hall a clear reflection of  Tromsø’s social life, past and present.

With such an extensive variety of beers of offer, I was more than stumped for choice, so I did something I wouldn’t normally do by ordering a selection of five different beers, set out on a tray as a sort of “tasting wheel”. You see them laid out in the attached photo, but they ranged from a Pilsner, through to a full-bodied, Dunkel, with a Wheat Beer thrown in for good measure. Feeling slightly peckish and also wishing to soak up some of the beer, purchased a hot dog. Ølhallen was relatively empty when I first arrived, but by the time I worked my way through the selection of beers on the tasting tray, the place was starting to fill up.

For the record, I ticked and scored all five beers on Untappd, and should you wish, you can find details of them all, under my profile, on this global “ticking App”.  We shall return briefly, to Tromsø, next time, before taking a look at the Arctic town of Alta, the most northerly point of Norway, that we reached on our visit to the frozen north.

Sorry for the lack of photographs, to illustrate this post, but on Sunday morning, my computer decided to die on me. Fortunately, I’d already loaded the text and was able to access the post on my desktop at work, although this was before I’d uploaded any of my carefully edited photos. It might be a while before my existing PC is either repaired, or I splash out on a new one!

 

Trondheim - a delightful, and cultured city on Norway's central, west coast

This post examines Trondheim, an historic port, and Norway’s third largest city. The settlement lies on a sheltered peninsula on the southern shore of the deeply indented Trondheims Fjord. As a significant industrial and commercial hub for the surrounding region, Trondheim offers visitors an authentic experience of urban life in Norway.  

Our cruise ship docked conveniently close to the city centre, allowing for easy access. Upon disembarking, I joined numerous other passengers making the brief walk into town. We traversed the train tracks and marshalling yards via an elevated walkway. Although I had obtained a map upon leaving the vessel, I ultimately chose to follow the crowds as they made their way towards the centre of Trondheim.

The day began with overcast skies, though the sun eventually emerged. One aspect of Trondheim that stood out to me was its abundance of shops, cafés, and dining establishments; initially, there appeared to be fewer locations serving beer. However, prior to considering refreshments, I wished to explore some of the city's cultural highlights. My primary destination was Trondheim’s renowned Nidaros Cathedral, burial site of King Olav II, who became the patron saint of the nation. The cathedral is the traditional location for the consecration of new Norwegian monarchs.  

On my way to the cathedral, I paused in a garden situated opposite the Stiftsgårdsparken, an elegant Baroque-style townhouse belonging to the Norwegian royal family. I sat there for a while studying the map, looking for likely watering holes - more about that later. Upon arrival at the cathedral, which is widely regarded as one of Norway’s most exceptional stone structures, I learned that admission required the purchase of a ticket. 

As I was on a tight schedule, I chose not to enter, and whilst I understand the necessity of admission fees for churches and other religious sites—given the significant maintenance costs for such landmarks—I have mixed feelings about their implementation.

Once I had taken the obligatory photographs, I decided to exchange some of the Euros I had brought with me—a decision I now recognize as a mistake. My reasoning was influenced by a travel blog authored by an American writer who claimed that Euros were widely accepted in Norway.

Consequently, instead of converting Sterling into the local currency and potentially ending up with notes or coins not usable elsewhere, it seemed logical to use Euros. In hindsight, this was misguided, and I acknowledge that I should have conducted more thorough research on local currency requirements prior to my trip.

While passing a foreign exchange office (FOREX), I decided to follow through with my plan to trade some Euros for Norwegian crowns (Krone). There were a few students ahead of me in the line, so I waited until they finished their transactions before approaching one of the windows myself. 

Watching these two young women being asked to show their passports, I was reminded that, for security reasons, I'd intentionally left mine back on the ship. I had a sinking feeling that my request to exchange currency might be denied. Sure enough, when I spoke to the cashier and told them my passport was back on board, they asked if I had any other form of identification. I did and handed over my UK driving license. Although it's not quite as good as a passport, it does feature my photo and is an official piece of UK government-issued identification.

