Stavanger - Norway

I've been super lazy on this holiday, as well as super-indulgent. I've done plenty of walking, especially around the promenade deck, and have used the stairs rather than the lifts (elevators for any Americans out there), so I don't mean physically lazy. 

What I mean is, that whilst I've done plenty of reading, I've been mentally lazy in other ways, certainly as far as this blog is concerned, but I've never really liked one-finger typing, of the sort I'm doing now on my Smart Phone. 

I brought a battered old laptop with me (more about that later), so most evenings I've been tapping out appropriate posts on a proper keyboard. With no internet connection though these literary gems are going to have to wait until I return home, so in the meantime readers will have to make do with the occasional one- fingered post, like the one.

We're currently moored at the attractive port town, of Stavanger, in Norway, following an enforced change of plan. Our destination following Alesund, was supposed to be Flaam, but after concerns from local inhabitants, regarding the environmental effects of massive cruise liners, like the Queen Mary 2, large vessels are now prohibited from docking there.

Instead, we sailed south, and are now berthed looking out over the quayside of this very pleasant Norwegian town. A walk around the town, earlier this morning, saw me visiting one of the state-owned, liquor stores, (Vinmonopolet), to pick up a selection of locally brewed, stouts and porters, followed by some weaker (below 5% abv) beers from a nearby supermarket.

I haven't checked the exchange rate, although something tells me they are going to work out expensive. Still it's not every day that you get the chance to buy Norwegian brewed, heavy weight, craft beers.

We're leaving Stavanger, layer this afternoon and heading back to fjord land proper. Depending on availability of a 4G signal, I might post another update, but if not it might have to wait until we call in again at Hamburg, on the way home.