Stavanger, Norway

 We docked around 8:00 am and thankfully we are right in the middle of town.  It was gray and rainy and predicted to be that way for most of the day.  We were booked on a boat trip up a local fjord and thought about skipping it, but since the only things I regret on this trip are the things we didn't do, we went ahead.  The fjord boat is a ferry boat so it was large and comfortable.  The first part of the trip, which was the least interesting part, was a bit wet.  But when we got into the narrower fjord, it got much better.  Still mostly cloudy, but no rain.

That piece jutting out at the top is "Pulpit Rock".  You can hike to it from the back side.  It's about 75x75 feet.

The captain pulled the boat right up under this waterfall.

On our way back we stopped for coffee and a waffle at a very nice restaurant along the fjord.  In front of it was a salmon farm that was unusual looking, to say the least.  It's an enclosed "fish globe" and is designed to "eliminate sea lice and escapes."  It also offers "full recycling of all waste from the production with no emission to the fjord" and "optimal water circulation and change out to ensure good fish welfare".  The globe was built with 100% recyclable material.

You can visit this fish farm on certain days.

The salmon farm

After the boat ride, we wandered around town a bit and went into the Petroleum Museum.  It was a bit of a disappointment.  It started with a 20-minute movie that I was expecting would explain the history of the oil industry in Norway, but instead was a "personal" story of a man who grew up as an "oil kid".  Too much drama and not enough facts.  They did have lots of examples of drill bits and some other equipment and nice models of various oil rigs over the years.  But I was hoping for a bit more about life on an oil rig.  Stavanger is central to the industry and many of the rigs were built here.  When we were buying our ticket, the fellow asked us if we still worked in our country.  When we said that we were retired, he said we qualified for the senior discount of 50%.  I thought that was a nice way of asking if we were old.

Don't know why these keep catching my eye, but they are interesting.

When the weather started turning a bit wet we returned to the ship for a late bite of lunch.  We were enjoying a visit with Mark in Coffee Connection when suddenly Michael's glass mug of Irish Coffee just shattered and sent glass flying.  It was sitting on the table at the time so no real damage done, but it was a bit of a shock.  The staff was right on it and so apologetic.  I'm sure it was just a flawed cup, but they reacted as though they had done something wrong.  

Trivia was our usual pathetic performance.  We had a drink with Gordon and Patty in Galileo's before dinner with Carl, Patrick & Lois in Prime 7.  We decided to skip the show tonight - no surprise.  The Captain warned of another night of movement especially after midnight, which is OK with me.  It was entirely too smooth for a long time.