“I’m afraid your Driving Licence is unacceptable”, said the cashier, “because United Kingdom is not part of the European Union”. “I know”, I replied, “but surely neither is Norway, and unlike the UK it has never been part of the EU”. He smiled and laughed, before countering with the remark that whilst Norway was indeed not part of the European Union, it was part of the European Free Trade area, unlike the UK. 

Membership of the EFT was part of the deal originally offered to the UK by the EU, but the offer was rejected by Boris Johson's Tory government, in order to appease the hardliners of the cynically named, European Research Group (ERG). I accepted my defeat, with good grace, and a couple of days later, when our cruise ship docked in Tromso, I took my passport with me and, at a different Forex, managed to change some of my Euro’s into Norwegian Krone.

The day was wearing on, and it was time for some refreshment, but first I found a supermarket where, under instructions from Mrs PBT’s, I picked up a selection of biscuits, nibbles and other “healthy snacks” from a well-stocked supermarket. But where to go for a beer? I had compiled a shortlist of possible places and thought it would just be a matter of navigating to them using my phone, even though I’m not really a fan of following directions on a small screen. 

I set off, in the approximate direction of the port, and when I happened to glance up, I noticed a large building, with an impressive frontage. It turned out to be a craft beer bar named "Habitat", and what more it was open. I stepped inside and found an inviting open-plan layout, that was offering some delicious-looking pizza, as well as an extensive selection of “craft beers”.  

It seemed the perfect spot, and after ordering a pizza, I chose a selection of three different beers. A pale ale, an IPA, and then a rather weighty Imperial Double Stout, which came in at an impressive 14.5% abv. The pale ale and the IPA both paired nicely with the pizza, though I’m less sure about the double stout! It was still an excellent beer, even if it hadn’t been part of my original plan. Habitat wasn't overly crowded, and I had the pick of the tables. This was despite signs indicating they were reserved, but this turned out to be for later that afternoon. 

I was therefore quite happy, sitting there enjoying the beer, just taking in the atmosphere, but after that heavyweight double stout, thought it best to make my way back to the ship. I took a slightly different route back to the port, which enabled me to see a different part of Trondheim, even if it was just the area close to the river and the docks. As for the city itself, as well as being the principle city for this part of central Norway, Trondheim is well worth a longer stay in order to do it proper justice.

 

Åndalsnes and the Golden Train

The second port of call on our Norwegian adventure, was the small, and attractive settlement of Åndalsnes, located at the mouth of the river Rauma, on the shores of Romsdalsfjord. The village is approximately 12 hours sailing from Ålesund, so after an early evening departure from the latter, the following morning saw our cruise ship, Ambience, berthed in the calm and reflective waters of the fjord.

The town has a population of just under 2,500 persons in an attractive setting close the end of field small settlement and it is visited every year by many cruise ships, including our own vessel, Ambience. Its harbour, which is within easy walking distance of the moorings, is called "Tindekaia", and looks out across to the small town of Åndalsnes itself.

Åndalsnes is known as the mountaineering capital of Norway, and lies at the start of the Rauma Railway, described as "one of Europe’s most scenic train journeys". The line is the home of the famous "Golden Train", which takes passengers on an unforgettable journey through beautiful Romsdalen, as it moves along the Rauma Railway. On the way it passes Europe’s largest vertical rock face, where the sheer and intimidating 1,100 metre-high Trollveggen (Troll Wall), acts as a magnet for sightseers and climbing enthusiasts alike.

The Golden Train is named after the secret mission undertaken by the Norwegian government during World War II, when the line was used to transport the country’s gold reserves as part of efforts to safeguard these national assets from the German occupiers. The gold was disguised as mundane cargo, and secret routes were used to evade enemy patrols and checkpoints.

 Norwegian resistance fighters played a crucial role in facilitating this secret operation, which saw the gold travelling down the train-line to Åndalsnes, and then on to safer overseas destinations, including such as the United Kingdom, and Canada. The successful evacuation and safeguarding of the nation’s gold reserves held significant symbolic importance for the Norwegian government plus its people and demonstrated resilience against the German invasion. It also helped to maintain Norway's financial sovereignty during the occupation.

