Azura Cruise Blog – Day 3
Read all about my third day aboard P&O’s Azura as we visited Bergen, Norway.
My alarm went off around half past seven in the morning, just as we were starting to cruise the inland fjords towards Bergen – the former capital of Norway. After grabbing some breakfast from the buffet; I decided to sit on my balcony and watch as the ship berthed alongside the quay. A little later on I ventured ashore. I have visited Bergen before, however that was seven years ago aboard the QE2 and all I could remember was a McDonald’s and the Fish Market. Anyway, I took the complimentary shuttle bus into the city centre where I set off on what seemed like an endless walk towards the Fish Market, passing plenty of shops and bars along the way. Unfortunately we were in port on a Sunday, which meant most if not all of the shops were closed, apart from the market stalls. So I suppose you could say that it was a good thing.
If you are thinking of visiting Norway, let me give you a bit of advice. It is very expensive. Three soft drinks may easily set you back 146 Kroner, which is roughly £15. Additionally, a single Big Mac meal at McDonald’s will probably cost you the same.
I walked through the famous fish market, where there are also a number of eateries serving some of the freshest seafood I had ever seen. By that I mean that you can see the giant Lobsters and King Crabs in the tanks and beside them there is the grill! Which made me feel a little bit sad, but then again I don’t eat fish, unless it is breaded or battered that is. There were also a number of stalls selling Reindeer or Whale meat too. I know that it is a local delicacy in Scandinavia; however the thought of eating either of those gives me the shivers. Poor Shamu and Rudolph is what I say.
After wandering around for a couple of hours I decided to make my way back to the ship. Luckily I had timed this just right as the heavens were just about to open. Once I was back on board the Azura, I headed to the buffet for lunch, where I made myself a Beef Roll and had a side salad – which again did not feature any carrot. Even the chef couldn’t explain to me where there was no carrots available! Unfortunately the rain didn’t stop so the outdoor sailaway party was cancelled, so I headed back to my stateroom and sat on the balcony to watch the scenic passage back out into the Norwegian Sea.
The evenings dress attire was smart with a jacket required, however it seemed that a lot of people were not even wearing jackets! Once again I took dinner in one of the main restaurants, however I found the Roast Pork to be very tough; and there seemed to be a distinct lack of vegetables on the plate. However that seems to be the case on many cruises that I have taken. After dinner I enjoyed a drink in The Glass House before retiring for the evening. There seems to not be as much in the form of entertainment onboard. This was the third night of the cruise and still no production show. Hopefully something interesting will be on soon.
