So this is Norway then...

View from the top

Our day of emarkation turned into a day of travel - or should I say a day of waiting to travel. We only actually spent 2 hours in the air, but from the time we left the Cruise Terminal in Amsterdam, to the time we got to the hotel in Bergen, over 11 hours had elapsed.

How I looked by midnight!

Princess lived up to there reputation of being unhelpful. None of us was contacted about the sudden change of plan. So what's the point of giving them our emails and mobile numbers? The shore excursion organiser in Amsterdam pointed us in the right direction as far as booking flights to Bergen, which was great. But when we got to Bergen, we were on our own. Fortunately someone from the ship's agents was there picking up a crew member, took pity on us, and eventually pointed us in the direction of a hotel next to the airport. Apparently we have to pay for our flights and accommodation, then claim it back on our insurance... at least I knew all this from last year's Dublin fiasco, so was able to pass it on to the others!

A good night's sleep (if you can call 3 hours of semi-darkness a night) and I was rearing to go again. I hopped on the net, and sussed out another hotel in town. Four others decided to tag along with me, so we got the hotel desk to book for us, grabbed some local currency (no euro here) and hopped the bus into town. Great move! Such a wonderful city - so cute!

Bryggen

We dumped our bags and headed off to the cable car for the rather steep ride to the summit of one of the hills overlooking area. We arrived in sun, but it wasn't to last. Showers, heavy and frequent, seem to be the norm here, and today didn't disappoint! Had a lovely lunch out on the terrace in the sun, then lost the others, and ended up making my own way back to town, where I spent time along the art shop and antique area. I did a quick wander through the historic Bryggen area (old wooden buildings), then retreated to the hotel for a well earned rest.

So a bonus day in Bergen - what a treat! All I need now is for the Dawn Princess to make it into port tomorrow as scheduled, and it will be back to "Plan A". Watch this space!

PS to Garry and Joanne (who are on the Dawn, and not enjoying a bonus day in Bergen!): Tried to leave a comment on your blog but it wouldn't accept it - but looking forward to the hugs from everyone :-)