The journey followed by the Golden Train is a round trip from Åndalsnes to Bjorli, which allows travellers to experience stunning views of Norway's majestic landscapes. These include the emerald, green Rauma river, the aforementioned Troll Wall, the Kylling Bridge, and the impressive Verma Waterfall. A short break at Bjorli train station, which is the last stop on the line, allows travellers to disembark from the train and breathe in the fresh mountain air, while experiencing a part of the Raumabahn's history up close. Passengers then rejoin the train for its journey back to Åndalsnes. The entire round trip takes about 2½ hours and having written those words I’m wishing now that we had booked tickets for this fascinating ride.

Although we didn't ride on the train, Åndalsnes itself was a real gem in a fantastic setting. The weather was kind, in spite of a slight chill in the air, the only disappointment being the town’s single pub was closed. It was Sunday afternoon, and the place was also closed on Mondays as well - shades of back home! We visited as couple of shops before finding a nice coffee shop, attached to a local bakers, and sitting at one of the outside table, whilst watching the world go by, was a nice way to while away the time. Some children nearby were attempting to catch crabs from the jetty, using a hand-line, an activity both Eileen and I were familiar with from our own childhood.

Before returning to the ship, we watched the Golden Train departing from Åndalsnes, which again left me wishing that I’d booked a ticket on this legendary service. Perhaps I should have carried out a little more research prior to embarking on this cruise, but Hey-Ho! An overnight voyage, further up the Norwegian coast, saw Ambience docking at the city of Trondheim, a city on the Trondheim Fjord, in central Norway.

Dating back to the 11th century, Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway and is the fourth largest urban area in the country. Trondheim is a major land and sea transport link that connects the more densely settled south with the far-northern regions of the country. The city is also a major centre for manufacturing, plus food processing area. It is also home to a number of pubs, one of which turned out to be the surprise find of the holiday, as we shall discover in the nest post.

 

A Norwegian saga

Mrs PBT’s and I arrived back in the UK at around 11pm, last night, when our ship docked at Tilbury, or should I say the slightly pretentious London Cruise Terminal. I’m actually being rather unfair to Tilbury, because as departure and arrival places go, the LCT was a very smooth operation. This location in Essex hardly constitutes a town, although we did notice the presence of Tilbury Town rail station on our drive back toward the Dartford Crossing earlier this morning.

Our departure from this slightly maligned location brought back a few memories from childhood, that harked back to my one and only previous visit to childhood, which predate the opening of the first Dartford Tunnel. The Gravesend-Tilbury ferry was the only option for drivers wishing to cross the Thames, downstream of London, and I can remember the excitement of driving down the ramp, in the family car, and onto the limited capacity car ferry at Gravesend, before leaving the vessel at Tilbury, on the opposite side of the river. That was on a trip to Suffolk, to visit my recently retired paternal grandparents, and as it represents my only memory of crossing the river, in this manner, I imagine the Dartford Tunnel must have opened to traffic soon afterwards.

Before going any further, an apology to both regular followers and casual readers of the blog, for the lack of any posts whilst away. I obviously failed the digital-nomad test, as for some reason, best known to Google, I was unable to access my Blogger account whilst away. This was probably a blessing in disguise, as even attempting to type out meaningful text, on the small screen of a Smartphone, has never been a task I’m particularly fond of. Instead, I took copious notes, detailing not just the locations we visited on the cruise, but all sorts of observations about Ambience, the ship that acted as our home for the past 16 days.

Spoiler alert- due to atrocious weather conditions in the Norwegian Sea, the final five days of the voyage were all spent at sea, after being unable to berth at Narvik, which was the final destination of our cruise. Instead, our captain took the decision to “run for home” which meant being tossed and turned by the heavy seas, and strong winds we encountered on our journey back to blighty.  

 The choppy seas led to the evacuation, by helicopter, of at least one injured passenger, and possibly more, following an incident in the ship’s restaurant. Eileen and I remained in our quarters that evening and ordered a meal from the “room service” option, although we heard, and witnessed at least one helicopter hovering above our cabin, on Deck 10. The chopper was rather too close for comfort, as it hovered just feet above our heads, but despite atrocious conditions the casualty was winched to safety and flown away for further treatment. Speculation on board was that Lerwick, in the Shetland Isles, would have been the nearest suitable hospital, but like many things on board ship, this is only speculation.

