Stopping at Alesund...

Upon leaving Bergen, our first stop on our cruise up the coast of Norway was the city of Alesund. Now when I say cruise, let me just say I'm using the word rather loosely. You see, we traveled on one the ships in the Hurtigruten line. These ships are far more basic than what you think of when you hear the words "Cruise ship." Yes, they are spacious, have overnight lodging in state rooms, and provide meals...but they do not provide other things that Americans often  expect when taking a cruise, like entertainment and on board activities. Nevertheless, the Finnmarken ship we traveled on was a wonderful way to see the coast and cities along the way to the Arctic Circle. 

Our gracious hosts in Bergen delivered us to the ship and came on board to see us off. We truly were sad to go! Yet, seeing and exploring the coast of Norway was a powerful lure. 

Leaving Bergen in the evening...

 A look at our ship, the Finnmarken

Seats at the bow of the ship for sightseeing...

The pool and hot tub...

After cruising through the night, we arrived at Alesund. This city has quite a history, since it burned to the ground in 1904. Architects, builders, and all sorts of craftsmen came from all over Norway to Alesund and rebuilt it in the Art Noveau style of architecture. The buildings are colorful, many with stucco, turrets and spires, and fancy embellishments. 

This statue of a young newsboy greeted us as we walked into town from the pier. 

When we spied this coffee shop, we just had to stop! Although it appeared quite Americanized, there was at least one difference. 

I've never seen pancakes for sale in a Starbucks or Seattle area coffee shop!

This shop selling Interior decor was our next stop...can't pass by these shops either! Here you can see an example of the art noveau embellishments I mentioned.

The inside of the shop...

These dishes were a favorite of mine, particularly the pattern with the deer.

Leaving the shop, we came upon several other unique statues as we continued on our walk.

Examples of the architecture...

Coming upon a museum and art gallery, we decided to stop in. The room below is an example of a traditional Norwegian dining room, before the fire. A short movie giving you the sense of being present in the burning buildings really brought the devastation and loss of lives home.

I loved these art posters.

The work by an artist named Ornulf Opdahl was probably my favorite.

Leaving the museum, we turned a corner and came upon this lovely old stone church.

More colorful buildings...

We found a second hand shop down near the waterfront, and had fun poking around there.

The more typical Norwegian wooden siding and charming window trims...

A cute little Norwegian guy!

More art noveau style...

More traditional Norwegian buildings...

Alesund is located in an archipelago of small islands, but to really see the view, you have to climb over 400 steps to get to the Fjellstua viewpoint. (You can also take a taxi to the view point if the climb is too much). Game for an adventure, I ventured up the steps, stopping along the way to take photos. 

The Fjellstua viewpoint has a restaurant and cafe, and a great deck to see the view. We were so thankful for a beautiful and bright day!

The famous view of the city of Alesund and surrounding islands...

Back in town, we walked by a lighting store and I peaked in. Don't some of these fixtures look like ones you've seen at Ikea?

Also had to stop at another interiors shop nearby...look at all the gold! Very popular in Norway!

By late afternoon, it was time to rejoin the ship and leave Alesund.

A sample of our view as we cruised into the evening...

I hope you enjoyed coming along to Alesund with me. Just a few more stops on our trip up the coast. I promise I will wrap up trip to Norway soon! Can't believe June is almost here! Warmly, Gracia