Leaving bad weather and disasters at sea to one side for a moment, here’s a brief synopsis of places visited, along with alterations to the schedule.  We discovered after booking our trip back in December that the itinerary formerly included a visit to the aforementioned Lerwick, on the outward journey, although this was eventually cancelled. I’m not sure why, and I for one would have liked a visit to Shetland, but removing the latter from the schedule meant a three-day sailing to our first port of call, the lovely town of Ǻlesund.

This was followed the day after, with a visit to Åndalsnes, a tiny town, at the end of a lengthy fjord,and starting point for the Rauma Railway. The latter has been voted "Europe's most scenic train journey", as it follows the line of the Rauma Valley, up into the mountains. An overnight sailing took us to Trondheim, the third most populous municipality in Norway, and a city with a number of cultural treasures. A “sea day” took us to Tromsø, a city known as the "Gateway to the Arctic", and a place with a real buzz about it.

Our ship spent two days in Tromsø, and whilst the second day was marred by rain, there were a number of bars that proved well worth visiting. Our penultimate stop was the small, and very modern-looking town of Alta, where we spent a couple of days, Situated on Norway’s northern coast, at the head of Alta Fjord, the town is renowned as one of the best places to observe the Northern Lights. 

True to the town’s reputation we were rewarded with sightings of the, at times, elusive Aurora Borealis. We set sail on the evening of 21^st March, bound for Narvik, a town on the Norwegian coast, and best known as the port where iron ore, mined in nearby Sweden, is shipped across the world, after being transported across the border, by rail. Unfortunately, we never got to see the town, as it was whilst sailing to Narvik that our captain made the decision to head for home instead.

The above, is just a brief synopsis of our Norwegian adventure, an experience that took us beyond the Arctic Circle and to the northernmost edge of continental Europe. I shall be elaborating much further over the next week or so, as I attempt to play catch-up on what was an amazing and unmissable experience. In other words, there’s plenty more to come!

 

Getting away from it all

There’s just two days left at work until Mrs PBT’s and I set sail on our spring cruise to Norway, and with my case almost packed, I’ve been scratching around catching up on one or two outstanding jobs around the house. I shan’t bother you with the details, apart from saying the fast-draining, super-grip shower mat that I ordered online is proving to be most satisfactory. (I told you it was boring.) I took a short walk around the block afterwards, it was actually several blocks, but despite the dull conditions overhead, the chill in the air, and the threat of rain, it was good to get out of the house, even though it was only for an hour or so.

I headed down towards the former Somerhill pub, where work seems to be progressing nicely, although with the building hidden behind the ubiquitous Heras Fencing, and the windows still “white-washed” out, it was difficult to see what is going on inside. The exterior is looking good, although I’m not over-keen on the bright green paint used to mask the 1950’s roughcast finish. I’m banking on the pub being finished and perhaps even open by the time we return from our Norwegian adventure.

The thought of calling in for a pint at one of the remaining local pubs crossed my mind, but as I’ve already visited every pub within a 20-minute radius (on foot), of Bailey Towers, there weren’t any that I fancied revisiting. (Like last year, I’m aiming to call at as many different hostelries as possible, and duplicating visits at this early stage of the game, has a disrupting effect on my strategy).

Instead, I returned home and finished off the last of the packing. For once we’re ahead of the game, and I’m including Mrs PBT’s here, as well. She’s also slimmed down on the number of bags and cases she’s taking – still too many in my view, but two medium sized cases, plus a couple of bags, is a major improvement on previous cruises. I’m taking one large, hard-shell case that I bought on promotion at Tesco, prior to Christmas, plus a medium sized rucksack.

The case contains a few items of Eileen’s, but I’m rather pleased with my packing, especially as I managed to squeeze in the hiking boots, mentioned in the previous past.  It also contains my “whistle” – Cockney rhyming slang, don’t you know! I’m not a fan of dressing for dinner, or dressing for anything, for that matter, but I’ve been cajoled into it by the lady of the house.

There’s just one day left at work now, and I’ve managed to clear my in-tray, as well as my desk, but it does lead on to the question of how long do I wish to continue in the world of nine to five? In six weeks’, time, I shall reach the grand old age of 71, and in five months’ time I will have completed 20 years’ service with the company. This is by far and away the longest stretch I have spent with any organisation, and when that magic two decades is reached, I shall be inline for a long service bonus. Not a life-changing amount, but still a nice little sum, so it’s going to be autumn before I make any decision, regardless of which way I decide to turn.

I’ve still got mixed feelings here, as turning up to work, even for just three days a week, gets me out of the house and allows me to spend time with colleagues who are, on the whole, intelligent and interesting people. I also strongly feel I am making a real difference to the company, not just on the Health & Safety front – which is my main remit, but also to the project work I have been involved with. It also gets me out of the house, which is another big plus point. Mrs PBT’s is very much a home-loving girl, and whilst there’s nothing wrong with that, to a point, I am very much someone who likes to get out and explore, especially when there’s a decent pub or two involved.

Well, time to finish up and get ready for bed. We’ve got a mid-morning departure for our drive to Tilbury, where the rather grandiose-sounding London Cruise Terminal is situated. Any posting I do will be made via my phone, as I experienced some real difficulties on the last two occasions trying to connect my laptop to the internet. Wherever possible, I will attempt to steer the subject matter back to the main topics of the blog, which are beer, and travel, but for the time-being ta ra for now.

In search of Ambience, beyond the Arctic Circle

In this fast moving, ever changing and increasingly manic world it’s sometimes hard to remain grounded and focus on the things that really matter in life.  I write these words whilst just four days away from setting sail on another cruise and providing I can steer my Tele-addict wife away from the likes of Sky News, our voyage should be a welcome escape from the madness that’s occurring in the world at large.

You see that after nine voyages on Cunard – all “Queen” ships, we’ve decided to cut loose and try something completely different. In doing so, we’ve moved away from Carnival’s flagship brand – thereby saving ourselves a tidy packet. Only time and experience will tell whether we’ve made the right decision, as we’ve booked a 16-night voyage on Ambience, one of three cruise ships operated by Ambassador, Britain’s newest cruise line.

Ambassador sail from seven regional UK ports to a wide variety of different destinations, and the company prides itself by offering affordable quality at a price that offers some of the best value on the high seas. They claim to offer excellent service coupled with outstanding cuisine and all served with the warmest of welcomes. According to the company’s promotional literature, “you’ll get a decent cuppa, as well as a traditional afternoon tea, coupled with some great entertainment - all at an affordable price.” What is it about the Brits and their cups of tea?

The regional port that we’re sailing from is Tilbury, just 45 minutes’ drive from Bailey Towers, via the M25 and the Dartford Crossing. Our destination is Norway, and nowhere else, and our cruise will see us sailing right up the coast of the country, visiting various towns and cities on the way. These settlements include Alesund, Trondheim, Tromso, and Narvik. After crossing the Arctic Circle, we’ll have an overnight stop at Alta, a settlement close to the northern tip of Norway, and uncomfortably close to the Russian Federation.

We can expect some spectacular scenery, and if we’re lucky a glimpse of the Northern Lights, or the aurora borealis, but as long as the accommodation is of a high standard, and the food equally good, we don’t really mind. Ambience, which is a refurbished former P&O Australia ship looks well presented, and with just 1,400 passengers, is considerably smaller than the Cunard vessels we’ve become used to. After running into IT issues on our last cruise, I’ve decided against taking a laptop, although I shall be taking a notebook. This does mean that postings, whilst away, will be few and far between. 

From a personal point of view, it will just be nice to escape from all the bad stuff that’s going on in the world at the moment. I shall be taking a nice thick book as well as a pair of binoculars. As for clothing, temperatures are likely to be just above freezing during the day, and slightly below that figure after sunset. I’ve got a thermally lined coat, that is still unworn, but with a high TOG rating it should be warm enough to wear whilst ashore. I will also be taking my Meindl hiking boots which, when worn with a pair of thermal socks, should be sufficient to keep my feet warm, as well as providing sufficient grip on potentially slippery surfaces.

This forthcoming cruise is not our first visit to Norway and its famous fjords, because in June 2022, Eileen and I took a cruise to the aforementioned fjords. That voyage was made onboard Cunard Queen Mary 2 and included two visits to Hamburg – one on the outward sailing, and the other on the return journey. The reasoning behind this was one of simple economics, because by making two calls to Hamburg, was to pick up and then drop off parties of rich German passengers eager to combine a visit to the fjords with a trans-Atlantic crossing to New York.

On that voyage, Alesund was the most northerly settlement that we called at, whereas on the forthcoming one, this attractive Norwegian town will be the most southerly port. So, apart from Alesund, all other anchorages on this cruise will be new destinations as far as Mrs PBT’s and I are concerned. And this is where we must say farewell to Norway for the time being, apart from revealing that the photos used to illustrate this post, date from that 2022 cruise to Norway.

 

Random pub conversations at the Punch

Just a short post regarding an experience I had earlier in a local pub. The hostelry in question was the Punch & Judy, in Tonbridge, a back-street local, with a Tardis-like interior, looking across the rear of the town’s police station. It’s a pub that has seen several changes of name, and when I first moved to Tonbridge, it was known as the Gardener’s Arms.  Despite these changes, the pub’s current name appears to have stuck, even though it is usually abbreviated to the Punch, or sometimes, just the PJ.

Despite its proximity to the police station, or perhaps because of it, the Punch is very much a locals’ pub although it is none the worse for that. I called in, earlier today, for a swift pint, having just missed a bus back up to the top area of town. This part of Tonbridge is less than 5 minutes’ walk away from Bailey Towers, although the bus ride back from the own does save a lengthy uphill walk.

Back at the Punch, I ordered a pint of Harvey’s Best, a beer that is usually the go-to beer, not just in Tonbridge but across large swathes of the south-east. The beer was cool, foamy and in tip-top condition. Looking around there were just two other people in the pub; one was the landlady who had just served me, whilst the other was a middle-aged man who was probably a few years younger than me. There was sport of some description on the TV, although no-one was taking any notice of it.

The conversation was a little stilted, until the arrival of a group of official-looking fellas at the entrance to the car park at the rear of the police station. The damaged, brick wall across the road wasn’t hard to miss, and seeing the group of hi-vis, clad gents, the landlady marched out of the pub, and across to the group. They turned out to be insurance assessors, as confirmed to me and the other customer, and from what our hostess reported back, the wall had been struck by a bomb-disposal truck. No-one seemed sure of the connection or the relevance, although it appeared this wasn’t the first time the perimeter wall had been struck by a careless driver.

Excitement over, the conversation turned to beer glasses, because the other customer had called in at the pub, to pick up a box of superfluous glasses. I wasn't sure why this person wanted them, or what he was going to do with them. (Reading between the lines, the glasses were destined for a social club, of some description.) The landlady told the customer that the glasses were ale glasses, rather than lager ones. “What’s the difference?”  inquired the customer. “The lager ones are etched at the bottom, to maintain the head”, was the reply.

The customer was somewhat miffed, so I waded in about the “nucleation point”, stealing the hostess’s thunder somewhat, before she explained further about the etched, interior, at the bottom of the glass.  She referred to this part of the glass as a “widget”, which confused the customer even further, so with my scientist’s hat on, I explained that the laser etched mark on the inside bottom of the glass, acts as a nucleation point, that assists the release of the beer's carbonation, creating a steady stream of bubbles and maintaining a head on the beer. The customer still didn’t seem to get it, although the landlady agreed with my explanation. She explained that largely due to the action of the glass rinser behind the bar, the laser etched marks gradually wear out over time. The customer was informed that such “worn” glasses would still be fine for bitter, although not for lager.

It was time for me to leave and catch my bus, but these random encounters and equally random conversations, are what make pub life so refreshing and enjoyable. Now, should anyone ask you about “nucleation points” you will know they are referring to pouring a perfect pint of lager, rather than the all-out war the orange-idiot in the White House seems determined to provoke.